my word of the year 🦁 + overall goals for 2019

I chose my word of the year for 2019 before 2018 was even over: courage.

I’ve definitely been using this word too.  The day before I went into labor and had my sweet girl, I received my necklace to remind me of my word;  I put it on without realizing the next day I would be holding Evelyn in my arms.  Having my first item to remind me that I was a Mom, but also that I can be braver than I think was really helpful.  Instead of getting a word on my necklace, like I have in years past, I opted to get an image of a lion with a baby lion.  I thought this would be a good reminder on why I am making these changes and why I want to be courageous.

Even though I constantly crave adventure and newness, I’m often hesitant to actually pursue those things for me by myself.  We’ve had nothing but new towards the end of this year though!  I entered motherhood and the adventures of having a newborn (when I have been basically a baby illiterate person my whole life), I moved cross country, and I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone here lately over and over.  I want to keep doing that for myself this year with the little and big.

Last year, I made broad categories of goals revolving around my word of the year for myself that I touched on at least quarterly.  Each time I reviewed my goals, I made mini goals under each section.  I ended up loving how that worked out and I am going to make the bolded sections below my broad goal categories for the year.

I need to have the courage to…

1. Make family goals and stick to them.  I’ll be honest that I’m a little terrified to be home with my baby all by myself when Devin goes back to work!  Devin has been home the last few weeks and we’ve had family help too.  It is wild by the time I am reviewing this post next year that I will have a child that is a one year old.  I want to do enriching activities with her from going walking to taking her to music and book times at the library.  Let’s hope too that sleep training can be a thing that happens.  Beyond that though, I want to make sure Devin and I are doing things to keep enriching our marriage like going on dates.
2. Prioritize my self-care.  This goal could be anything from booking a therapy session to making sure I keep reading books.  I want to make sure that I’m still doing things to nurture myself as an individual.  This past year, my scripture reading wasn’t as consistent as I would have liked;  I started strong and then finished pretty weak.  I know a lot of this will also revolve around me creating a better routine for myself, but it is worth it.  I’ve already noticed how easy it is to neglect myself in this new season of life and I know how poor of a result that could be for my mental health long-term.
3. Be a better homemaker.  When we moved to DC, we fit everything we owned into two pods and two cars.  I got rid of so much stuff in hopes that I could simplify everything for when we were parents.  In our last home, we had a room full of junk that we never entered (embarrassing, but true).  I honestly would love if my home could be picked up within 15-20 minutes at anytime.  I want to keep on top of things to make sure we don’t accumulate stuff and I’d really like to do more DIY projects;  we waited until we moved out to do a lot of the things we wanted to do and I just want to enjoy our home more!
4. Create more content.  During my pregnancy, I’ve really let my blog go to the wayside and I’ve missed it.  I also started strong on my youtube channel and then… completely stopped.  I have some broad goals I’d like to achieve with this space like applying to an ad network so I can make a passive income, but I also just miss participating in the blogging community.  I’ve written about some topics this past year that took heart, but people’s messages saying it helped then meant a lot to me.
5. Make DC home.  When we moved to Georgia, I didn’t know a single person and Devin worked so much we didn’t explore much of Georgia either.  I would love if we make friends here easily, but I know that sometimes that just takes time.  I’d love to explore more, try more foods, and do all of the things that makes a place more than just a mortgage and a job 🙂 .

Just like my word of the year for 2018 ended up changing, I know courage will likely change meanings for me too.  Right now, it means pursuing hard work and sticking to it everyday whether there are immediate results or not, to plan ahead or allow the flexibility needed to keep improving, and to not let myself get bogged down or intimidated;  I know any progress and anything I learn always benefits myself and my family.

We’ve gone through so many changes that took a lot of courage in 2018, but it doesn’t end there!  I want to make sure I’m intentionally seeking out these changes for myself this new year.

I’m really looking forward to seeing where 2019 takes us.

♥♥♥