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.
This month was 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 am a little behind on this now. I’ll need to do some serious reading to catch up!
2. Read one spiritual book each month
I did not reach this goal in August. I did, however, do a bunch of online research in order to write my e-book.
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! He will defend in October (praise the Lord!), so I will start planning this coming month.
Family Goals
4. Go on one family outing each month
We celebrated my daughter’s fourth birthday with a trip to a nearby lake. The kids had fun swimming, building sand castles, and eating a picnic on the beach. A lovely day!
5. Have one date night a month (in or out of house)
My husband and I celebrated my 35th birthday this month. I can’t believe I am 35! We ordered in Thai food and watched a movie together. He also made me my favorite angel food cake for dessert. I am certainly spoiled!
6. Read to my children 5 nights a week
We read many excellent picture books to the children this month. My daughter’s new favorite is Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs, which is a funny twist on the classic fairy tale!
7. Watch 15 movies on the AFI Top 100 Movies List
We have watched 4 movies from the list of AFI Top 100 movies. This month we watched The Fellowship of the Ring for my birthday. (I am definitely a fantasy nerd. I have read and re-read that series so many times!) 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
I have discovered that I absolutely hate running in the heat. Since I don’t have a gym membership or access to a treadmill indoors, this means that I have not been running at all this month. I did find a 5K to register for in October, though.
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 August I wrote about eating more fruits and vegetables.
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. Here were my August recommendations for a book you should have read in school but didn’t.
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 started and am really enjoying it so far!
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. 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?
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