Well, friends, I’ve finally made it through the Power Sheets and have gotten to the point of setting my 2014 goals. I will still be breaking them down into monthly accomplishments along the way, but since it’s taken most of January to really dig into what I wanted to focus on this year my only goal for January was to set goals for the rest of the year. :) (And to finally make and hang curtains in the dining room, which also happened, so there’s happiness all around!)

It was SUCH a good process to dig into my core vision and purpose for life, before making an arbitrary list of things to accomplish this year. While I already knew (for the most part) what I wanted my life, overall, to look like it was really good to take the time to write it down and verbalize it. To have a filter to send all other goals through is so valuable. It’s helped me more confidently know who I am, and what I dream of and desire, and to stop letting other people’s dreams and goals shift my focus off of who I know I’m called to be. While I won’t go into all of those details, just know that each of these goals fits well into the bigger picture of who I feel I’m called to be (for this year and beyond), and because of that I have such an excitement and passion to actually see them come to fruition.

My overall theme for the year is Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.”

Packed into that little repetitive verse, that seems so simple, is my heart for ALL areas of my life this year. To learn to truly rejoice in the season I’m in today. To rejoice with others. To rejoice when I’m tempted to worry (which I hate to say is a lot). To rejoice when times are hard. To view all circumstances, all experiences, all successes AND failures, as reasons to be thankful. 2013 held a lot of sadness and hard situations for my family due to several losses. But even in the “I don’t understand” seasons of life….to rejoice in what I don’t yet know, and can’t yet see. As I approach my business, my relationships, my life this year this verse is my goal.

PERSONAL

Overall objective: Better self-discipline established and new habits formed in my daily routine, so as to better serve and care for others.

• Finish reading 1000 Gifts and complete my own list of 1000 things
• Establish and implement a better system for organizing clothes, and keeping them put away
• Establish and implement a cleaning schedule to more consistently keep all parts of the house clean
• Step into a more intentional role of serving/ministry at my church
• Connect with our neighbors on a more regular basis
• Talk with family across the country weekly
• Read at least 4 books
• Work out at least 3 times a week, whenever not traveling
• Establish a way that works well for both Aaron & I to maintain a more consistent household budget
• Continue making our house a home and filling it with elements that make it “us”

BUSINESS

Overall objective: Streamlining business practices to improve consistency and efficiency  all across the board, so as to better serve and “wow” my clients, and achieve things that have been falling through the cracks.

• Learn about and open an IRA account
• Create a 5-year vision for my business and a schedule for when/how to increase rates
• Establish and implement a more organized weekly work schedule
• Establish and implement a monthly Duty Day
• Create a more organized schedule for blogging
• Blog full weddings more consistently
• Establish a workflow for submitting weddings to be featured consistently
• Establish and implement a better system for getting photos to vendors
• Finish decorating my office
• Design & order 2 new sample albums
• Get published in a respected print publication

A lot of these goals have multiple-step processes that I know will take a while to truly become new habits and new systems formed. But for the first time, instead of hearing the “I can’t” voice in the back of my head, I hear a voice of grace that says “I can”. It may not be perfect, but if it’s growth in the right direction, then I will consider this year a success. I’m done holding myself to a standard of perfection that I can never reach. To standards of comparison with others. 2014 is the year to embrace who I’M created to be, and even if they’re small, to take steps closer to fulfilling that calling. And that excites me to my core.

I can’t wait to see how these goals begin to progress, and I will continue posting monthly as accountability in how I’m taking steps to achieve these overarching desires.

So what are your goals for this year? Do you have an overall “theme” or word that you feel defines 2014 for you? I’m so thrilled by the potential that these next months will hold, and I can’t wait to see how we will all grow and takes steps towards bettering ourselves and more faithfully blessing others.