Category: Past Goals + Words for the Year

2023: Unplanned

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“What if this is the year you DON’T plan?” my coworker suggested.

I chuckled good-naturedly and then quietly died of a heart attack. Don’t…plan? What do you mean, ‘don’t plan’?? Laura Hendrickson is the queen of plans. I plan parties, I plan for tornadoes, I plan my vacation wardrobe three months in advance. (Don’t ask me to meal plan, though – I will smother you.) How could someone possibly convince me that NOT planning would be a good….well, plan?

And yet, that’s exactly what Chelsea did. She convinced me.

If you’ve kept up with my blog for a while, you may have noticed that for the first time in seven years, I didn’t publish a post sharing my word for 2023 and annual list of personal goals. At the end of every year since 2016, I have felt a strong pull toward a certain word as my focus for the next year, accompanied by the motivation to be intentional with my time and work toward achieving specific things each month. But for some reason, December 2022 came and went and nothing came to me. January and February passed by too, and my mind was as blank as a clean chalkboard.

I didn’t want to manufacture something from nothing and *make* myself pick a word, because I didn’t want it to feel forced. It was never like that before. As silly as it may sound, I believe with all my heart that God presented each year’s word to me, and every one was a perfect fit. My new lack of drive and lack of direction was super frustrating. Without planning, how was I supposed to know what to do with this year? When it came time to sip champagne and ring in 2024, how would I know if I did anything worthwhile with my time if I didn’t have a way to measure my success?

Cue my conversation at work.

I was talking to a few coworkers about all of my big question marks for 2023. The biggest question mark was about foster care. At the beginning of the year, we were still in the thick of the application process and had no idea how quickly everything would progress. I felt a little unsteady and nervous about all the unknowns. After telling my work friends about my mental block around personal goals, Chelsea smirked and asked me the question that made me want to both laugh at her and burst into tears: “What if this is the year you DON’T plan?” I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it ever since.

For many people, a state of ‘not planning’ would be enabling. Those people SHOULD plan more. However, I have learned that I find too much of my worth and identity in my ability to produce, to achieve, and to make other people proud of me, and dang if I’m not tired. Chelsea’s comment felt like a nudge from the Holy Spirit to let go. My intent isn’t to stop planning (or caring) altogether and live a lazy life. It’s simply to loosen my grip on what I am *supposed* to be able to do, what is *supposed* to happen, and just accept what happens with grace, patience, and a sense of purpose.

Not having a word for the year or specific goals for the year is abnormal for me. But I have had a feeling for a while now that 2023 is going to be wholly abnormal. I suspect that when it does come time to sip champagne and ring in 2024, I will look back in awe at how everything unfolded.

In the meantime, I decided to continue my tradition of chronicling particularly meaningful or important moments that happen this year, so I can go back and remember the good, the sweet, the funny, the once-in-a-lifetime, the seemingly mundane little things that actually turn out to be big things after all. Maybe someday, I’ll go back to concrete lists and defined timelines, but for now, that simple habit feels good.

And since I know some of you were wondering…..

MY 2022 GOALS WERE:

  • Complete the 40-day sugar fast. ✓
    This was such a good experience! I knew before I even finished it that I would want to do it again, and I DID do it again in August. I think it will be something I do at least once a year from now on.
  • Spend time writing at least once a week.
    This one was a major struggle. The only month in 2022 that I spent time writing every week was January, and I essentially quit writing altogether from the end of May through the rest of the year. The worst part is, I don’t really feel bad about it. I just felt bad for NOT feeling bad about it.
  • Start tracking the number of ‘wears’ for my wardrobe items. ✓
    Paige from Style This Life does this, and she inspired me to find out which items in my closet I wear the most and which ones I wear the least. It has been very revelatory, and it has also made me want to reach for things I used to never reach for. I’ve gotten even stricter with my purging over the last few months, and I’m really trying to only keep items I genuinely LOVE. This helps so much when I’m looking for something to wear, because I only see things I actually WANT to wear.
  • Make a difficult recipe.
    I honestly can’t remember if I did this or not, so I’m ruling this as ‘not complete.’
  • Start learning the basics of another language.
    I technically didn’t do this until January or February, but I downloaded Duolingo and started learning German to prepare for our Switzerland trip this summer!
  • Do some professional/personal development for work. ✓
    In the summer and early fall, I completed the Lean Practitioner, Green, Black, Master Black, Scrum, and Project Manager certifications for Lean Six Sigma! I also completed Mod 1 of the iPEC executive coaching program with my team.
  • Go to at least five live performances (concert, comedy show, Broadway play, etc.). ✓
    I should have made it to five, but Taylor Tomlinson cancelled the show I was planning to go to because she got COVID-19. I rescheduled and went to her show in Dallas in March 2023 though, so I’m still counting this as complete.
    • The Popcast Live! in Dallas with Sheridan Burns and Sarah Hughes, April 2022
    • Mean Girls Broadway show in Dallas with Brittani Blankenship, May 2022
    • Pitbull concert at the Durant Choctaw Casino with the McCains, September 2022
    • Bill Burr comedy show in Dallas with the Grays, September 2022
  • Finish our living room refresh.
    We still have a few things left to do before I consider this project truly finished (paint, new curtains, coffee table, etc.).
  • Make a calendar to keep track of family and friends’ birthdays.
    I already have birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events captured on my phone calendar. I’m still considering making a physical calendar to be better prepared in advance for gifts and cards.
  • Pick up a new hobby. ✓
    Daniel and I started playing golf with friends this summer! It wasn’t something I ever thought he’d be interested in, but we had a great time.
  • Take a class with Daniel and learn something new together.
    Still on my list of to-do’s! He signed up for MasterClass last year, so that’s probably a great place to start.
  • Start reading the Dune book series. ✓
    I read Dune and really enjoyed it! I can’t wait for the next movie to come out this year.

THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2023:

FOSTER CARE: All we have left is to review our completed home study and sign contracts, and then our house is officially open for placement!! I’m fine. *heavy breathing*

WRITING MORE: I feel a very strong push to write write write this year, so I’m following God’s lead. I don’t know what’s going to come of it, but God knows, and that’s more than good enough.

TRAVELING: Daniel and I have so many trips on the calendar! We just got back from New York, we’re going to Colorado with my parents and siblings, and we’re taking our first long-haul flight to Switzerland to celebrate our anniversary and YES I’M FREAKING OUT SO HARD.

TAKING CARE OF MY BODY: Overindulgence, punishment, overindulgence, apathy, distaste, punishment….I’ve been doing this stupid dance long enough. I feel ready to take care of myself, and I’m excited to feel better.

What are you looking forward to in 2023?

2022 Goals + Word for the Year

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Five 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 the all-too-vague ‘work out more’), I made a list of a few measurable, realistic goals: 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 sixth year in a row, thankful for God’s faithfulness in an unexpectedly wonderful year and turning a hopeful eye toward the new year ahead.

MY 2021 GOALS WERE:

  • Take a class with Daniel and learn something new together.
    Just wasn’t the best year to make this happen – Daniel was incredibly busy juggling school, work, rental properties, new investments, and elder responsibilities at the church. Hopefully we can make this happen once he graduates with his Executive Master’s degree in May.
  • Finally go skydiving! ✓
    I FINALLY DID IT!! A group of us from church tried to go last year and it was too windy, so we got vouchers to come back another time. And one random Friday in September 2021, we made a spontaneous decision to go the next day. And it was AWESOME – the falling out of the plane was the coolest part, the adrenaline rush was unreal! I would 100% do it again. Still can’t believe I finally checked this off of my bucket list.
  • Go a full month without eating out.
    Literally what was I thinking?? There was no way this was going to happen. Major facepalm.
  • Host a backyard dinner party this summer. ✓
    Dara’s “Thirty South” country club-themed 30th birthday party was SO MUCH FUN. We had a crawfish boil, live music, croquet, and everybody dressed up! It was in the front yard instead of the back, but who cares?
  • Take a “just the two of us” trip. ✓
    During Daniel’s break from school in August, we spent an extended weekend at the super cute Caroline cabin in Broken Bow, and it was so lovely! We hadn’t gone on a trip to celebrate being together since our Alaskan cruise in 2017.
  • Make at least 20 of the 37,000 recipes I have pinned on Pinterest. ✓
    SO CLOSE! I’m still calling this a win, because I’m 98% sure I made at least one other new thing and just forgot to document it.
  • Start recording my prayer requests. ✓
    If you’ve never heard of Val Marie Paper, go check out her prayer journals right now!
  • Learn how to make my own pasta.
    Still on my to-do list. I kept delaying because I really want that KitchenAid pasta attachment…
  • Host another “Favorite Things” party.
    Ran out of time, but I really want to do this again!
  • Try something different with my hair. ✓
    I had virgin hair for almost 31 years, but I finally decided to put bleach in it for the first time! Nothing major – just really subtle honey blonde at the bottom. I wanted something I didn’t have to maintain, and I love how it turned out.

• 2022 •

Complete the 40-day sugar fast.

Spend time writing at least once a week.

Start tracking the number of ‘wears’ for my wardrobe items.

Make a difficult recipe.

Start learning the basics of another language.

Do some professional/personal development for work.

Go to at least five live performances (concert, comedy show, Broadway play, etc.).

Finish our living room refresh.

Make a calendar to keep track of family and friends’ birthdays.

Pick up a new hobby.

Take a class with Daniel and learn something new together.

Read the Dune book series.

As I reflected on the last couple of years, I started to wonder what my word for 2022 would be. Until this year, I always seemed to discover my word in December, before the new year even began. But as 2021 came to a close, I felt uninspired. My mind was strangely blank. I didn’t want to force anything, so I just decided to take a break from the whole “Word For the Year” thing. Little did I know that God had three pieces of inspiration waiting for me on Instagram within the first few days of 2022. First, I felt convicted by Ruth Chou Simons’s post about worship before service and being deeply rooted. Second, I pondered Phenomenal’s post about how TODAY is a special occasion. And third, I read Joanna Gaines’s “Have a fun!” post about slowing down and playing more.

Thanks to that nudge from the Lord, my word for 2022 is:

S A V O R .

I want to wear the good perfume without waiting for a special occasion. I want to notice the small, seemingly inconsequential things, the simple joys, and not put so much pressure on everything to be a bucket list item. I want to enjoy the Lord more than His gifts. I want to savor delicious meals without guilt, and good books, and rainy days, and spontaneous movie nights, and how my body feels after a good workout. I want to savor even the hard, uncomfortable things as opportunities for growth and deeper trust in Christ.

If you want to keep up with my progress this year, click here!

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

2021 Goals + Word for the Year

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Four 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: 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 fifth year in a row, thankful for God’s faithfulness in 2020, the most bizarre year of my life thus far, and yet still turning a hopeful eye toward the new year ahead!

MY 2020 GOALS WERE:

  • Continue my streak from last year and spend time in God’s Word every single day. ✓
    I missed one day in the Word this year, and it was because I had an emotionally exhausting day and truly just forgot. I am thankful to the Lord for growing this spiritual discipline in me, and I don’t need to include it on my yearly lists to remind myself to work on it anymore. This habit is fully established, and I sincerely look forward to spending time with God every day. ♥
  • Go skydiving.
    Man, we tried. :( Daniel refuses to do it, but I have wanted to go for years, and so have a few friends from church. We finally scheduled the trip and we drove all the way out there, but it was too windy. The place we went to doesn’t do refunds, but they gave us vouchers to come another time. We’ll definitely try again once the weather is nicer.
  • Do a “no-spend” week. ✓
    We did it! We didn’t spend any money for a full week, other than bills that were scheduled to come out of our accounts automatically. It took some planning ahead for meals, gas, etc., but I think it was a worthwhile experiment. It definitely revealed how easily and often we spend money without thinking about where it’s actually going.
  • Visit somewhere new with Daniel. ✓
    SO. MANY. PLACES. Every December for the last several years, I’ve looked back in awe over how many new places we got to go! In 2020, we went back to NYC for my birthday but visited new spots, like the New York Public Library and Battery Park, and we saw a few new Broadways shows and lots more of Central Park. My side of the family took a trip to Colorado Springs over the summer, where we got to visit Pike’s Peak, Manitou Springs, Royal Gorge, and Garden of the Gods. We got to go to San Diego (first time for both of us to visit California!) for David and Courtney Reagan’s wedding, and we planned a last-minute friendcation to Nashville when our group cruise got cancelled because of COVID. I also took a surprise trip to the emergency room for the first time….! (I’m okay now)
  • Call my parents, siblings, and grandparents more. ✓
    Thanks to the coronavirus, I DEFINITELY achieved this goal!
  • Try something new: an intimidating recipe, learn common phrases in a few other languages, geocaching, maybe a yoga pose. Something brand new to me. ✓
    I did more new things than I expected to this year! Some notable favorites were eating authentic Chinese barbecue in Chinatown – ate the whole meal with chopsticks!! – and petting a kangaroo at the Nashville Zoo. And where to start with all of my quarantine things?? I found out what working from home was like, I attempted braiding my own hair, I learned the best way to roast potatoes, I made homemade freaking croissants, and I made my first chicken pot pie, crust and all (AND IT WAS BALLER). On top of all of that, I started attending Kathryn Jernigan’s hip hop dance class at the gym and fell head-over-heels in love with it. I didn’t think I could like anything as much as I liked her step class, but now I look forward to Turn Up days every single week.
  • Go to a drive-in movie.
    Honestly so sad that this didn’t happen. We were supposed to get one in Durant toward the end of the year, but I think funding was delayed because of COVID-19. The closest drive-in theater is an hour and a half away, and we just weren’t ever able to put a date on the calendar once Daniel started his Master’s classes.
  • Make some emergency preparedness kits – one for the car, one for the basement, etc. ✓
    I used a weekend that Daniel was in Dallas for class to put these together! They were not cheap (and I’m already not looking forward to keeping track of the expiration dates for the snacks…) but I know I’ll be grateful for them someday. It feels good to be ready in case something happens.
  • Have at least one TV-free day per week and one social media-free day per month. ✓
    Not perfect, but pretty dang good. This is the first time I’ve ever made a plan and tried to stick to it.
    January: TV ⊗⊗✓✓✓ // Social media ✓
    February: TV ✓⊗⊗✓ // Social media ⊗
    March: TV ✓⊗⊗⊗ // Social media ⊗
    April: TV ⊗⊗✓✓⊗ // Social media ✓
    May: TV ✓⊗⊗⊗ // Social media ✓
    June: TV ✓⊗⊗✓ // Social media ✓
    July: TV ✓⊗⊗✓✓ // Social media ✓
    August: TV ✓⊗⊗✓ // Social media ✓
    September: TV ⊗✓✓✓✓ // Social media ✓
    October: TV ✓⊗✓✓ // Social media ✓
    November: TV ✓✓✓✓ // Social media ✓
    December: TV ⊗✓✓✓✓ // Social media ✓
  • Shop local more: downtown shops, summer farmer’s market, etc. ✓
    This one wasn’t even hard. I love how much our downtown area has grown over the last year, and it was an honor to support so many small businesses! Some of my favorite purchases this year were:
    • Salted caramel popcorn, a tan and black floral top, and a funny notebook from Durant Mercantile
    • Cookie Monster ice cream from Caked Up
    • Rose boho overalls from The Trippie Hippie
    • Loose-leaf tea from Tiffany Newton and farm fresh eggs and pumpkins from Freedom Acre Farms at the Farmer’s Market
    • Iced vanilla hazelnut lattes and chocolate chip cookies from Opera House Coffee
    • A cream and sienna striped sweater from Sweet Lil’ Repeat
    • Apple pineapple cider from Old Ice House

• 2021 •

Take a class with Daniel and learn something new together.

Finally go skydiving!

Go a full month without eating out. (I’m scared)

Host a backyard dinner party this summer.

Take a “just the two of us” trip.

Make at least 20 of the 37,000 recipes I have pinned on Pinterest.

Start recording my prayer requests.

Learn how to make my own pasta (and resist the urge to make it every day afterward).

Host another “Favorite Things” party.

Try something different with my hair.

I’m also continuing my tradition of picking a Word for the Year! Since I’ve started, my words for the year have been Hope, Courage, Joy, and Discipline. When I chose ‘Discipline’ for 2020 (or more accurately, when GOD chose it for me), I could never have guessed the personal transformation I would experience from January to December. I’m doing things daily and weekly that I never thought I would ever do, like keeping track of calorie intake and looking forward to working out. I can’t believe my life looks like this now, and I am so dang proud of myself.

My word for 2021 is:

P E A C E .

I want you guys to know that I didn’t just pull this out of thin air, or Google ‘word of the year ideas’ and pick out my favorite. I am confident, as I have been every single year since I started doing this, that this word was given to me by the Lord for a reason. I am genuinely looking forward to seeing how this word connects with 2021. Here’s to another year of learning and growing!

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

2020 Goals + Word for the Year

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899C0B80-98C0-4B58-B433-28118A2FEBFE

Three 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: 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 fourth year in a row, thankful for God’s faithfulness in 2019 and turning a hopeful eye toward the new year ahead!

MY 2019 GOALS WERE:

  • Each night (or as often as I can), write down something that made me happy that day. ✓
    I didn’t actually complete this for the whole year, but honestly, I’m okay with it. I started feeling guilty when I would miss a day (or twelve days), and the whole point of doing it was to bring myself joy, not guilt. So…I quit! And I gave myself permission to not feel bad about it. Instead, I’ve been taking more candid photos – my mom friends cuddling their babies, Daniel and his friends laughing while watching a game together, church friends quietly serving behind the scenes. I’ve still been preserving little moments of joy, just with a camera instead of a pen.
  • Plan a “stay-cation”.
    As much as I wanted to make this happen…I waited too long. :( I wanted to try to plan one in the midst of Daniel’s busy season, to give him a breather, but it didn’t work out like I had hoped. But I’m not giving up, and we’re going to do this soon!
  • Learn something new – an intimidating recipe, common phrases in a few other languages, maybe a yoga pose. But something brand new to me. ✓
    1. Ear candling! Super weird. Still don’t totally understand how it works, but I always wanted to try it at least once.
    2. Aerial yoga, for Robyn’s bachelorette party – SO FUN! I wish there was a studio near me so I could take classes.
    3. I planned my very first wedding (Nicole and Ben’s) as a paid event coordinator!! One of the most stressful, magical days of my life!
    4. I made my own butter, and it was FREAKING amazing. Just cream + a jar with a lid + salt. Yummmmm.
    5. Kaci Walston taught me how to make her famous pie crust!
  • Finish reading through the whole Bible chronologically. ✓
    This took me a little over a year and a half to complete – it’s a carryover from last year’s list of goals. I look back on this experience with so much joy, and I can’t wait to read it all again, and again, and again, until my last breath. ♥
  • 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 // Amanda + Ryan. ✓
    Two of the sweetest, most beautiful, and most fun weddings I’ve ever been part of. 2019 = THE YEAR OF LOVE ♥♥
  • Find a fun 5k in my area, train for it, and run in it. ✓
    I did the Color Run in Tulsa with Daniel, Robyn, Travis, Jennifer, and Stacey, and it was a blast!! I surprised myself with how much I ran versus walked.
  • Pray for Daniel every single day. ✓
    It may not have been LITERALLY every day, but I made this list to keep myself on track, and it has really helped!
  • Have at least one TV-free day per week, and one social media-free day per month. 
    I definitely did NOT do this every week or every month. Again. *facepalm* I think this is something that will always be on my list of things I want to get better at. I’m just going to put it on every goal list from now on until I accomplish it.
  • Set specific time aside to do something for our marriage: a weekend away, a marriage conference, etc. ✓
    We had a dinner date alone at the steakhouse while on our friendscation cruise in October, and that time together and our conversation were a breath of fresh air! We also had some really great conversations in the car while traveling for Christmas.
  • Host our friends for a full-fledged, multi-course dinner party.
    Between all the weddings, parties, baby showers, and traveling that happened in 2019, I just didn’t have time. This is still on my list for the future, though – it’s going to happen eventually.

• 2020 •

Continue my streak from last year and spend time in God’s Word every single day.

Go skydiving!

Do a “no-spend” week.

Visit somewhere new with Daniel.

Call my parents, siblings, and grandparents more.

Try something new: an intimidating recipe, learn common phrases in a few other languages, geocaching, maybe a yoga pose. Something brand new to me.

Go to a drive-in movie.

Make some emergency preparedness kits: one for the car, one for the basement, etc.

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

Shop local more: downtown shops, summer farmer’s market, etc.

I’m also continuing my tradition of picking a Word for the Year! The last three have been Hope, Courage, and Joy. Joy was the absolute PERFECT word to describe 2019, and for 2020, my word is:

D I S C I P L I N E .

I’m not gonna lie, my whole body dry-heaved just typing it. But I feel deeply burdened by my lack of discipline in too many important areas to count, and I am confident, yet again, that this word was given to me by the Lord for a reason. Here’s to another year of learning and growing!

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

2019 Goals + Word for the Year

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person holding lighted sparklers

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.

• 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.

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!

2018 Goals + My Word for the Year

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One year ago today, I started something new! Instead of creating resolutions that would be too easily forgotten or too quickly broken (like giving up fast food or working out every day – uhhhh yeah right), I made a list of a few specific, measurable, realistic goals for the year. A list that I could come back to now, a year later, to see how I grew in 2017.

I don’t know about you, but 2017 was a roller coaster for us. We experienced some really high highs and some really low lows. But when I took time to reflect on 2017 through my 20 Questions post, I remembered how many good things took place and how faithful God was to us. When the ball dropped and we toasted at midnight on January 1st, I took a deep breath and let it out, feeling both relief and resolve, thankful to leave 2017 in the past and step forward into a new year. I knew I had to continue this tradition from last year, and just like last year, my hope is that at the end of 2018, I will see obvious growth and progress from where I am now.

What I did last year:

  • Almost every night (as often as I could), I wrote down something that made me happy that day. This was surprisingly therapeutic and a great way to remind my heart that at least one good thing happened each day. I’m thankful to be able to go back and read about seemingly-small-but-still-significant things that I would have forgotten if I hadn’t written them down. I don’t remember how I came up with this idea, but I’m so glad I did, and I want to continue it in 2018.

  • I took a week-long vacation with Daniel to celebrate and refresh our marriage. ♥
    We went on a wonderful Alaskan cruise, during which we visited Seattle, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria! Yay for good views, good food, and good company.

  • I (semi)permanently integrated healthier eating and exercise into my lifestyle. Doing Keto was honestly life-changing. I had no idea I could exercise that much self control for that long. We are actually doing it again for a month or two, right now!

  • I learned something new on purpose. Although it wasn’t hand lettering or a different language, like I had planned. :) I learned how to have self control with food. I learned how to lead a group of newly-married couples and become a family. I learned how to sing the lyrics to that Shane & Shane song – “Though You slay me, yet I will praise You” – and mean it.

  • We had intentional date nights at least once a month. Lots of yummy food, a murder mystery dinner party, David Copperfield, and binge-watching TV shows. Originally, my goal was date nights that WEREN’T dinner and a movie, but hey – we love dinner, and we love movies! Why mess with what works?? (Here’s the full list of our dates, by month.)

  • I began to view food as a gift to enjoy with wisdom, not as an indulgence I deserve. 
    Again – Keto was life-changing. I’ll be forever thankful that God helped me do it successfully, and that it’s something we can easily revisit and incorporate into our lives when we need a boost.

As far as the other two goals go: I didn’t cut down on screen time quite as much as I should have, but I did nurture new relationships and finished multiple books! And although I didn’t earn $1500+ every month from MONAT, I did earn enough in bonuses in one month to pay for our Alaska anniversary photo shoot, including a plane ticket for our photographer; I more than doubled my number of team members; and I earned a free trip to Vegas with Daniel in October. I still consider that a win. ♥

• 2018 •

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

Read through the whole Bible chronologically.

Send 12 random surprise gifts to family, friends, or coworkers. ✓
1. Took ice cream to Daniel at work.
2. Surprised my coworker Sarah with a birthday cupcake.
3. Left a “welcome home” basket for the Wesberrys when Laeklyn was born.
4. Mailed Robyn a bride-to-be package.
5. Sent Eliya a date night gift card when Corey came home from Afghanistan.
6. Gave Jen & Stacey a date night gift card for their anniversary.
7. Delivered coffee to Sheridan at her office.
8. Made a snack basket and left it on Daniel’s desk to celebrate Friday.
9. Participated in an Instagram gift swap for Christmas.
10. Sent some cute druzy earrings to a secret sister via Facebook.
11. Surprised my boss with a group Christmas gift.
12. Gave my coworkers cute little DIY stovetop potpourri jars.

Create new blog/social media content more consistently. ✓

Go on a group vacation with good friends. ✓
Easily one of my favorite things we’ve done this year. We made such great memories on our Caribbean cruise with Brandon and Ashley and the Rains family!

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

Become a MONAT Mentor by the end of the year.

Take a trip to visit my brother at his new place in Florida. ✓
Our 2nd annual Simma family vacay in June was so much fun – we explored St. Augustine, soaked up the sun at the beach, and even visited Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World!

Plan a few out-of-the-ordinary date nights – new things we’ve never done before. ✓
1. For our 6th anniversary, we went to Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House and ate one of the best meals either of us has ever had.

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.

Last year, I also picked a word to be my theme for 2017 – Hope. The anchor of souls, assurance despite repeated disappointment, and the companion of trust. It couldn’t have been a more perfect choice. As the end of December drew near, I started thinking about a word to define 2018. Everything I came up with seemed cheesy or didn’t quite fit, until one particular word starting showing up everywhere.

Courage. AKA, Something I suck at.

When I googled “courage” to find a photo for this post, I came across this quote from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis, and my heart swelled with encouragement:

“Lucy looked along the beam and presently saw something in it. At first it looked like a cross, then it looked like an aeroplane, then it looked like a kite, and at last with a whirring of wings it was right overhead and was an albatross. It circled three times round the mast and then perched for an instant on the crest of the gilded dragon at the prow. It called out in a strong sweet voice what seemed to be words though no one understood them. After that it spread its wings, rose, and began to fly slowly ahead, bearing a little to starboard. Drinian steered after it not doubting that it offered good guidance. But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, ‘Courage, dear heart,’ and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s.”

I believe with all my heart that God Himself gave me the word “courage” for 2018, just as He gave me “hope” for 2017. I felt Him nudging this word closer to me for about a week, and although I tried to ignore it and pick another word for awhile, I have finally accepted it as a gift from Him. Although hope was my word for last year, I still spent too much time living in a state of fear. I refuse to let my life be dictated by “what if’s” anymore. ♥

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

New Year’s Resolutions + My ‘Word’ for 2017

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There’s something so cleansing about the new beginning that accompanies each new year! I’ve never been big on making resolutions (mostly because I’m so bad at keeping them..!), but my prayer is that, at the end of 2017, I can come back to this list and be able to see obvious growth and progress from where I’m at now.

• 2017 •

Each night (or as often as I can), write down something that made me happy that day. CHECK!
If I could go back in time and thank past Laura for coming up with this idea, I would. Of all the yuck that 2017 brought, this journal is a tangible, continual reminder of all the good things that happened. Even tiny, seemingly unimportant things.

Take a week-long vacation with Daniel to celebrate and refresh our marriage. CHECK!
May 2017: Alaskan cruise during which we visited Seattle, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria

Permanently integrate healthier eating and exercise into my lifestyle. CHECK!
Doing Keto was honestly life-changing. I had no idea I could exercise that much self control for that long.

Cut down on screen time (TV, computer, phone) and spend more time reading and nurturing relationships.
I didn’t do as well with the screen time part as I could have, but I definitely read more books and spent time nurturing new friendships.

Intentionally learn something new (like hand lettering or a different language). CHECK!
1. How to have self control with food
2. How to lead a group of newly-married couples
3. How to trust the Lord in the lowest of valleys

Have at least one date night a month that’s NOT dinner and a movie. CHECK!
January: half-price wings at BWW, Starbucks, and flirting our way through Target
February: double date with Brandon & Ashley to Olive Garden and Moo-Yah
March: low-key couch date at home with popcorn and Megamind
April: Sherman date night, shopping for Daniel’s trip to NYC and DC
May: a week’s worth of amazing dates on our Alaskan vacation
June: sweet night binge-watching Big Bang Theory
July: murder mystery dinner party for Sheridan’s birthday
August: roadtripping to Lufkin and reading marriage books aloud
September: cuddle party / watching The Office
October: David Copperfield and Italian food in Vegas
November: group date with our foundation group in Sherman
December: Harry Potter marathon the week after Christmas

By the end of the year, consistently earn $1500 (or more) per month from MONAT.
I may not have earned this amount every month, but I did earn enough in bonuses in one month to pay for our Alaska anniversary photo shoot, including a plane ticket for our photographer, I more than doubled my number of team members, and I earned a free trip to Vegas with Daniel in October. I still consider that a win. ♥

View food as a gift to enjoy with wisdom, not as an indulgence I deserve. CHECK!
Again – Keto was life-changing. I’ll be forever thankful that God helped me do it successfully.

I decided to keep my list short and sweet, mostly because I already have another long-term list to work on (and you best believe I’m going to kill multiple birds with one stone!), but also because I know myself. Granted: I have been working on being kinder to myself and not holding onto my failure like an obnoxious self-deprecating security blanket. But just in case I get thrown a curve ball this year, having fewer things on my list means fewer things to feel guilty about if I don’t do them.

I’ve also picked out my word for the year, and it’s…

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Hope. The anchor of souls, assurance despite repeated disappointment, and the companion of trust. “Hope” became my theme late last year, and I can’t think of a more appropriate word for 2017!

What is one of your goals for this year? I’d love to know!

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