Today I’m sharing my personal, family, and business goals for 2019, plus a couple of great resources for goal-setting, planning, and intentional living! 

The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here. 

I’m going to be honest and admit that goal setting is not usually my thing. I am a classic enneagram 7…

“Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over-extended, scattered, and undisciplined…”
(Source)

Um, yeah. That is totally me. Spontaneous (shiny object!), and almost always optimistic (things will turn out fine, no worries). These traits do not always lead to goal setting and long-range planning.

BUT, I am really excited about my goals for this year. As my plate becomes more full with the kids, homeschooling, church (my husband is a pastor),  blogging and writing, and all.the.other.things, I am seeing how beneficial and NECESSARY goal setting and planning is for me.

Since this process does not come naturally to me, I am so thankful for the influence and help from others who are much better at goal setting and intentional living than I am.

Before I get into my specific goals for this year, I want to share a few ideas that have helped and inspired me this month (and share some super great resources). 

I follow Crystal Paine (Money Saving Mom) on all her social media channels, but I especially enjoy following her Instagram feed and stories. She shares so much genuine and helpful content, and I am learning something new from her almost daily.

Crystal has inspired and pushed me to really consider my goals for this year. She shares about her goals, successes, and struggles in such a relatable way. Most importantly (to me, a repeat goal neglecter), is how she’s recently been sharing about how she’s been stepping back from the hustle to prioritize her family and her health.

She’s totally fine with dropping the ball on some of her goals because she was doing other life-giving things.

Crystal is a goal-setting expert that I trust. I’m sharing a link to her course, Make Over Your Year  in case you are like me and need a little more help in the goal arena. I have not taken this particular course, but I have taken others and they are all super valuable.

Similar to Crystal, Ashley from Joyful Chaos on YouTube said something in a video a couple of weeks ago that really stuck with me.

In sharing about her word for the year and goals in general, she talked about how she likes to refer to goals as “intentions” instead of “goals”. 

Life is unpredictable and we simply cannot account for what is going to happen a month from now, much less six months from now. Things change, priorities adjust, and that’s okay.

So when I share my goals with you in a moment, just know that I am leaving myself plenty of wiggle room. These are the things that I intend to do this year because they are worthwhile. No guilt if they don’t happen according to plan.

My 2019 Goals (Intentions)

Okay, so I’m saving the last resource/inspiration for last. It’ll make sense why when I get there. Don’t miss it, though. It’s awesome.

PERSONAL

1. Read 10 books, listen to 5 audiobooks. This is actually a little ambitious for me, because I haven’t made/found a lot of time for reading in the past couple of years. But, I want that to change. There are so many books I want to read, and I want to set a better example of enjoying reading for my kids.

(I’ll be sharing my book list soon).

2. Healthy body. This is the first year in a almost a decade that I’m not pregnant or nursing. I’m going to prioritize my health this year. I’m already feeling good overall, but would like to lose a little weight and tone my arms and belly.

I really want to try to exercise consistently, whether it’s working out at home or walking at the park. I also plan to continue prioritizing real food, and limiting sugar and reducing gluten somewhat.

3. Spiritual disciplines. Bible reading & prayer. I will share more about my plan for this at the bottom of the post, but it will involve a new planner, keeping a prayer journal (even if inconsistently), and using Jen Wilkin’s Bible studies.

4. Figure out a good work routine. I am still working through this one, but my current routine is to stay up late to work and enjoy the quiet. I am thinking that getting up earlier will be healthier in the long-run, but I don’t know how easy this will be.

MARRIAGE

1. Get away together for a weekend without the kids. Somewhere. Anywhere. No kids.

2. Monthly dates out of the house. We are more likely to have quarterly dates, or maybe even just twice a year at this point. I’d love to figure out a way to change that this year!

3. Weekly date at home. One night a week, spend intentional time together, reading a book or playing a game…

KIDS

1. Weekly date at home. Spend one-on-one time with one child per week, switching each week.

2. Individual child goals: Jedidiah learn to read, Molly learn her letters/sounds and early reading skills, Josiah potty trained.

BUSINESS

1. Attend my first blog conference. (Austin, Texas here I come!)

2. Publish first cookbook. (Yay! It’s happening, May 21st!)

3. Complete SEO and Pinterest courses. (I’ve started, just need to finish and implement what I’ve learned).

4. Hire a virtual assistant. If I can continue to grow the blog, I want to hire help to support the growth and allow me to focus on the creative aspects of the blog.

5. Grow and support my essential oil team. I have been using essential oils for years, but just begin sharing about them regularly in this community last year. My goal in 2019 is to continue to share about what a difference they make in our lives and how they can help others. I also want to get to know my team members better and figure out how to best support them since we are spread out across the country.

HOME

1. Replace carpet with hardwood/vinyl. We have always said we’d take up the carpet once our last baby started walking. I’m hoping this year we can make it happen.

2. Better lighting in the basement. I recently purged and organized our basement. Even though it’s unfinished, it’s still such a great space. Brighter lights will be a big (and inexpensive) improvement!

3. Front landscaping. This has been a goal since we moved in six years ago, so I’m holding this goal loosely.

The last resource that I want to share with you is my friend Leigh Ann’s amazing new yearly planner. Y’all, I am so excited about this planner. 

You may remember that I keep a bullet journal and it really works well for me. However, when Leigh Ann asked me to look over her planner, I was blown away by how much thought and consideration she put into its pages.

Leigh Ann is the creator and founder of Intentional By Grace. She is passionate about teaching women how to order their affections and daily lives around Jesus and His word. Her new Made to Give Life Seasonal Planner is the next step in helping women to pursue holiness and joy.

Never before have I seen a planner with so many intentional ways to watch over your soul, to seek first God’s kingdom, and also to find joy and fun in every season! The layout makes sense and the planning pages are easy to follow. I especially love the quarterly heart checks and the seasonal bucket lists!

Leigh Ann is an expert at helping women evaluate their spiritual lives and live with joy and purpose. Honestly, this is just what I need in starting a new year. This planner walks you through, in a gentle but very productive way, how to effectively take assessment of where you are and plan for how to move forward in grace.

Besides the incredibly helpful and intentional planning pages, what also sets this planner apart is that you are not only getting a planner to use yourself, you will also be getting a coach who will help you all year through quarterly check-ins and access to goal-setting resources.

(If you’re anything like me, this is going to be so helpful).

I will be giving a more in-depth look at the Made to Give Life planner on Facebook later today, but you can check it out for yourself now. The planner is on sale for 20% off for two more days, and then the price will stay the same until the end of the first quarter.

I didn’t get to share about my word of the year (it’s FOCUS), but maybe I will elaborate on that in a future blog post or video. I will be giving updates every so often on my progress with my goals as well. I am so looking forward to this year! (My 7-ness is peeking out again…)

What about you? What are some of your goals for 2019? I’d love to hear them!