HAPPY NEW YEAR, friends!!! I’m excited to share some of my goals for 2016 with you all! Aside from goals, I also wanted to come up with a word to focus on for 2016. I didn’t have a word for 2015, until October when I started studying scripture and everything I could on contentment. I felt a tug on my heart after the Pursuit Conference to really pursue what that word should look like in my life and I have really felt a difference in the way I’m making decisions and living out my life and my faith. I plan to continue to study contentment and I hope to write a whole post on that soon, but let’s get back to 2016! My word for 2016 is going to be genuine.

Genuine is defined as: truly what something is said to be; authentic.

I have a real desire to work on being more genuine in many areas of my life, to resist the pull to be someone I’m not. I want to be comfortable in my own skin, and I want to own every bit of who God made me to be – quirks and all. I want to own the scars that make up my torso, I want to own the stretch-marks, I want to own my sometimes loud/sometimes shy personality, and most of all, I want to own my faith. I want to own it all and be the person I was made to be – whether it be on Instagram, this blog or in person, I want to be more authentic. I want to stop people-pleasing because let’s be honest, that isn’t helping anyone or anything…and it’s exhausting! Also, I want to be more genuine in my relationships. I want to get to know my husband more, my daughter more and my friends more. I want to have deep, meaningful relationships. I want to be sincere and take the time to slow down more and listen to those I love. I could go on and on, but I’ve got a lot of praying and studying the Word ahead of me to get to the where I want to be.

Let’s continue and take a look at my 2016 goals…

Personal

• Take more personal pictures with my camera
• Workout – even if it’s just going on more walks with Emily and Elly
• Read 6 books – this is a big one for me, but I’m committed to making it happen. There are so many books I’m excited to read this year!
• Continuing my pursuit for contentment
• Forgive more
• Say “no” more so I can say “yes” more to God, my family and friends!
• Complete a contentment challenge – this one inspired by Nancy Ray’s talk at the Pursuit conference

Spiritual

• Memorize scripture – continue working on memorizing Romans 12, but I also want to make scripture memorization a part of my daily quiet time and routine
• Daily quiet time – no excuses
• Give God my worries – sometimes I get so consumed by the littlest things that cause me to worry instead of just giving them to the One who makes all things possible
• Pray more throughout the day
• Find my identity in God, not social media or what other people think of me

Family

• No TV until after Emily goes to bed
• Meal planning
• Simplify by getting rid of things we don’t use or need – especially clothes
• Not being so hard on myself with mothering Emily – giving myself grace
• Serve more
• Order 2015 Instagram book
• Order Emily’s first year photo book

Career

• Have Emily go to a babysitter once a week for me to have dedicated work time – so thankful for a long time family friend who lives close by and who is willing to watch Emily!
• No working when Mike is home
• No working when Emily is awake
• Have a day each month where I am committed to catching up on mileage, taxes, album designs, etc
• Design and create my new office in our new home
• Host Welcome the Children fundraising mini shoots
• Submit more weddings for publication
• Refresh my blog
• Start blogging monthly goals again

 AND January Goals:

• Finish 2015 mileage – gotta do this before I can…
• Find a CPA and file taxes
• Start Reading “The Best Yes”
• Continue my study through Romans 12
• Make the switch to a new client management software
• MOVE!!

Thanks to Lara Casey for helping with my #2016goalsetting