2016 Goals Review

2016 was a busy, productive, adventurous year. It marked the first year of marriage and the first year living in Texas so there were a lot of transitions and change. I started a new job as a pediatric nurse practitioner in a children's ER, made new friends, got plugged into our church, and started volunteering with Young Life Capernaum. 

Last January, I went through Lara Casey's goal-setting blog series and was challenged to think of a word I wanted to define 2016. I couldn't think of just one, so I chose selah (which was also my 2015 word), new beginnings, koinonia  (Greek for community), and quality. I wanted to focus on taking rest and praising God (selah) amidst all the new beginnings in the new season as a newlywed. I wanted to grow in community (koinonia) in our church and wanted to give more quality time to Greg and my friendships. Overall, I think I could have used more time to focus on quality time, so it is rolling over to become my 2017 word. 

Before I post my 2017 goals this week, I wanted to share my 2016 goals. I was able to stay pretty focused on a lot of goals, which was aided by breaking up the yearly goals into monthly and even weekly goals. Bullet journaling was a great tool for this. Greg was also a huge encourager and motivator during this year, especially in working on my health/fitness goals. 

Alrighty, here are my 2016 goals!

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SPIRITUAL: Dig deep in the Bible & spend more time in prayer. 

•  Study 3 books of the Bible in depth ------- I THINK I ONLY STUDIED JAMES BUT I STARTED PRACTICING LECTIO DEVINA TO HELP MEDITATE/PROCESS CERTAIN PSALMS
•  Study Luke using homiletics with my Interface women's mentoring Bible study group
• Bible journaling to help meditate on Scripture
• Read the whole Bible using this Bible Reading Plan ------ READ THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT ONLY
• Memorize & meditate on scripture with Greg as well as with my Interface Bible study group -----  I MEMORIZED THEM WHEN I LEARNED THEM, BUT HAVEN'T RECITED THEM RECENTLY
• Spend more time in intentional prayer (use Echo app)  ----- YES, BUT I WANT TO CONTINUE TO CARVE OUT MORE TIME FOR PRAYER
• Listen to podcasts with truth-filled teachings ---- I DID THIS THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF THE YEAR BUT WISH I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED
• Pray as a couple more consistently ---- YES, BUT I WISH IT WAS MORE OFTEN

These beautiful husband prayer cards helped me remember to pray for Greg

Bible journaling while doing lectio devina in Psalms 

PHYSICAL & NUTRITION: Develop a healthier lifestyle & be consistent 

•  Run 2 races (either 5K, 8K, or 10K)  ------ NO, BUT I GOT UP TO 5 MILES BY THE END OF THE YEAR & HAVE BEEN RUNNING TWICE A WEEK, WHICH IS A BIG IMPROVEMENT FOR ME. 
• Hike atleast 5 times to combine my love for the outdoors with improving my health ---- GOVERNMENT CANYON (TEXAS), STARVATION FALLS (OREGON), MULTNOMAH FALLS (OREGON), EMERALD BAY (LAKE TAHOE), EAGLE LAKE/FALLS (TAHOE)
•  Improve sleep patterns to feel more rested and energetic during the day
• Try new activities (like using free weights, pilates)
•  Improve overall nutrition by making healthier choices & eating out less
• Do the Food Elimination Diet and food diary again to better evaluate food sensitivities -- YES! I HAVE BEEN FEELING A LOT BETTER ONCE I DECREASED GLUTEN AND DAIRY!
• Try recipes from Bulletproof Cookbook and other GF and paleo cookbooks for clean meals

Our hike in Emerald Bay State Park, Lake Tahoe

EMOTIONAL:Guard my thoughts, decrease distracting "noise", find rest & joy in the everyday moments.

• 1 day a week sabbath from social media
• 1 week every 2-3 months off from social media ---- I DID IT TWICE THIS YEAR
• Study what it practically means to "take your thoughts captive" (2 Corinthians 10:5) and then start practicing it, especially with thoughts of fear or anxiety.
•  Practice selah (pausing, reflecting, resting, praising, praying).
•  Choose not to withdraw or isolate myself when stressed & choose not to avoid conversations that are hard but helpful in dealing with stress, fear, anxiety, etc. 

Quiet time reading, journaling, and enjoying a warm drink 

EDUCATIONAL: Learn new things

•  Read 2-3 books per month (mix of historical fiction, memoirs, biographies, theology, etc.) --- 105 BOOKS! HERE ARE MY FAVORITES
•  Read pediatric healthcare journal articles, review binders of PNP-related lectures, attend educational conferences. 

SOCIAL:Build & nurture friendships; be in community

• Write monthly to my Compassion Child
• Attend atleast one semester of Interface (mentoring group at church) to grow in fellowship with women of different life seasons
• Get involved at  our church (especially our Young Married ABF)
• Find service opportunities at church and community with Greg and on my own, as opportunities arise.
• Be honest & vulnerable with friends; encourage them and find ways to love and serve them

Lunch with my best friend, a rare treat since we live so far from one another

FINANCIAL: As a married couple, be good stewards of our finances; give generously; save wisely; pay towards my school loans.

• Make a BIG dent in my two grad school loans, preferably paying off the smaller one. --- YES! I PAID OFF MY SMALLER LOAN AND AM ON TRACK TO PAYING OFF MY LAST LOAN SOON!
• Start budgeting more seriously as a couple ---- YNAB (YOU NEED A BUDGET) TO THE RESCUE!
• Be intentional  about our giving

Blogging: Point readers of Beautiful Hope Blog to Jesus, not me.

• Start new blog series, “In All Seasons” in February (will include guest posts, interviewing older women I admire, and reviewing data from the two surveys I gave to singles and young married Christian women) ----- SEE HERE

NEW EXPERIENCES/FUN CHALLENGES IN 2016

•  Take a sewing class
• Take a watercolor painting class
•  Do 2 things that scare me
•  Random acts of kindess (Light ‘em Up for ideas)
•  Take a dance class (swing/ballroom)
• Start a balcony herb garden KEPT IT ALIVE FROM APRIL - DECEMBER!
•  Use the 3 Essential Oils I received for Christmas (DiGize, Peppermint, R.C.)
• Play violin more 
• Travel (Portland in February; hopefully Boston for our one year anniversary next October (WENT TO Lake Tahoe INSTEAD!); Chicago for my brother's June wedding)

My little herb garden when it first started. It lasted a long time!

Hood River, Or

Chicago

Lake Tahoe

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How did your 2016 goals go? 

I will be sharing my 2017 goals soon!