I've tried for many, many years to set yearly goals that stick. This is the first year in many that I have decided not to purchase Powersheets, a product that I truly adore, but felt I couldn't justify for 2023 considering three-quarters of them went unused in 2022. I love the intentionality they bring to the table, but it seemed like I wasn't putting them to work like I should have.
I've spent quite a bit of time at the beginning of this year vision planning and reflecting, mostly informal brainstorms that I haven't even written down, and part of that was deciding if I was going to even set goals for the upcoming year. What I landed on was setting intentions. I have learned about myself over the years that I struggle with goal setting because the first time I miss a step or fall off the wagon, I throw the whole thing away. I can't complete it if I'm not perfect, I tell myself, which I know to be completely untrue, but I haven't yet found a way around that personality trait. How I can try to hack it, however, is by setting general principles to apply to my life. It is probably the opposite of SMART goals, but I'm excited to try this new approach to yearly goal setting. I didn't put a ton of energy into setting my intentions; they largely came to me naturally as extensions of where I see myself at the end of 2023. I didn't spend a lot of time honing them down or making them aesthetically pleasing. I wrote what I meant and attached meaning to them.
Here's what I landed on to focus 2023 towards:
1. Declutter our home
If there is one thing I've learned about having a baby, it's that they come with a lot of stuff. Our home isn't tiny, but it isn't very large either, and, apparently, storage space was not a major focus when building a home in the 1960s. We have amassed quite a collection of things in our going on 4 years of marriage, but I'm ready to change that. I can feel the shift in my mood when the house is on the clean and organized side of the spectrum, and I can also feel the shift in my mood when I walk into a room that is the opposite. I want to make it easier to keep our home in order by removing what we're not using and creating a place for the things we do.
2. Limit spending
I know people are usually categorized as spenders or shoppers, but I feel that I'm solidly on both sides. I've always prioritized saving, but I haven't been afraid to spend my play money, either. Between the rocky economy and the changes that have arisen from my changing jobs, I want to increase the amount we are saving and investing and decrease the amount we (I) spend. I have started to implement changes in how I buy groceries and decide what I want to use my funds earmarked for spending on. I think this will definitely be something I break down further in future posts.
3. Create our family culture
My thoughts around this are to create rhythms and routines for our family, and also begin to hone in on how we spend our time as a family: how we want to prioritize rest and travel, what our intentions are for friendships, what our mornings and evenings look and feel like as we prepare for and wind down from our days. I feel the pull to turn inward and focus on creating an environment that promotes health, peace, and enjoyment for our family.
4. Prioritize my health
2022 was the wild west when it came to my health. I've always been a fairly healthy person with no major medical issues, and by the grace of God, I am blessed to say that is largely still the truth. However, I experienced many changes in my body this past year that served as a wake-up call for me. I want to be around for a long time to see my family grow and prosper, so I need to focus on how I'm going to get there. I want to move my body intentionally every day and eat less processed foods.
5. Build my faith
None of the four things above would be possible without God, so my last intention for 2023, but also the most important one, is to give glory to the Lord in all I do. I want to continue my Bible reading plan, become more rooted in our church community, and work to live out His goodness in everyday, reflecting the light He shines on us.
How do you go about goal setting for the year, or do you set goals at all?
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