Goals - Continuing on in 2015

I wrote a post to kick off 2014 with a whole lot of goals I had set for myself, why I was doing goals vs. resolutions, and a life verse for 2014.  Well you know what happened TEN days later?? I had a baby.  That newborn baby came home with me, and all those goals and the big ideas I had went out the window.  I was in survival mode, and the last thing on my mind was how I was doing in regards to my goals for the year.

But as I look back on those goals now, I see just how much they meant to me, because even without focusing on them and working at them the way I planned...I still came pretty close to reaching a lot of them, and for some...I was actually successful!  And that verse that I picked to focus on in 2014...it's still the first picture on my camera roll and it was the first thing I recalled continuously throughout the year.  

Most of those goals are still things I'm passionate about, so my list will look pretty similar this year.  Here are my 15 goals for 2015:

#PhysicallyFit

#DrinkIt128 (Goal of 128 ounces/1 gallon of water each day)

#EatIt (Goal of making sticking with my Herbalife meal plan)

#WorkIt530 (Goal of working out at least 5 days a week, 30 minutes a day)

#RunIt (Goal of training for and running in 5k's with my mom)

*I'm also shooting to complete the #Run100 challenge where you run 100 miles in 2015...never skip a Monday, never go 3 days without running, run at least 3 days a week, and never give up!

#FinanciallyFit

#EliminateIt (Goal of cutting our current debt in half by the end of this year)

#AvoidIt (Goal of not using our credit cards to make purchases, #Swipeless2015)

#BudgetIt (Goal of creating our monthly budget and sticking to it, complete FPU)

#BuildIt (Goal of building personal businesses this year, it's truly a dream)

#SpirituallyFit

#StudyIt (Goal of reading through the bible by my 30th birthday)

#RememberIt (Goal of memorizing scripture)

#PrayIt (Goal of keeping a prayer journal for 2015)

#ShareIt (Goal of sharing the gospel with those that I meet)

Along with those goals, here are three additional to round out my 15 in 2015:

#GrowIt (Goal of nourishing and growing my relationship with my husband)

#ReadIt (Goal of reading at least one book each month from various types/genres)

#TeachIt (Goal of being intentional with teaching Bryleigh new things - both spiritually and intellectually)

I loved having a life verse in 2014 with a word to really focus on, so I chose to do the same thing this year.  Over the past year, I've been praying for God to be at work in my heart and life, teaching me how to love others like He loves, and one of the things He's been speaking to me about is JOY.  So my 2015 word is JOY and my verse is 1 Peter 1:6, NLT - "Be truly glad.  There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while." (I really liked Romans 12:12, also - "Be JOYFUL in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.")

My #Verse2015 - 1 Peter 1:6 and my #Word2015 - JOY

Goals vs. Resolutions in 2014

As we start off 2014, everyone is busy proclaiming their 2014 New Year's Resolutions...and hoping that this year is different than those in the past.  Will I be able to make it out of January with my resolutions still in tact?  What about 3 or 6 months from now?  If you've ever been to the gym in December AND January, then you know exactly what I'm talking about!

But have you ever actually looked at the definition of a resolution?  What is it exactly that you are doing?

Resolution: a firm decision to do or not do something

Resolve: settle or find a solution to (a problem, dispute, or contentious matter)

Resolutions don't give you much to go on.  They only give you a pass/fail outcome where you either succeed or don't succeed, and let's face it - most "Resolutions" end up in the fail column by the end of March.  Just because you made that "firm decision" to do something doesn't mean you have the support system or framework set to be successful at that resolution.

Also, based on the definition for resolve (another form of the word "Resolution"), you are looking at all of the negative in your life and resolving to make changes to those specific things.  As you focus on the negative and all of the things you want to change, you overlook the positives and all the good you're capable of.  Sometimes this could even lead to those positives slipping into future resolutions.  (For example - if you already exercise 30 minutes a day out of desire/habit, but you lose sight and set your focus on changing all those negatives...you could start to slip on that exercise habit and eventually, it could fall in to that "needs work" area of your life.)

Now take a look at a different option...GOALS

Goal: the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result

I'm not saying that it's not a good idea to take a look at those areas in your life that could use some improvement (or "resolve"), but you want to be sure and have a balance looking at the good and the not so good.  When you set goals for yourself, you aren't necessarily looking to "fix" something, you are shooting for desired results.

If you have ever done any type of professional development, you've probably learned the SMART Goals system.  Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.  As I mentioned early, resolutions don't give you a framework.  They simply say, "This is what I'm going to do," and then you go after them.  Your goals, using the SMART system give you a very specific framework, allowing you to be prepared for what lies ahead.


So in 2014, I have 14 goals I've set for myself pertaining to "Getting Fit" in 2014 - financially, physically, and spiritually.  I will continually work to improve my "health" in each of these areas throughout the year, and these goals give me things to focus on.

#PhysicallyFit

#DrinkIt128 (Goal of 128 ounces/1 gallon of water each day)

#WorkIt530 (Goal of working out at least 5 days a week, 30 minutes a day)

#RunIt3.1 (Goal of training for and running in the 5k Turkey Trot with my mom)

#EatIt (Goal of making our meal plan and sticking to it)

#FinanciallyFit

#EliminateIt (Goal of cutting our current debt in half by the end of this year)

#AvoidIt (Goal of not using our credit cards to make purchases, #Swipeless2014)

#PlanItDoIt (Goal of creating our monthly budget and sticking to it, complete FPU)

#BuildIt (Goal of building personal businesses this year)

#SpirituallyFit

#StudyIt (Goal of reading through the bible this year)

#RememberIt (Goal of memorizing one verse per week)

#PrayIt (Goal of keeping a prayer journal for 2014)

#ShareIt (Goal of sharing the gospel with those that I meet)

Along with those goals, here are two additional to get us to the 14:

#GrowIt (Goal of nourishing and growing my relationship with my husband)

#ReadIt (Goal of reading at least one book each month from various types/genres)

Along with those goals, I have chosen a verse for 2014 after getting an email from YouVersion that encouraged selecting a life verse for the year.  I searched for verses that talked about endurance because that is what I hope to have this year as I go after my goals.  I loved Colossians 1:11-12 as soon as I read through it, but loved it even more when I read it in the Message version.

My #Verse2014 - Colossians 1:11-12 and My #Word2014 - Endurance

What's in a name??

I've created a lot of businesses in my short life time - some in my head and on paper, and others in real life. One of my favorite parts of getting things going is deciding on the name.

I had a business idea going through my head, and I wanted it to follow my love for the "Fairytale," so it was going to be called "Fairytale Fonts" - but I decided this wasn't perfect for a few reasons.  I'm not 100% positive what all I want to involve in this new journey, but I know I don't want to be limited in the future by the name.  So I took some time to think about what I wanted to do and what options I had for a new name, and then it hit me - August Day Designs!

The following is what I wrote as I thought through my new name, and why I felt it was PERFECT for what I'm seeing in the future, near and far.

When I think of August, I think of warm, sunny days.  I think of swimming pools and backyard barbeques with friends and family.  I think of wedding cake with cream snow cones from The Pink Snow Cone Stand.  I think of driving around with my best friends, windows rolled down and sunroof slid back.

When I think of August, I think of beautiful fields with bright yellow sunflowers.  I think of a nice breeze keeping me cool as I take a walk outside.  I think of Texas Rangers baseball games, summer camps and choir tours with the youth group, and softball tournaments.

When I think of August, I think of my favorite day ever – August 8, 2009 when I married my best friend.  And I think of getting ready to meet my sweet nephew, Tate Alan.

I love summer, and August is my favorite month of the year.

I hope to bring that bright, happy, and warm feeling out through my designs, my passions.