Happy Saturday! I hope that you are having a great day.  My Saturday as been lovely so far - I am getting so much done and managing to relax while doing it.  As I shared my 2016 Goals with you earlier this week I thought it would be a good time to share my January Goals.

This year, like last, I used Lara Caseys' Powersheets method to dig deep and identify what I wanted from this new year as well as a monthly plan of action for those larger goals.  This will allow me to make progress little by little and keep me focused on the bigger picture.

The plan for this year is to share my monthly goals with you here, at the beginning of each month. This will allow me to update you on my previous months progress and keep me accountable. Another feature that I may add to those posts is a paragraph or two on what went well during the month and what didn't go well, in the hope that it will help me to identify the problem early on and create a course correction so that I can continue to make progress.

January's Goals

I know, December 2nd is a crazy time to begin a journey towards clean eating, weight loss and living a healthy life.  Most people would have waited, enjoyed the month and made a start come January 1st....but not me. I didn't want to wait. I didn't want to give myself another 31 days worth of opportunity to overeat and pile on the pounds. So, December 2nd I weighed in for my official starting weight.

I am so glad that I made that decision, that I took the plunge and committed to living a healthy life through December. For the most part, I made good choices with what I put on my plate and into my body. I had a game plan for the month, one that would allow me to enjoy a few days off plan but one that would get me back on track with minimal damage to whatever healthy progress I had already made by Christmas.

Here I am, a few days over a month since I made the decision to start and I've lost seven and a half pounds. I am pleased with the progress on the scale, but more than that I am pleased with the changes that have taken place within me so far.  Each week I get on that scale and see the number on the little digital screen and while a part of this journey is seeing that number go down each week, that is probably the least significant piece of information that I am using to measure the progress that I am making.

Seeing the number on the screen drop is great, but my definition of success for a healthy life has been rewritten.  No longer is it all about the number on the scale but instead its about the healthy choices that I am making day in and day out.  It's about the condition of my heart and mental health. It's about how kind I am being to myself and about the small steps of progress that I am making.  I have come to realize that I can't control that number on the scale....but what I can do is make those daily decisions that will take me towards a healthier life and ultimately a lower number on the scale.

One of my big picture goals for 2016 is to become healthier by losing weight and becoming more flexible and strong and I can say that I am on my way to moving forward in this goal.

2015 has been a great year for me. I had hoped to get around to sharing some of the highlights of the year but time got away from me.  Trust me when I say that 2015 was a year of celebrating hard work, having new experiences, living with my one little word of Open, taking more time to rest, documenting the stories of my year, the stirring of new dreams in my heart and building relationships with my family and friends.

These past few weeks, as I have prepared myself to say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016, I have worked my way through Lara Casey's Powersheets. I have spent time journaling and praying. I have spent time on my knees and in the Word. I have been dreaming and digging deep.

I am excited for the goals and changes that I have settled on for this new year but I am also a little nervous. My goals feel big and they feel scary. I know that I can't do them on my own; and while that is what is making me feel a little uneasy it is also a great reminder of where my strength and trust need to sit...and I am honestly alright with that.

This year I have eight major goals of which each one has their own mini goals and actions that sit beneath them.  I did consider increasing my number of goals to ten but after praying on it and journaling about my plans I felt like the eight that I had was all that I need.

Goal 1 | Become healthier by losing weight and becoming more flexible and strong.
I am aiming to lose 80 lbs this year. That on it's own is a huge ask and one, based on my track record so far, has a good chance of not happening. The thing is that those attempts were done in my own strength and this time I am doing my best to lean in to God each day.  I have been on this journey for four weeks so far and I know that as long as I keep God first and do my best, He will make a way. One of the truths that I began to internalize in 2015 is that health does not just equal your ideal weight; it also means being strong and flexible and a whole bunch of other things.  Health means different things to different people and part of my goal this year is further define what Health means to me.

Goal 2 | Work on my personal development and obtain a new skill.
Learning new skills and knowledge really fires me up. I love the challenge. For me, this goal is going to be a combination of reading books, some online courses and hopefully a few evening classes.

Goal 3 | Soak myself in God and His Word.
My relationship with God has been growing throughout 2015 and it is something that I want to nurture and invest in even more in 2016. In addition to spending time in prayer, in the bible and worshiping in my bible journal, my desire is to end 2016 having a deeply rooted knowledge of who I am in God as His daughter.  Having my value and worth firmly bedded in God and not based on other peoples opinions or in my own thoughts and views.
 
Goal 4 | Give to others to make their lives better.
This is another big one for me. I would like this year to be more about giving to others than focusing on myself and my own wants.  I hope to meet people where they are, to leave them feeling loved, encouraged and not alone. From the everyday small things to the bigger, life changing gifts. In all honesty, right now I don't know how this goal is going to be fulfilled but I have a few ideas for starting points and will see where God leads from there.
 
Goal 5 | Surrender my dreams to God, be BRAVE and start dating.
This desire has my heart wrapped tightly around it and I know 100% that this is not something that I will be able to do on my own. I am going to need God's power, His direction and a gentle nudge that only He can give.

Goal 6 | Find a church & build a community of women who love God & encourage each other.
I am aiming to find myself a church and immerse myself within it. I want to be a part of a community of women who love God and encourage each other.  It has been a very long time since I have had this type of community and I am trusting God that this is the year that this desire will begin to come together.

Goal 7 | Be a good steward of the money God gives me by giving to others, saving 10%  of my                   salary, living within my means and pay off one debt.
I want to give generously. Be in a position where I can bless others. Pay off some debts and put more towards my mortgage.  I want to be faithful in what God has given me.

Goal 8 | Continue documenting the stories of my life.
I am so very grateful for the talents I have been given and I want to make sure that I am using them to Glorify Him.  I have come to understand the importance of documenting my story, of the healing and insight that it brings.  Project Life.  One Little Word. This blog.  Social Media. All of these are avenues that I have to share my story and hopefully encourage someone else.

So, here are my goals. I am excited to see what comes of this year.