2018 Goal Setting

Happy New Year!  I hope your holiday season was amazing and that you’re ready for the new year!

A new year always feels like a fresh start, doesn’t it?  Well, okay maybe not everyone agrees, but for me, around the holidays I get away from work and spend time with family and friends as much as I can.  So come January, I’m feeling refreshed and ready to hit the ground running!

The first of the year is always goal setting time for me.  I hope that you’ll join me (if you haven’t already) in setting some new goals for 2018.  Last year had some rough patches (to say the least), so I’m really looking forward to a new year and a new outlook on life.  

I spent some time with my editorial calendar over the weekend and scheduled out three months worth of blog posts!  I’m so excited for the content I have coming up this year!  

Word of the Year

For 2018, I want to have a word of the year.  I’ve never done that, but people seem to love it, so I figure I’ll give it a try.  This year my word is BELIEVE.  Believe in myself, believe in my goals, my dreams, achievements for my family.  I need to believe more in myself especially, so that is what I want to focus on this year.  Let go of the self-doubt and believe.  

My goals for 2018

Grow my Young Living business
After having EJ, I didn’t spend much time at all on my Young Living business.  I honestly feel bad for the people on my team.  I totally neglected them, and wasn’t a great leader and roll model.  But toward the end of last year I kicked it up a notch and ended up growing considerably. 

My goal for 2018 is to grow my team and share the amazing products and non-toxic lifestyle with more people!  Here’s the thing: You won’t necessarily see the effects of toxic chemical exposure overnight.  But after years and years of exposure, toxins build up in our bodies and they finally succumb to some of the side effects.  Weakened immune systems, endocrine issues, anxiety, respiratory issues, hormonal issues, cancer.  Even chronic headaches and migraines.  All are possible causes of toxic chemical exposure.  I want to help more people see that there is another way!  

Get outside more
In Wichita, we were blessed with great weather, so we were able to get outside a lot.  Being back in Seattle, the gloomy weather tends to keep us inside more.  But I want to make sure I’m getting the kids outside every chance I get.  And now that we’re back to a place with hills and mountains, I want us to make family hikes a priority again!  We love hiking and last year we weren’t able to do it enough.  

Grow my social media presence
Here’s the thing: I don’t love social media.  I partake in it because it’s part of my job.  But honestly, the less I’m on it these days the happier I am.  But because it is such a huge part of being a blogger, I know I need to do better.  This year I will have a plan for growing each social media platform I’m on throughout the year.  I don’t have a goal for numbers, but just overall growth and engagement.  

Potty train EJ
Totally making this a year-long goal.  Because who the heck knows how long it will take.  He definitely has interest in the potty, and enjoys sitting on it for like 10 seconds, so I think he’ll be a relatively early potty trainer.  But I hear time and time again that boys are harder to potty train than girls (my daughter was super easy).  I’m not going to force it, but I do want it to happen this year.  

Transition our family to a functional medicine doctor
Functional medicine is something I’ve become more passionate about over the last 6 months.  If you aren’t familiar with functional medicine, it’s basically a form of medicine that treats the underlying causes of disease, instead of just treating symptoms.  Functional medicine seeks to get to the root cause of an issue, in order to actually cure a patient.  It also treats the body as one integrated system, not just a collection of independent organs.

I mean it makes total sense right?  Shouldn’t all medicine be like this?  Looking for the root cause of an issue, not just throwing pills at it?  Unfortunately that’s not how our health care system operates, but functional medicine is gaining in popularity, and I hope eventually more people will see it as a better way.  Plus our current health care system will eventually bankrupt our country.  But I digress.  🙂

I want to find a functional medicine doctor and start having my family seen there as part of our overall health and wellness plan.

Finish 3 blogging courses
Last year I went on a blog course binge and ended up purchasing (or signing up for free), like a dozen courses.  Good Lord what was I thinking?!  One was a big one too, that I have yet to finish.  I want to complete at least three of those courses this year.  

Have more dates with Kellen
Honestly, we both suck at making our marriage a priority.  But that needs to end this year.  We need to put us first.  If that means hiring a babysitter because neither of our parents can watch the kids, so be it.  But we need to make time for us.  Picnics on the carpet, hiking just us two, movie night, appetizers at a local bistro.  Whatever it is, we are making us a priority this year.

I feel better about these goals than I have any goals in a while.  I have a clear picture of my year, am feeling refreshed, positive and ready to BELIEVE in myself.  Bring it 2018!

Now it’s your turn!  Tell me at least two goals you have for yourself this year!