Happy New Year, friends and hello, 2017! I hope that the year is off to a good start for you. January has always felt to me like a time to reflect on the past year, take stock of how I currently feel, and make new plans accordingly. Today I thought I’d share my goals for 2017 as well as some reflections on 2016.
This collage features my nine most liked photos on Instagram. It’s a pretty accurate summing up of 2016 for me: all about baby! I’ve longed to be a mother deep in my heart for so long and this first year has been more amazing than I’ve ever dreamed. I’ve never felt happier or more at ease with myself. Words cannot describe how wonderful it is to watch Charlotte learn and grow so much everyday. My heart is full!
I have three main goals for 2017:
❊ Prioritize Family Time – I want to explore and experience new things with Charlotte this year. Don and I are both homebodies and it’s easy for us to choose to stay in our little cocoon. As wonderful as time spent in our cozy home is, I think it’s important for all of us to get out and about and be in the world a bit more. We have several exciting trips planned already and lots of local Chicago things to do and places to see to check off our list. In addition to family bonding time, I also want to continue to make room for one-on-one time with Don, Charlotte, and Winnie. Exploring these relationships both as a group and individually is top on my list.
❊ Strive for a Healthier Lifestyle – 2016 wasn’t my healthiest year in terms of taking care of my body. I think as a new mother I put my health on the back burner. Luckily, I have a great immune system and haven’t been sick since before I was pregnant with Charlotte. I can tell now, though, that it’s time to refocus on feeding myself and my family better. I also hope to make time to exercise a few times a week and strive for 7 hours of sleep a night if I can swing it. Taking better care of my physical self will also help me be better equipped to serve and take care of my family.
❊ Keep Up With Memory Keeping – 2016 was the year I caught the memory keeping bug again, mostly due to my desire to document Charlotte’s childhood but also (and in no small part) to discovering Ali Edwards. Her blog and online classes have helped me find new ways of memory keeping that are both fun and manageable. It’s also been a way for me to tap into my creative side, which feeds my soul. I hope to complete my 2016 Project Life album, start one for 2017, finish Charlotte’s baby book, and take on December Daily once again. I also hope to keep up with One Little Word, a year long workshop that focuses on a single guiding word for the year. My word this year, appropriately, is Create.
I talk in depth about my goals and reflections in this video if you’re interested in hearing more:
Thank you for your support and kindness this past year as I navigated some big changes. I look forward to keeping up with my content and sharing more with you in 2017.
I’d love to hear about your goals for the new year if you care to share!
Wishing you all a happy & healthy 2017 🌟
* This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own. *
