Happy 2017, friends! I hope your new year is off to a great start!
I feel like 2016 got a really bad rap--I saw a lot of negativity in my Facebook feed as the year wound down, and lots of posts dubbing 2016 as the worst year ever. And while I do agree that there were (are) a lot of awful things happening in the world, I certainly didn't see this year as the worst, or even a particularly bad year. It was just another year for me, and just like any year, it had its highs and its lows. Actually, as I was reflecting on this past year for me personally, I almost thought I would instead name 2015 as one of my worst years. But then again, there was so much good that happened, and there were a lot of happy days mixed in with the bad. And it was very much the same with 2016.
As far as the bad, I started the year in a bad place, then later, after Adelaide was born, I battled postpartum depression for the first three or four months. And I will say, without any exaggeration, those months were the longest and hardest of my life. I seriously questioned whether I would ever feel normal again. I'm doing significantly better now, but I'm still dealing with the residual effects.
But as far as the good--I got married in January to my favorite person in the whole entire world and got to wake up next to him every day. I went to New Orleans with him for an amazing honeymoon. We bought our first home together. I gave birth to our sweet, silly little girl. We celebrated our first Christmas as a family.
2016 was a challenging year, but it was full of so many blessings!
I'm so thankful for the past year. 2017, though, is fresh, new, and exciting, and I have lots of plans.
I'm not a fan of resolutions...I've made them in the past, and been really gung ho about them until approximately the end of January. This year, I've decided to place my focus on goals and intentions. These are some of mine for this year:
Personal Goals:
This year, I really want to focus on simplifying. I watched the documentary Minimalism last week, and it really inspired me to do another big round of decluttering in my home. I want to continue to be intentional and deliberate about what I bring into my home, and I want to work on incorporating that spirit into personal life--decluttering, slowing down, taking pleasure in routine, etc. :)
-Get in (healthier) shape
-Love my husband and daughter better
-Be more intentional with how I spend my time
-Create more
-Take time out for myself each day
-Learn to hand-letter
-Start up daily devotions with my husband
Blog Goals:
My blog goals for this year are a little more abstract. I want to work on really finding a direction for the blog, planning ahead, creating quality content, and sticking to a consistent schedule. I'm also interested in learning about the more technical aspects of blogging (like SEO). Finally, want to learn more about photography, so I can utilize my camera to its best potential.
This year, you can expect to see:
-Lifestyle posts
-Capsule outfits
-Beauty posts
-Decor posts
-The occasional tutorial
I'd also love to hear any suggestions you have for posts you want to see!
What are your goals and hopes for 2017?
I too am a bigger fan of more general goals than specific resolutions. I have about six and are essentially: improve health, career implementation, create, serious reading, learn, and remove excess. Some of these things come from changes and motivation from the last year, so I know I have motivation. Others I really need to make the effort to motivate myself.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes on your goals for this year! And I know, it can be so hard to find motivation sometimes! I hope both of us are able to to find the motivation we need. :) Thanks for visiting!
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