Two years ago, I unintentionally started my own New Year’s tradition. Instead of creating resolutions that would be too easily forgotten or too quickly broken (like giving up fast food completely or working out every single day), I made a list of a few specific, measurable, realistic goals for the year. A list that I could come back to a year later to reflect on and see how I grew. And the idea kind of stuck with me, so here I am, for the third year in a row, thankful for God’s faithfulness in 2018 and turning a hopeful eye toward the year ahead!

MY 2018 GOALS WERE:

• Each night (or as often as I can), write down something that made me happy that day. ✓
  This ended up being one of my favorite things on my 2017 list, and I knew I wanted to continue it last year. It’s so sweet to flip back through and remember the little moments (and big moments) that colored my life with meaning.
• Read through the whole Bible chronologically. 
  I haven’t made it all the way through yet, but I am really proud to say I’ve been more consistent with getting in the Word than I ever have been in my life. Reading every single day has become a true habit.
• Send 12 random surprise gifts to family, friends, or coworkers. ✓
  The gift-giver and surprise-lover in me had a blast doing this one! Among others, I took sweet treats to Daniel and my coworkers, sent some date night gift cards in the mail, and made a “Welcome Home” basket for some friends who had a baby.
• Create new blog/social media content more consistently. ✓
  I based this one purely on stats. In 2017, I published 37 blog posts. In 2018, I published…37. Lol. But hey, I’m consistent! Originally, I had wanted to create more social media content as well, but honestly, I reached a point where I was sick of social media. I still wanted to enjoy it, but I was tired of trying to keep people *engaged* all the time, and I felt controlled by it. So I quit! I took the pressure off of myself and just started posting when I felt like it. And I am not sorry in the slightest.
• Go on a group vacation with good friends. ✓
  I told Daniel that the way you know a group vacation was a success is when you get to the end of the trip and would willingly travel with those people again, and that was DEFINITELY the case after our group cruise! I’m already ready for the next one.
• Have at least one TV-free day per week, and one social media-free day per month.
  I’m not even going to sugarcoat it: I 100% failed at this one. I don’t think I even accomplished this in one month out of twelve, and if I did, it was by accident. But I know exactly why I failed, and it’s because I didn’t make a plan. So I’m carrying this goal over into 2019, and I have a plan to make it happen.
• Become a MONAT Mentor by the end of the year.
  This goal and my social media goal were actually very closely connected. If you’re friends with me on social media, you probably noticed that I haven’t been posting about MONAT as much anymore, and that’s partially because I felt like I was constantly stressed about not producing enough engaging content and connecting with people through those platforms. But before you get uppity about network marketing, just know that I am still a Market Partner, I still think MONAT is a fantastic company, I still love their hair products, AND I’m even still earning income. However, I decided that, for the time being, taking a step back from MONAT was what I needed, and I have not regretted that decision. I can always go back to it later if I want, but for now, I am enjoying this season and digging deeper into my relationship with the Lord, spending time with people I love, dreaming a little about the future, and learning more about myself.
• Take a trip to visit my brother at his new place in Florida. ✓
  The beach, St. Augustine, Magic Kingdom – it was such a blast being with my family for a few days! You can read more about that trip here.
• Plan a few out-of-the-ordinary date nights – new things we’ve never done before. ✓
  This one requires a bit of a story, so here’s the Reader’s Digest version. Daniel’s boss gave him a gift card to this really nice steakhouse – Del Frisco’s Double Eagle. We decided to use it for our 6th anniversary, so we got dressed up and headed to Dallas. After one of the most delicious meals and best conversations we’ve ever had together, Daniel reached in his wallet for the gift card…and found nothing, because I had accidentally left it on the piano at our house before we left. *cue the tears* I was horribly embarrassed, but Daniel had a good sense of humor about it and finally got me to smile by reminding me that forgetting the gift card just meant that we would have to come back again, and we already knew exactly what to order. Major facepalm on my part, but we still had a really great time.
• Walk more: with Daniel, with Fitz, in the park, on a beach… ;) ✓
  We walked allllll over Disney World until our feet about fell off! And we started trying to take Fitz on walks again, even though he is frustratingly strong.

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• 2019 •

Each night (or as often as I can), write down something that made me happy that day.

Plan a “stay-cation”.

Learn something new – an intimidating recipe, common phrases in a few other languages, maybe a yoga pose. But something brand new to me.

Finish reading through the whole Bible chronologically.

Do just enough cardio to keep my heart from literally bursting at two of the most anticipated, most emotional, and most exciting weddings of my life: Robyn + Travis and Amanda + Ryan. 2019 = THE YEAR OF LOVE ♥♥

Find a fun 5k in my area, train for it, and run in it.

Pray for Daniel every single day.

Have at least one TV-free day per week, and one social media-free day per month.

Set specific time aside to do something for our marriage: a weekend away, a marriage conference, etc.

Host our friends for a full-fledged, multi-course dinner party.

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Another tradition I paired with my list of goals was picking a word for the year. In 2017, I chose ‘Hope’ – the anchor of souls, assurance despite repeated disappointment, and the companion of trust – and it couldn’t have been a more perfect choice. Last year, I believe with all my heart that God Himself gave me the word ‘Courage’, which was very appropriate…but to tell you the truth, I don’t know if I really lived up to it. I spent many moments in 2018 feeling weak, scared, and timid.

Because of that, I felt a little more pressure to find *THE PERFECT WORD* for 2019 because I didn’t want to choose something easy or cheesy, or turn my spiritual growth into nothing but striving to live up to a certain word. But much like last year, one word kept showing up everywhere, and I don’t think it was by accident:

J O Y .

Joy is not the same as simply feeling happy. Joy can be chosen and felt regardless of your life circumstances. I’ve learned that worrying obsessively won’t stop the bad stuff from happening. It just keeps you from enjoying the good. I want to stop focusing on things I can’t control and enjoy my life, exactly the way it is. ♥

What is one of your goals for this year? Tell me in the comments!