My 2017 Word of the Year and Goals

Happy 2017! I know so many people were so ready for the new year to start, but I for one am a little sad to see 2016 go – after all, it’s the year Ella was born and will always hold a special place in my heart. On the other hand, there’s something so refreshing about a new year and a new start on things.

I’ve never been a fan of dedicated New Year’s resolutions… because I don’t believe they work. I like to start my goals shortly after I think of them and start each day as the first of many. That being said, I do like the idea of picking a word for the year, and it’s something I’ve done in the past. For 2016, I picked “dance” and to be honest, I completely forgot about it most of the year. I really need to make sure this year that I check in with it every quarter or so, and this year, my word is intentional.

One of the reasons I like picking a word rather than a resolution is because you can apply it to so many things. I like intentional because it’s going to force me to really think about what I’m doing, each day, each week, and find the reasons I want to do those things. I want to really focus on a few main things this year, but still bring a focus to my personal and professional lives that the word intentional affords me. So what are those goals?

1. I want to intentionally focus on my health and weight loss. At the moment, I’m sitting at about 9 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight, with about 45 pounds I’d like to lose after that. I want to be sure I focus on what I’m putting in my body as well as how I’m making it stronger. I plan on starting a weekly weekend post on it starting this weekend to detail my progress.
2. I want to be more intentional with my stuff, my routines, and my organization. I have entirely too many things in my closet I haven’t pulled out since we’ve moved in. I have kitchen gadgets collecting dust in the basement. I am a creature of routine, yet I find I allow myself to veer off of it entirely too much. I want to be more organized so that my life runs smoother, and focusing on getting rid of the extra stuff, establishing good routines, and being more organized will only help me with that.
3. I want to see this little space of mine grow in the right way. I’ve admittedly pushed this little blog of mine to the side in the past year or so more often than I would’ve liked – pregnancy and a new baby definitely became my excuses. The thing is, I love this space, and sharing things here makes me happy, so I want to keep going. I have made some of the best friends as a result of blogging, and I know it’s because we share what we’re really thinking and how we really live our lives. Motherhood can be really lonely (especially working motherhood), and I love having people that get it and showing that we don’t all have these picture perfect lives.
4. Finally and most importantly, I want to be intentional about my time with my family and my two girls. If anything, having another baby showed me just how much quality time matters, and I love the moments I’ve spent with just Abbie when I can. I love that I have a little famil of four now, and I’m honestly really happy with where life is right now. Obviously, things could always improve, but I’m so thankful to have a healthy family – two beautiful girls and a husband that loves me in a way I don’t deserve. I’m really content and I just want to be sure I’m using the time I have with them well – I want to make millions of memories to keep with me when I’m old and gray someday.

I do think my word will extend to other goals, but those are my main ones of the year, and I think intentional is just the right way to pursue them.

Did you pick a word for 2017 or make resolutions?