5 Things I’m Doing Differently in 2016

The end of December always finds me evaluating the current year and planning for the next one. I look over my goals and ask myself questions about the progress that was made. 
  • Did I achieve my most important goals?
  • Was measurable progress made?
  • Did I stay true to my highest priorities?
As I review 2015, I see both successes and failures. 
I’m thankful that we made some happy family memories that we’ll always cherish. In addition:
  • I read over a dozen books (almost two dozen if you count short e-books). 
  • I made tremendous progress with healing my diastasis recti. 
  • I spent more time exercising than I had in previous years. I lost five pounds and overcame adrenal fatigue. 
  • I went on more dates with my husband and spent more time with my children.
  • I read through the New Testament and memorized some passages of Scripture.
  • I reached a few hospitality goals.
  • I overcame some real fears that had been haunting me for years. 
Those are some decent accomplishments. However, in looking over the year I also see that I could have been more intentional with my time, and I could have accomplished even more!
Rather than feel discouraged over what I wasn’t able to accomplish last year, I feel thankful for what did get done, and I feel motivated to refocus and refine my goals for the coming year. Isn’t it encouraging that we can begin again when the new year rolls around (or anytime)?
5 Things I’m Planning to Do Differently in 2016
Here are a few things I plan to do differently this year (Lord willing):
1.  Go to bed earlier. This is something I’ve been struggling with ever since becoming a mother (i.e. for a very long time!). I love getting things done after the kids are in bed, and I don’t enjoy sleeping! I do know, however, that sleep is important. God designed our bodies to need rest, and it is counter-productive to deny ourselves the sleep we need. It has been proven that people who get enough sleep are more productive and successful than those who are sleep-deprived. So I’m making this my number-one priority.
2.  Get up earlier. This goes with my number one, above. I always feel so much more productive when I get up and get started early in the morning, preferably before my children are awake!

3.  Be more specific with my goals. I have always tried to set some goals for each new year, but in the past my goals were too vague. “Lose weight” isn’t as specific as “Lose 10 pounds in 3 months.” So this year I’m planning to make my goals more specific and break them down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

4.  Build time into each day to work on my goals. I really love list-making and planning ahead. As I looked back at 2015, I realized I could have accomplished more if I would have simply set aside small amounts of time each day to work toward my goals.

5.  Be accountable. Accountability is so important in goal-setting! If I share my goals with someone, that automatically causes me to want to work harder at attaining them. My husband is my main accountability partner. We have decided to make time to discuss our joint goals as a couple, as well as taking time to share and discuss our personal goals. I’m also considering blogging regularly about my goals, just to give me an added incentive to work harder.

Set Your Day Up for Success

Every year I search for resources to help me grow in the areas I feel called to (being a Christian, a wife, mother, homemaker, etc.). Sometimes the resources are ones I already own and just need to spend a bit more time digesting. Crystal Paine’s Make Over Your Mornings course is one of the most helpful resources out there for getting started right—first thing in the morning!

The 14-day course covers the following topics (from the table of contents):

  • Your Morning Begins the Night Before
  • How Setting Goals Can Change Your Life
  • How to Break Your Big Goals Down Into Bite-Sized Pieces
  • Accountability Partners: The Missing Ingredient
  • Creating a To-Do List That Serves, Not Strangles
  • And much more!
I’m looking forward to going through this course in the next couple of weeks, and I plan to share my thoughts on some of the topics as I go through it. Want to do it with me?

The exciting news is that Make Over Your Mornings is on sale for just $9 from December 26th to January 8th. (This course regularly sells for $17.) Right now is the perfect time to plan for a successful new year. Go here to get this course on sale!

I believe the 5 simple changes I listed above can have a huge impact on my days in the coming year. These goals are simple, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy! I believe those 5 things (going to bed earlier and getting enough sleep, getting up earlier, being very specific with goals, building time into each day to work on those goals, and being accountable to someone) have tremendous potential to determine how successful the coming year might be. 
Of course there are always going to be unexpected things that come up to derail our plans and goals. My desire is just to do my best and leave the rest up to the Lord.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
~Proverbs 16:9, ESV


Do you have any changes you plan to make in the coming year? I’d love to hear about them!

The links in this post are my affiliate links. Thank you so much for your support!

12 Comments

  2. I Have been thinking about goals for the new year and successes and failures from last year too and it is encouraging to read about yours as well. It gave me some food for thought.

    Reply

  3. Thanks for sharing. I created a list of yearly goals for the first time ever and actually shared them on my blog. Being so open can be a hard thing to do but the inspiration to others is worth it.

    Please keep sharing. I was glad to find this post on "The life of Faith" Monday link Up. Good luck with your goals and keep the faith.

    Reply

  5. Found your blog on the link-up today. Something I learned in grad school is how goals need to be S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound) For me, in making goals I have to make it something that can measure my progress on and be held accountable, otherwise I probably will not follow through on it. Best of luck with all of your goals this coming year!

    Reply

  6. I was glad to read your post. I have been thinking about goals for 2016, but I had not considered my successes for 2015. That's actually a very important place to start. Thank you for sharing and getting me in the right frame of mind!

    Reply

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