2017 Goals

Can I just tell y’all how ready I am for some margin and discipline? The Christmas excess hit me hard this year. The activities, the sweets, the clutter, the work busy. I really feel like I was able to enjoy it as a whole but by the time Christmas Day rolled around I was exhausted and craving some routine. I could not be more excited to share with you my goals today! 

I’ll do a bit of a look back on Friday, but I specifically don’t go over my 2016 goals for a few reasons:

• Time! I feel tugged in a million directions this week and am learning to say yes to what’s most important. I want to encourage and inspire you and for me personally, I feel like that is through sharing what’s ahead. 
• I do monthly goals posts with updates on progress so you have an idea of how I have progressed (or not progressed! : )
• My yearly goals don’t completely follow the SMART goal-setting method. At first I tried so hard to fit every goal into that box, but it just didn’t work. The number of journals I want to sell, or salary I want to take home will be helpful for work-specific-Q1-businessy plans but not for the 10 goals I want to center my 2017 year around. 

If you read my yearly goal’s post last year, you may remember the way I think this through. First off, I use the Powersheets from the Cultivate What Matters shop. I highly recommend these! Also, I listened to a goal-setting webinar from Michelle Myers in the She Works His Way network and she mentioned figuring out roadblocks ahead of time and making a plan to celebrate. ….And I just read my 2016 goals post and realized I mentioned so much of this a year ago! 😉 All still true I guess!

Also, as I look at the length of this post, it feels so self-indulgent to share so much about ME and my goals. Who really cares what goals I’m setting this year? I’m still sharing because I know when I’m stuck and need motivation, reading examples from other people’s goals is so helpful and God uses it to spark something in me so my prayer is that God will do the same as you read through my goals. Although it feels very much about me, I sincerely help it will make a difference for YOU.

Here are my 2017 goals in no particular order:

Goal 1:  Keep growing VMP.

This goal is not specifically talking about size, but about continuing to transform instead of getting stuck or refusing to change. I feel like this totally affected VMP’s 2016. I rested on what we had done for years but the climate is changing and I don’t want to be stubborn and think I know everything. 

Verses: Proverbs 4:25-26, Galatians 6:4-5, Matthew 25:29 (NLT)

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• Looking at what other people are doing and doing that – Revisit mission statement often
• Fear – Pray consistently for God’s vision and plan

How I will celebrate: 2-day workcation in Austin

Goal 2: To have this said of me by my husband, “She was delighted. Not hard to make happy.”

I read this in a book the author said of his wife and it stuck out because I don’t think my husband would say I’m easy to make happy! 

Verses: 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 4:12, Provers 31:11-12, 26,28, Genesis 3:16b (This may seem like a weird verse. See context for that here!) 

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• Focusing on my own needs – Read The Meaning of Marriage and reflect often on truth
• Being inflexible – Pray for heart change

How I will celebrate: Plan a full day of adventure with Tyler

Goal 3: To live in the presence of the Lord.

Last year, I had a similar goal of living with peace and joy, not fear and depression. This is very similar, but really the root of that kind of life. More thoughts on that here. 

Verses: Psalm 16:11, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 139:5

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• The world!! But really, it’s so noisy and clamors for my attention – Do a Daily Office
• Seeking truth from social media, news, etc. – Use prayer journal (doi!) and study the Bible in a deeper way that has me ruminating on the words all day. 

How I will celebrate: Living in His presence is celebration enough!! 😃 

Goal 4: Produce content that motivates people to know Jesus in practical ways. 

I really want to get people excited about prayer!! This feels somewhat immeasurable but practically, my goal is to double our readership and newsletter subscribers. I know if people aren’t being encouraged, they won’t keep reading! 🙂

Verses: John 3:34, Exodus 4:10-12

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• Not making time to write – Delegate more to Pam 
• Lack of focus – eating foods that increase energy and focus 

How I will celebrate: Make a fun investment in the area of writing. 

Goal 5: To marvel at what my body can do instead of be frustrated/discouraged by it.

This is one of my big ones for the year. I made health a priority last year and now I’m going into turbo-mode. I’ve got little chronic things I want to alleviate and I also want to learn to love the body God gave me even if it doesn’t function how I would hope.

Verses: Romans 12:1, Jeremiah 17:14, 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, Romans 12:11 (MSG)

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• My sweet tooth – Fill out Health flash card and keep handy
• Life in general – Listen to health podcasts (what are your favorites?? Leave a comment!!) 
• Not knowing where to start – Get cytoscan

How I will celebrate: Fly in a plane!! 

Goal 6: To spend more time investing in the people in front of me instead of on the other side of the screen.

This feels contradictory to #4, but it’s actually to help keep #4 in perspective and not let that goal take over my face-to-face relationships.

Verses: Proverbs 17:17 (MSG), Romans 12:13 (NIV)

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• Being glued to my phone – Get a landline. It’s really happening people. 
• Idolizing my introvertness – Alone time hard and friend hard. Simply meaning, do things that truly refresh me alone and also do fun things with people (i.e. Pizza Night in the neighborhood again or Favorite Things Party)

How I will celebrate: Girl’s Weekend! 🙂

Goal 7: To practice self-discipline/self-control/good habits that bring REAL freedom. 

This goes along with my word for 2017. I really want to live abundantly and I know that will require lots of discipline, but ultimately, it will be better than the life of excess that I think will satisfy.

Verses: 2 Corinthians 7:1, Psalm 1:1-3, Hebrews 12:11, Proverbs 25:28 (NLT), Proverbs 29:1 (MSG)

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• Being too rigid that leads to burnout – Plan no progress times
• My “survival mode” attitude – Fill out “Breaking the Cycle” worksheet again

How I will celebrate: Buy a fun organizational splurge

Goal 8: Prayerfully follow God on where to put His money. 

I have some ideas on giving, saving and spending but I really want to surrender those plans to God’s vision. 

Verses: Matthew 25:34-36 (MSG)

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• Laziness – Switch banks that is formatted for budgeting program
• Valuing the temporary over longterm – Meet with advisor for longterm plan

How I will celebrate: Blow it all at the casino. JK!! 😃 I have no idea!! 

Goal 9: Learn new skills and get out of my comfort zone.

Things I’d love to learn about: cooking (still), photography, webinars, gardening. I can feel myself slowly getting more stubborn (I don’t feel like learning how to use SnapChat or EchoDot) but I don’t want to be an ornery old man who hates change at the ripe age of 32! 😉 

Verses: Proverbs 19:20, Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 18:2

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• Fear – Find a partner or mentor for each skill
• Not getting it right away – Do month long (or whatever makes sense) commitments so I can see progress

How I will celebrate: Share the skill with others (i.e. cook a meal, give flowers or herbs)

Goal 10: To help shape my kids according to the plan God has for them, not my own. 

As I have been reading Paul David Tripp’s book Parenting, I am getting such a clear picture of how to steward them. It requires time and energy, but it’s one of my biggest responsibilities here on earth so I want to be super intentional about it! 

Verses: Proverbs 4:3-4, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4, Psalm 127:3, Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Possible roadblocks & how to combat them:

• No energy – Goal #5 🙂
• Starting day off frantic – Plan night and morning routine that will set me up for success

How I will celebrate: Trip to New Orleans for Christmas festivities

As if this wasn’t information overload enough, I wrote a post about the goals chapter in The Finishing School and created a worksheet to help you figure out what’s holding you back from your goals. In a month or two, if you are feeling stuck, I’d highly recommend going through the exercise! Post here! 

I would LOVE to hear one of your big goals for the year! Leave a comment below!!

Goal-setting series:

• What I Read in 2016
• My Word for 2017
• My Goals for 2017
• Books to Read in 2017

For more encouragement, check out Natalie’s series and Lara Casey’s goal-setting series this week too!