Happy 2016, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday and that you're excited for a fresh new year to begin. I sure am. I always love new beginnings.
Here I am again getting a little personal and writing down my resolutions for this year. I did it last year and in 2013 and was so happy that I did - it helps to write your goals down, doesn't it? I wanted to quickly share mine with you today and I'd also love to hear yours. You'll also find some free artwork to print for yourself here!
2014 was a bad year for me and for our family. Lots of personal junk went down. 2015? It was SO GOOD. Sure, there were small crises here and there, but it was a gazillion times better than the stuff we had to deal with the previous year. Last year the one word I chose for the year was PEACE and I think that I did feel more peace altogether.
This year, the one word I want to focus on is PRESENT. As much as I love to make personal and professional goals to strive towards (and I do have them for this year), I want to "relish the charms" of today. I want to embrace the PRESENT age and stage of my children. I want to take care of the PRESENT body I have. I want to enjoy the PRESENT state of my home and treat my PRESENT friends like the gifts they are. I don't want to be continually wishing and hoping for what's next, but rather embrace the spot that God has placed me in RIGHT NOW. I'm hoping to find the balance between living for eternity while slowly breathing in each delicious second of every day.
The quote in the artwork above is from Jen Hatmaker, and the photo is of our roses from our garden last summer. Gardening was one way I found peace and solitude last year, and this photo reminds me to breathe in the gift of life each day.
I'm going to print off this photo + quote and hang it on our wall. If you'd like to too, please click on the photo above to download a 10 x 14" PDF version of this artwork.
As far as actual resolutions go for this year, they're pretty much all the same as last year:
- Eat real food that nourishes my body (while still aiming to nix most "white" foods)
- De-clutter our home
- Go on more dates with my husband
- Invite more people over for dinner
- Pray instead of worry
- Embrace my present stage of life
I also really want to continue to grow this blog and give back to all of you who visit here and support me. I have a lot of fun ideas for blog posts, videos and blog series for 2016 and I can't wait to share them with you!
Tell me: what are YOUR resolutions for this year? I'd love to hear them! Do you have a WORD that you're focusing on for 2016?
Kristi
A big, fat YES to everything Christina! I'm with you on each and every one of those resolutions! And your word for 2016 couldn't be more perfect - we all need a little reminder to not let our goals for the future overshadow where we are in this moment as well. xo
Christina Dennis
Thanks, Kristi! I find it really hard to "live in the moment" being a planner and a dreamer. I'm going to work on it this year. 🙂
Emily, Our house now a home
This is such a great resolution! I love what you said about relishing the charm in life. That is perfection! It is always good to strive for things, plan and work towards them. But I have found myself in the past accomplishing that goal and then immediately moving to the next. Not enjoying the achievement. We get one life and enjoying the good, bad and mundane is part of that too. Happy New Year!