Each year I set goals for myself that are in line with my four priorities: faith, family, work, and personal growth. At the beginning of each month I sit down and take a look at the progress I have made (or not made!) on those goals so that I can create a plan for the upcoming month.
May was pretty much a bust for me in terms of goal-setting. With Pascha, our state standardized test, and end of the year activities at school (I’m a teacher), I spent most of my time on other activities. It was a good month, though. I enjoyed my last month with my students and celebrated the Resurrection of our Lord. You can’t ask for anything more!
Here is how I am doing on:
My Goals for 2016
Spiritual Goals
1. Read through the Old Testament
I am on track to finish by the end of December.
2. Read one spiritual book each month
This month I read the book Queen Abigail the Wise by Grace Brooks. I was given a copy of this middle grade novel (perfect for tween girls) to review and couldn’t wait to read it. I (obviously!) love young adult literature and love seeing how Orthodox authors bring our faith into a book. Queen Abigail the Wise tells the story of ten-year-old Abigail and a group of girls who are thrown together at church for no other reason than that they are all the same age. Soon the group decides to help others, and they begin by helping each other solve problems. The results are often hilarious, generally touching, and always interesting. The entire book is set during Lent and Holy Week, and those themes pervade the story without seeming moralistic. It is a splendid read that I highly recommend!
3. Take a one day retreat of silence and prayer
Honestly, this is the goal I am most looking forward to this year. I haven’t planned it yet because this is my husband’s busiest time of the year. After he finishes his dissertation, I am excited to take a spiritual retreat!
Family Goals
4. Go on one family outing each month
In May we went on a mini-vacation to Boston! A good friend of ours from church got married there, and so we all drove up. We stayed with friends in Providence along the way, visited some of our old haunts in Boston, and had a lovely time as a family.
5. Have one date night a month (in or out of house)
May has been extremely busy for my husband. He is defending his dissertation next month, so he is putting in hours and hours each day. However, we did have a fun movie night complete with a cheese tray. Yum!
6. Read to my children 5 nights a week
We didn’t make this goal during May. We did read several times a week but didn’t always hit the 5 times a week mark.
7. Watch 15 movies on the AFI Top 100 Movies List
We have watched 3 movies from the list of AFI Top 100 movies. We’re a bit behind on this goal, but once my husband has finished his dissertation, we should be able to have more time to relax together.
Personal Goals
8. Run a 5K, an 8K, and a 10K race
Zero progress on this goal this month.
9. Complete my Healthy Lifestyle Habits Challenge and blog about it each month
This year I have created a list of healthy habits that I want to incorporate into my daily life. I decided to focus on one per month and share my experiences with you on the blog. In May I wrote about cutting back on desserts.
10. Complete the 2016 Reading Challenge and blog about it
Have you joined our 2016 Reading Challenge yet? It is a great way to help you discover new books and to make time for reading. Each month we will be reading a different type of book (a mystery, a book that inspires you, a book you should have read in school but didn’t, etc.). Here were my May recommendations for compelling mysteries.
11. Take a Craftsy cooking course
I’ve decided to take another online cooking class through Craftsy. Craftsy has hundreds of classes available–from photography to cake decorating, quilting to gardening. If you’re wanting to gain a new skill or improve an old one, I’d highly recommend taking a class through Craftsy. I did purchase my class this month. It is all about using your crockpot! The course comes with videos, recipes, and tutorials. I’ve skimmed some of the recipes, and they look delicious.
Professional Goals
12. Write and launch an ebook
This month I changed the focus of my e-book. It will be a practical guide to help families get in step with the Church year. The book walks through the liturgical seasons of the Church with activities, meditations, and ideas for helping your family grow spiritually. The book will be available on September 1st–just in time for the new Church year!
I purchased and have started Abby Lawson’s course “Book Boss,” which walks you through the step-by-step process of writing and launching an e-book. It is an amazing resource that I highly recommend!
13. Join another social media form to grow The Orthodox Mama
Right now I have a Facebook page and a Pinterest account for The Orthodox Mama. However, I haven’t added another social media form yet.
14. Add 4 products to my Teachers Pay Teachers store
I have not added any yet this year.
15. Write another children’s book
This year I submitted my first children’s book manuscript to a publisher. I found out that it was not accepted for publication. However, I will revise it and continue submitting to other publishers. The entire process has been challenging, thrilling, and stretching. I am ready to do it again! I have my idea for the new book and will begin working on it after I finish my e-book.
Do you have any goals for 2016? How are you doing?
(Linked to With Grit and Grace.)
(This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and purchase a product, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Orthodox Mama.)
