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.
These past few months were huge for me! After months of hard work, I finally launched my newest e-book entitled Seasons of the Faith: Helping Your Family Celebrate the Feasts and Fasts of the Church! I have been blown away by the response so far. Thank you all for your encouragement!
If you would like to find out more about the book, just click HERE.
My Goals for 2016
Spiritual Goals
1. Read through the Old Testament
I have been doing some reading, but I will have to make a serious investment of time to finish before the end of the year!
2. Read one spiritual book each month
This month I read one of the best parenting books I have ever read–Parenting Toward the Kingdom by Dr. Philip Mamalakis. You can read my full review here. It was so good that I included it in my Ultimate Guide to Orthodox Christmas Presents.
3. Take a one day retreat of silence and prayer
So, it looks like this goal may not happen in 2016. My husband’s schedule has been fuller than planned, and he has not finished his dissertation yet. He will complete it, defend it, and graduate in the spring, though!
Family Goals
4. Go on one family outing each month
My sister-in-law visited us in early November, which provided many wonderful excuses for family outings! We hiked in Shenandoah National Park, visited Montpelier, and went to a couple of wineries. So fun!
5. Have one date night a month (in or out of house)
We may be a bit late to the game, but my husband and I got into watching Gilmore Girls this month. We are going through Season 1 and thoroughly enjoying it. It’s fun to curl up together on the couch and have mini-date nights a few times a week.
6. Read to my children 5 nights a week
We have been keeping up with this goal really well. Just recently my daughter (aged 4) and I began reading The Boxcar Children together. She is so excited that she is reading a chapter book now!
7. Watch 15 movies on the AFI Top 100 Movies List
We have watched 5 movies so far from the list of AFI Top 100 movies. This month we watched Rocky, which I hadn’t seen in years. Very fun!
Personal Goals
8. Run a 5K, an 8K, and a 10K race
So, this is another goal that will just not get met this year. I have run zero races this year. Yep. Zero. However, I have started running again now that the weather is cooler. I’ve discovered that I definitely do not like running in the heat!
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. You can read my November’s Challenge on gratitude here.
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. December is all about the scary books. Take a look at my recommendations!
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 have finished my course. Yippee!
Professional Goals
12. Write and launch an ebook
Done!
In order to complete this goal, I purchased 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. I recently reserved the name “theorthodoxmama” on Instagram. I haven’t started posting anything yet (that will come soon), but even making that baby step helps me feel like the goal is doable.
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. I have a new idea for a children’s book and hope to submit it to the publisher before the end of the year. Exciting!
Do you have any goals for 2016? How are you doing?
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