Goals for 2018 | Looking Forward

I feel so new to this whole goal setting thing. Last year was the first year I’ve ever made goals and attempted to keep them. Read my run-down here of how that year went.

Overall, I am super happy with attaining my goals. I read books, folks! So proud of myself for that!

Part of me is a little nervous to make goals because what if I fail? I put my goals and aspirations out there for the whole world to read, and what if I can’t do it? (Whole world, who am I kidding?? Hi, my dear 5 readers which include my mom and husband!)

Kidding aside, fear of failure is a real thing. However, God does not want me to live in fear.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. -2 Timothy 1:7

Speaking of fears, I always fear that I will misuse God’s word, so I hope I have not misused His word in this context. This verse is written by Paul speaking to Timothy, specifically about spreading the gospel. I hope you see Jesus’ hope and love in my writing, so in that respect, I know God does not want me to live in fear. Fear of what other’s think. Fear of people not reading my blog. Fear of speaking the truth. Fear. Fear. Fear.

Be done with it. It is not coming from God!

In that light, being fearless, here are my goal for 2018:

Personal Goals

1. Read 15 books – Any genre, any length, just read more than last year! I only added 3 more to how many I read last year. Focusing on this blog is taking up a lot of the time I used for reading last year. I will need to be purposeful in carving out time to read.
2. Shoot and edit raw photos – I’ve had a DSLR camera for a few years, but I never shoot in RAW because I’ve been using a VERY old version of Photoshop to edit my photos that didn’t support RAW. Part of my Christmas money went to a new license of Photoshop! Woot! I can edit RAW…now just to learn how…
3. Make my morning routine a habit – An interesting tidbit from a webinar I attended recently (Balance is Overrated, by Living Well Spending Less), said one way to have more energy throughout the day is to make parts of your day habit. Habits require less energy to complete leaving more energy for other tasks. This year I want to make my morning routine a habit: out of bed as soon as the alarm rings (6am), water, Turmeric supplement, test my blood sugar, work-out, shower, devotions and prayer, and make breakfast. Maybe that is too many things to make a habit. Ha! Basically those are all of the things I want to accomplish before my kiddos wake up at 8am. The one that is always getting nixed is the shower. Yep, not a daily shower taker here! I have ideas on how to change this. I will update when I work them out!
4. Visit my sister in Italy – This is personal, financial, and blog all rolled into one. It is financially out of reach for us, but perhaps I can get this blog off the ground and get that trip covered.

Health Goals

1. Figure out exactly what I should or should not eat – I’ve gotten off track with the holidays. I don’t think it’s too bad, but my morning blood sugar is not quite right. I also want to try to figure out exactly what my body can handle. Legumes? Goat cheese? Wine? Lots of questions, research, and trial and error to come!
2. Take A1C levels on my own – This is more of an idea. I am contemplating seeing my endocrinologist less often and checking my A1C on my own. I’ve heard there are kits that can be ordered online. (I’m not advocating for you to not see a doctor, but I am just sharing how I am trying to manage my health and minimize the dollars it takes to do that!)
3. Communicate what I am doing and why it works – Sharing my journey, successes and failures, is a large part of why I am writing this blog. This is a loose goals, but I want to develop a way to encourage others with autoimmune diseases (or no health issues!) to take control of their health, make positive life changes, and live a more joy-filled life.

Blog Goals

1. Cover the mortgage on our house by the end of 2018 – Ah, this makes me sweat just typing it. It sounds so huge and unattainable. I don’t know how I am going to make this happen, but I am reading, writing, and learning as much as I can to make this blog profitable. Mind you, profitable in all ways, not just monetarily for me but awesome content, encouraging posts, and a source of good ideas.
2. Create a place of encouragement for my readers – Another really squishy goal. I’m not sure how to evaluate this one. I’ll leave it vague and open ended for now. I want to be encouraging in my writing so that is my goal for 2018!

So there are my big, hairy, audacious goals for 2018! It makes me nervous to write them, but I’m choosing not to be afraid of them. Here’s to success and growth in 2018!

What are your goals for 2018? Do your goals scare you too? Voice them here and take away the grip of fear!