Who Do You Want to Be This Year?

Now that we've all had some time to think about//change//give up on//re-do our 2016 resolutions and goals, I have another question for you. Who do you want to be this year? Not what, who. When it comes to making new year's resolutions and goals, we tend to stick to a set of generalized questions that don't vary too much from each other. And that's not bad! I'm a big believer in asking those types of questions, and I do it every year. I think the problem is that we stop with those, and we don't go any deeper.

When we don't personalize things, we end up with goals that aren't personal to us. We decide we want to work out more, want to organize our closet, want a promotion at work, and call it a day. Those are all good goals, they just aren't personal. And it can be hard to feel passionate about goals that don't seem personal to you.

So I want to ask you a question: Who do you want to be this year? Don't ask yourself what kind of person you want to be, figure out what kind of you you want to be. At the end of the day, you know yourself. You know the good and the bad. You know your favorite parts and the parts you need to change. So you know the goals and resolutions that best fit you.

The thing is, once February rolls around and the newness of the year wears off, a goal like "keep the house clean" doesn't seem exciting, or even doable. But a goal that's personal to you, like, "I want to be a writer this year, so I'm going to keep the house clean so I can focus on writing in the evenings instead of cleaning up" can mean a lot.

Don't let this year be another one of generalized checklists, let it be a year of personal achievement, of becoming the best version of yourself, of becoming exactly who you want to be.

So: Who do you want to be in 2016? 

Ps: Please understand I may be a bit slow in getting back to you as I'm either about to have a baby//currently having a baby//have just had a baby. I wanted to keep things going on my blog, but it may take a bit to get back into the swing of things since I'm, you know, bringing a human into the world and all. xo

Happy 2016! Setting Goals: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself First.

Happy 2016! Can you believe it?! Today is a fresh start, the first step in a brand new year that can be anything you want it to be. So what do you want it to be?

I always spend January first making goals, and I love it. I curl up with a cup of coffee and make lists and dream big dreams and make binders and love ever second of it. By the time the day is over, I feel ready to take on the year and am sure I can do anything.

This year is different-baby Jack is due in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, hello-so I'm sure my goals will change as my life does, that I'll discover new goals I need as the year goes on, etc.

Whatever boat you're in, whether you're wanting to make major changes with giant goals or minor adjustments with small goals, these questions are a good place to start. Your answers to these questions can really help guide you in your goal setting.

1. What is one way I want to be different by this time next year? Don't think about circumstances or things you want to be different, think about how you want to be different.

My answer: I want to be less of a worrier. I want to stop being so anxious about things I have no control over. This has been a crazy year when it comes to uncontrollable things, and I want to keep working on worrying less. You can't enjoy life if you're too busy worrying over it!

2. What is one thing I want to accomplish this year? 

My answer: I want to create a happy, full life no matter where we end up living. Like I said, I'll have to be flexible with all the unknowns this year, but one thing I do know is that I want to give my family the best life possible and I want to be the happiest possible-whether that means decorating a new house or finding fun things to do in a new town, or just being willing to be open-minded about my location. I want to create the best life possible this year.

3. What is a quality I find myself admiring in others? 

My answer: Openness. Is that a quality? You know those people who just roll with the punches and go right along with life's twists and turns? I admire them. I'm never going to be someone who doesn't get stressed when plans change, but I do want to be someone who is able to make the best of the unexpected and still enjoy life to the fullest, even when it's not going according to plan...even when there's no plan at all.

4. What will make me proud of myself a year from now? 

My answer: Continuing to do the things that I love, even though this year will be full of changes. I want to keep writing and keep blogging. 2015 was a great year for my blog, and I know that if I keep working at it, I'll be proud of myself at the end of 2016.

5. What is a word that embodies what I want out of this year?

My answer: Cherish. This year is going to be the biggest yet-Jack will be joining the party any day now, we'll be submitting our rank list next month, we'll find out where we match in March, and Chris will officially be a doctor in May. What. A. Year. I just want to cherish every single day, every moment, every change.

Hopefully your answers to these questions point you in the direction of the goals you need to make for the year! Whatever goals you have, cheers to 2016 being the absolute best year ever.