2016 | Goals for the New Year

I love a new year. I love the hope that comes with it. I start to dream about how things might be different, how I might be different. I look at the pages of my planner, most of them empty, and wonder what events will take place throughout the year. There is so much expectation. It's exciting to me.

I always make New Year's resolutions. I know MANY people who do not believe in New Year's Resolutions, but I have to tell you... I like them! I am not saying I always stick to every single one. And I'm not saying I don't make other goals throughout the year. But there is something I love about starting fresh with a brand new year.

I also must add that the notion that nobody ever succeeds with their resolutions is simply not true. So many people set new year's resolutions that are completely unrealistic. But make realistic ones, and you might actually succeed at them! I can't remember what all of my new year's resolutions were last year. I know I planned to complete several photo books, and that didn't happen! I know I wanted to incorporate an 80/20 lifestyle with eating... eh, that didn't happen either!

But I did set a goal to take a picture a day! And while I know that isn't a big deal, this was my 3rd or 4th try on this, and I always failed! But in 2015, I did it! No cheating... one pic a day. (Thanks to those who humored me during this process! Haha!)

The other resolution I had was to quit coca-cola... my absolute favorite drink! It was my addiction! I cannot believe how many cokes I used to drink everyday. It was a LOT! I loved that drink so much. Well, guess what. I stuck to that resolution 100%! And I didn't have any other soda either, with the exception of when we visited the Coca-Cola Factory in Atlanta on our vacation. I tried a few of the foreign ones, for the experience of it. Most of them were disgusting! Blech! But I am very proud of myself for sticking to that goal!

My other resolution was to really focus on making the word BELIEVE my word for the year. Just to really study it, read about it, and get it into my heart and mind. I would say I definitely stuck to that one too, and it made all the difference in my perspective when it came to our walk through infertility.

So anyway, enough rambling. Here are my resolutions for 2016.

1. "EYES ON JESUS"
I talked about this in my post about my word for the year. My word this year is TRUST. I know that in the Hebrew, the words believe and trust mean basically the same thing. But from my modern American viewpoint, they are different. Believe, to me, is about knowing He is able & that He will fulfill His promises to me! Trust is a whole different ballgame! For me, trust is about not only believing He can & will, but also about surrendering my will to His, knowing that how He does it and why it is taking so long is His business. I want to really focus on trusting Him and keeping my eyes on Him. I know that when I do that, I am in a much better place.

2. Read the Bible & spend time in prayer everyday.
Pretty self-explanatory. How am I supposed to make trusting God my focus if I am not spending enough time with  Him? I want to get in His word everyday, even if it's only a few minutes. I feel like my worship & prayer life grew a lot in 2015, but I want that area of my life to continue to grow. Wouldn't mind having a War Corner! (We do not have an extra closet or room for a War Room!)

2. Stick to Weight Watchers!
My health has got to be my priority, once and for all. I joined weight watchers and I cannot even tell you how excited I am about this program. It works! And for the first time in my dieting life, I do not feel deprived. I could go on and on, and I will in an upcoming post. But I definitely feel like this is something I can do long-term. So my goal is this: Stick to weight watchers, go to the weekly meetings as much as possible, do not go over my points, and track everything I eat. I feel like this is completely reasonable. I realize that life happens. If for some reason I cannot afford it anymore, or if I have to quit for some other reason, then I will have to do it on my own for awhile. But I don't plan on quitting! This program is worth the money, and it is definitely something I want to stick to throughout the year.

3. Get moving!
This is one resolution I never keep, but I still want to make it a resolution! Haha! I need to get moving. I sit at a computer everyday for work, and then many nights I go home and either sit at another computer to edit pictures, OR I sit on the couch to watch netflix. NO GOOD! I have to set some type of goal for this. Weight Watchers gives you a challenge of so much activity to do each day. They start you off small, but increase it as you go! My goal is to just to earn the activity points set for me, at least 2 days a week (to start. I realize I need way more exercise than that!).

4. Improve my Photography Skills.
I am loving photography lately! I mean, duh, right? But I just feel like it has gotten to be something I enjoy even more! I still feel like I have areas where I need to improve, so I definitely want to work on my skills. I would like to learn more editing techniques, among other things. Maybe a class is in my future. We will see! I also want to get in the habit of blogging my photo shoots (on my photography website). Check out my latest posts here!

5. BLOGGING!
Y'all. I have never made blogging a part of my new year's resolutions, but it really makes me sad that I hardly blogged at all in 2015! Sad face! So I am here to tell you, I really want to blog on a more regular basis again! Wish me luck!

So there ya go!! Look out 2017... you may not even recognize me. :)