The Year of Focus
I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. Tacking on the word "resolution" just seems to set you up for failure. Instead, a few years ago I adopted the habit of setting goals for my New Year. I find that I'm way more successful and don't beat myself up if I fall behind or don't accomplish a goal.
So this year? While thinking up what I want to accomplish this year, I found one common theme: focus. Towards the end of 2015, I had so many things popping up that kept distracting me from the things that really matter to me and the things that I want to put my energy towards. Here is where I'm planning on planting my focus this year:
Myself
It sounds selfish, but I can't take care of those around me if I don't first take care of me. Working for the Crisis Center, they teach us that the most important thing we can do to be successful at our job is to make time for self care. For me, my self care is 4:30am alarms to head to Body Pump, a Pure Barre class, or out for a training run. I need to make it a priority to not let my busy schedule control me.
My Relationships
I like my people. I have a few different groups of friends that I make it a point to see weekly. I have my typical #familydinners on Tuesday nights with my closest friends, which is basically my excuse to feed them a home-cooked meal. I have my Sunday nights with my Mainstay church family that helps to set up my work week. I want to remember why these are a priority in my week and not let other things distract me from giving them my full attention, crazy work schedules be damned.
Most importantly, I have most nights in between with my husband. We breezed through our first year of marriage, and I'm thankful to be his wife at the start of this year. We've got big plans, both together and individually, and I want to spend this year focusing on growing independently and as Mr. & Mrs, while also knowing I've got Andy by my side whenever I need him to lean on.
My Blog
My other big self care item? This here blog. I want to put more effort into growing my blog's content, the audience I'm reaching, and increase connections through my page. If I'm coming home from the job I'm paid to do to write for this website, then why wouldn't I make it a top priority to grow it? Luckily I've got a group of ladies through Bloggers Gonna Blog that I'm constantly learning from and leaning on for help.
The Year of Focus
I usually dread the new year but this time around, I'm anxious; the good kind of anxious. Nothing but great things can happen when you take the time to turn the attention to yourself and the things that are most important in your world.