One of one of my goals this year is to restart this blog and be more intentional about sharing my life and journey with others. So that you can hold me accountable, here is my plan:
- Be consistent in posting - at least 3x per week
- Expand the content of the blog - not only will I share devotionals, personal insight from my quiet time, Sunday message recaps and more faith-focused content, I'd also like to share life in general. I believe life is made better when we have other women to whom we can relate and with whom we can share life's journey. Here is some of what you can expect to see on the blog this year:
- Faith - because what is my life without Jesus as the foundation?! A hot mess! This year my faith goal is to grow spiritually in these areas:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Confidence
- Self-Control
- Emotional balance & management
- Gratefulness & thanksgiving
- Femininity - except for a few days out of the month, I absolutely love everything about being a woman! Let's celebrate womanhood together! Often times, we spend more time celebrating others without properly celebrating ourselves. We can't give to others what we haven't first given to ourselves. This year, I'm committing to being my #1 fan! Will you make this one of your goals and commit to this with me? Remember, it's okay to Celebrate YOU!
- Fitness - when I think of fitness, my mind automatically starts with but I LOVE FOOD. There, I have admitted it. I love all things food, but I also love being healthy. There is a balance that can be maintained if you are purposeful about it. I've learned that my discipline in the area of food directly parallels my discipline in my overall life. In order to accomplish my goals and walk out my purpose in life, I need a healthy mind, body & spirit. Proper health & wellness is a critical part of personal self-care. You must get adequate sleep, maintain a balanced diet and incorporate moderate exercise into your LIFESTYLE at least 3 times per week. I'll share ways we can do this together!
- Family - I love being a wife & a mother! Look for posts about my efforts to navigate and maintain a proper balance between work-life, wife-life & mom-life. (whew! writing that just wore my out! time for a nap!)
- Friendships - as an Introvert, I am naturally inclined to be inward-focused. I gather energy when I'm alone. I spend it when I'm with others. Because of that, people often assume that I'm unfriendly or that I don't like people or friends. That couldn't be more untrue! I love girlfriends, girl-time, girl-talk (well maybe more like girl-texts and girl-pin-sharing lol)...basically, I love the unique bond and love shared in true friendships. I just go about it differently than others, namely extroverts. I've been blessed with some of the most beautiful friendships I've every known, and I cherish my sisters and those women that I know I can call a true friend. But I've also experienced my share of hurt and disappointment in relationships. I'm sure you have as well. If we aren't careful, the enemy would love to convince us that women can't have healthy friendships. You see it played out every day on reality t.v. shows. I'd love to prove the enemy and the world wrong! Will you join me?
- Fashion, Hair & Makeup - this is an area that is also a part of my overall goals. Self-care is an an absolute MUST for self love, and self love is an absolute MUST for a healthy self-esteem. It's okay to pamper yourself, spoil yourself, and adore what you see in the mirror. Many of you know that I've been on a 2.5 year natural hair journey. I'm almost there, but even after 2.5 years, I STILL have relaxer in my hair! ugh! I want to cut it so bad but my hubby is a fan of long hair and I'm a fan of him being a fan of my long hair, soooo, if he likes it, I love it. :-) Likewise, I LOVE fashion. My style icons are the First Ladies, Michelle O. & Jackie O. However, all too often, I look in my closet and think to myself: I have nothing in here that I want to wear. Thankfully, I've started to follow fashion bloggers on Pinterest and Instagram that have helped me de-stress about getting dressed. Join me this year as I work to simplify my wardrobe, add character, colors/prints and remixable items that adequately express my person and purpose. Here is my simplistic look from today:
 |
| Dress, Belt & Bag (Dooney&Bourke): Macy's Boots: Nine West Cardigan: J.Crew Factory |
So there you have it! I've just shared my 2016 goals. If you're ready to work, then I can't wait to tackle this year with you. No matter what the year holds, I'm certain that we will handle it LIKE a BOSS together! Let's do it!
Let's do it!!! :-) I'm super-excited! Once I settle down, I can draft and share my 2016 goals with the group. Looking forward to a great year! - Easter D.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to let you forget Easter! :-)
DeleteALSOME! I'm on board! recently God has show me that I am far more concerned with my own life & plans than his plan and purpose for my life. So this year I have decided to re commit my life to God and be more aware of what he wants me to do and not go about my own plans. I Have gotten so caught up In My busy life that I have forgotten what was more important and that's gods plan and purpose. So I'm look forward to a great year that's full of purpose and direction. Also yes I need to CELEBRATE me! I will definitely make this my second goal! I can't even begin to explain how many times I consider everyone else than myself, this has contribute to a lot of burn outs ��. So yes Nicole I am all in. Look forward to a great year!
ReplyDeleteChristine H.
This is not uncommon in women Christine. A greater focus on purpose will definitely help lead the a greater focus on yourself as a priority THEN others. Looking forward to that journey with you!
DeleteI'm so happy you are doing the blogs again. I looked to them. I have planned out some goals this year myself. I have a lot! I won't go into them all :)
ReplyDelete1. I was able to complete a goal i had in 2015, by enrolling in school. In 2016, I want to stay focused on school and maintain my 4.0 GPA
2. I want get healthy. I have been saying for so many years that this is what I want to do, but I always lose focus and put everything before me. This year has to be for me and better health. I cringe typing this because I will have to cut some strings of people who depend on me, but if I don't take care of me, I can not help anyone else.
3. A Professional goal I have this year is to obtain an Asst. Vice President title in my department. I have in the past not spoken up and advised my superiors that this is what I want. I thought that my hard work would simply be rewarded without me having to ask, but it does not seem like this is the case. This year I plan to be more vocal in that area and get this title. I feel it is well deserved.
So that's some things I plan on working on for 2016. Happy New Year ladies!
Congrats on enrolling in school! How awesome! If you're going to be your #1 fan then you must take good care of yourself!! You first!! This is a great goal.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole, I'm so excited about this year's blog. I've never followed a blog before so 2016 is bringing in the New. Lol, I like the statement that you made about femininity and loving being a woman except for a few days out of the month. That's not one of my concerns anymore, But Hot Flashes is. Celebrating womanhood is a Must, some people will call it being self centered, but I call it self knowing. I agree, it's okay to Celebrate Me. This year I'm striving to be my best FAN. I'm learning a lot about myself being over 50 my goal is out with the old in with the new. I look forward to doing this with you this year. Also look forward to having that accountable partner to keep me on track.. Let's Do This. Smiling aka Stephanie LovinLife
ReplyDeleteThat's great Stephanie! Accountability is key! Looking forward to it!
DeleteMy biggest faux pas is not being able to celebrate me. I was raised to believe that it is wrong/selfish to pray for or do for yourself instead of others and I'm having the hardest time getting out of that mindset. I tend to do for others even when I KNOW that doing so will cause me to suffer. So, yes, Nicole...I'm in!! I plan to celebrate ME without guilt (or at least try). Thanx for bringing back the blog. I don't respond often, but I do like to read it. Btw, is this considered "social media"? I'm supposed to fast social media all this month.
ReplyDeleteHi Johnetta! Yes, blogs are considered a form of social media so I'll guess we will see you at the end of the month? :-) In the meantime, I'm happy that you've decided to celebrate Johnetta! Believe me when I tell you that SHE is definitely worth celebrating. No guilt. No shame. YOU deserve it! We often think that celebrating ourselves is selfish. Certainly, there is a balance that we must maintain to ensure that we are not driven by selfish or self-centered desires. However, self-love is about keeping the reservoir of your spirit completely filled so that you are in the best position to serve others. Its not ALL about you, but it does START with you. :-) Talk to you in a month!
DeleteNicole, I think this is a great start for ladies who recognize the value in having an accountability partner to help you achieve your goals. I thank God I'm not struggling with celebrating or loving myself at this stage of my life, but, it was a long journey getting there. So now I want to share my wisdom and experiences with other women especially those 50 and older, to help them navigate the changes and issues that we all face. I am also hoping to learn from these women and continue to grow in areas that challenge me.
ReplyDeleteMy goals for 2016 are to maintain good health emotionally, mentally and physically, balance work, family and me time and attain financial stability and prepare for a successful happy retirement with my hubby and family. I have boundaries and steps I'm putting in place to achieve these goals.
Together I believe we can all make great strides to improve our quality of life in 2016!
Lov'in Life