2018 – New Year. New Goals.
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas. The hustle and bustle of the holidays is over and now it’s time to make the dreaded New Year’s resolution… who came up with that anyway? 2017 was a rough chapter in my life, so as I prepare for what’s ahead in 2018, I decided I needed to focus on what’s important. What does the person that I want to be in 2018 look like?
2017 RECAP
Hopefully most of you already have your goals for 2018 written down. If your a procrastinator like me – don’t worry there’s still time. 😉 As I sat down to write out my goals I took a look back at my 2017 goals. Mind you, last year was the first time I have ever put my goals on paper and let me tell you – I CRUSHED THEM. The saying goes – a dream without a plan is just a wish – AMEN to that because I can guarantee you that I wouldn’t have achieved my dreams without writing them down. So last year I wrote down 7 goals that follow the OOLA guideline – the 7 F’s to living an OO-LA-LA life. Here was what 2017 looked like for me: (photo attached in case you don’t believe me ;))
Faith –Continue to live in God’s word everyday. Truly live in the moment and remember to be grateful and have faith. – I may not have fulfilled this everyday but I gave it my all!
Fitness –Run my first half marathon – completed the Earth Day 1/2 Marathon in April CHECK.
Family – Spend more time with them – considering the circumstances, I did my best. I spent a lot of time at home with Kyle, which was my first priority. I spent some time at the lake with the family and had an opportunity to go visit my brother while he was studying in Europe! CHECK.
Friends – Continue to spend time with those who positively impact my life – I was apart of 2 weddings, celebrated my bestie having her first baby, backpacked Europe with my other bestie, had a few gatherings, Sunday “Family” dinners with friends and surrounded myself with those that I needed the most. CHECK.
Finance – Find my purpose which provides the finances needed so Kyle doesn’t have to work – My purpose was found. Kyle was always going to retire by the age of 40 and live off of me. (His words exactly). CHECK… sort of.
Field – Truly find my passion and purpose – HELLO INDY!! CHECK.
Fun – Travel to places I’ve never been before – I was fortunate enough to back-pack Europe (Austria, Italy & Germany) CHECK.
See how I wrote the note, look what writing down your goals can do? You guys seriously I can’t stress it enough, it’s amazing what you achieve. We are all capable of so much. Get out there and conquer the world – I know you can!
FOCUS.
The other day I had a realization that it will be six months since Kyle has passed. Where has the time gone? It seems that the last six months have absolutely flown by. What has felt like a bad dream at times, has now become harsh reality. He’s not coming back. It sucks. However just as all of your lives go on, mine must as well. In 2018 it is my time to focus. Life has been a little chaotic. A little blurry. And let’s be honest, I have been a bit lost. It’s time to pick up the pieces and focus on myself and my new life. Just when you think you have it all – just like that in the blink of an eye it can change. Such is life, but now it’s time to climb out of the fog and focus on new beginnings…
ONE WORD.
I am not going to lie, I have not taken the time to complete my 2018 goals. Have I had the time, probably but I have been a bit sidetracked. However maybe there is a reason I haven’t completed my plan yet. This past Sunday I attended church and the sermon was titled One Word. #2018oneword was listed on the screen. As I listened to Pastor Tina, I had an ah-ha moment! Many of us set goals or make New Years resolutions only to give up on them by the end of January. Maybe they weren’t realistic, too complicated or simply there were too many. Regardless of the reason, we lose focus, sometimes faster than we had hoped. How about selecting one word to describe your 2018 goals? Seems impossible right? Maybe your word is Love. Creativity. Trust. Peace. Faith. Simplify. The list goes on… So what is your one word? Think about it for a minute….
If your stumped try this:
1. Spend some time imagining what your want your life in 2018 to look like? What kind of person do you want to be by the end of 2018? Write out the mental picture you imagine.
2. Write down the characteristics of that person you want to become. Be descriptive. What’s his/her heart like? What drives him/her? What are his/her best qualities?
3. Make a list of words that sum up that description – peace, love, joy, loyalty etc.
4. Whittle your list down to a few words that resonate most with you. Look them up in the dictionary, inspirational quotes, bible etc. if you search the bible for your “word” it’s amazing the bible verses you will find. (On your phone of course)
5. Once you pick – commit to it. Apply this to all facets in your life. Use the 7 F’s of OOLA (Faith, Family, Fun, Field, Fitness, Finance, Friends)
As I thought about my one word for 2018, for some reason the word focus kept coming to my mind. So for 2018, I need to learn to focus. I will use this word to apply it to my OOLA goals for 2018. How will I focus differently? What will I focus on? Who will I focus on? What will be my top priorities that I focus on? It fits where I am at in my life and what I need to do. This past six months was a bit blurred but, let’s be honest – the past four years have been but now it is my time to FOCUS on me. What gets your attention keeps your focus, what keeps your focus gets done.
If you are not a goal setter or get stressed out by New Years Resolutions – #2018oneword is for you. I selected my word on Sunday and it is amazing how I not only find myself saying my word to myself throughout the day but I have also applied it decisions or goals I have for that day. Goal setting doesn’t have to be scary or complicated. We are all capable and have the ability to achieve what we believe. Focus. (See what I did there?) 🙂 You got this. I believe in you. 2018 is YOUR year. Go out and get it tiger!! (I’m full of one liners tonight…) JK! But seriously.
BEAUTIFUL TRANSFORMATIONS.
A friend of mine posted this on her blog yesterday and I felt it was worth sharing. (Thanks Cari):
2016: The Caterpillar
2017: The Cocoon
2018: The Butterfly
We all have seasons. Life is a journey full of transformations. Embrace and enjoy the journey. 2018 is a year of beautiful transformation and focus! What’s your one word?
#2018oneword
WIshing you all a happy and healthy 2018!
XOXO ~ Kayla