32 Goals for 32 Recap

I love goals so I set 32 goals I wanted to accomplish in my 32nd year. Now that I just turned 33 lets see how I did!

1. Be more grateful. Instead of complaining or focusing on what I don't have I want to be more intentional on focusing on all that I do have. I write what I'm thankful for every single day and I have been intentional to count my blessings and not take anything for granted. It has been life changing and truly helped me appreciate what I have.

2. Live in the present. Not the past. Not the future. In the moment. Savor every second because it's a gift. This has been something I've been working on for a long time and I feel I'm getting better and better at it. It's a discipline and it's something I pray about daily. It has been life changing as well to truly live in each moment and not think of the next thing or the past or let worry rob me of each moment. It takes practice and some days/weeks/weekends are better than others but I'll keep at it.

3. Paint the bathroom cabinets the same color we painted the kitchen cabinets. We didn't get to this, but I do plan to do this over the next year.

4. Prayer journaling every morning. I have done this and it has now become a habit. Now that I don't walk with my bff anymore I now journal on my lunch hour and I enjoy the break in the day to re-center and spend time with Jesus.

5. Stop worrying so much. I want to pray every time I start to worry and I want this to become a discipline that turns into second nature. It truly is becoming second nature. Especially after reading an article on Facebook on worrying being a sin. It hit me really hard and helped me step it up in this department. I'm not perfect, but I'm getting so much better. Trusting God more and letting Him be in control. It's not always easy, but it's worth it.

6. Take more vacations. I would like to do more weekend trips to Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Saugatuck, etc. I also want to start saving for a big vacation next February or March (when the year of the house will finally be over!). We have done some awesome trips this past year. We went to Charlevoix in July, Bellaire in October, Glen Arbor in March, Holland and Ludington in June and Saugatuck and Grand Haven in July. We are also going to Myrtle Beach in September with family. I'd say we have been taking full advantage of sweet summertime in Michigan.

7. Get back into a cooking groove. Cook at least twice a week should be reasonable if I do one crock pot recipe during the week and try a fun new recipe each weekend. I go through stages. Some months I'm making a few crockpot meals a week and baking a breakfast casserole and some months I don't cook a darn thing. I'm just learning to embrace it. I don't love to cook and that is okay. G enjoys cooking. Even finds it relaxing (what?!) so I'll let him do the majority and be at peace with that dynamic.

8. Hike 8 miles with Manny. We used to do this 8 miler every year but we slacked the last year or two so I want to bring this again. We did this a few weeks ago and it was a lot of fun. It was the perfect day too. It has been so hot and humid, but we had a break in the heat one weekend and it made the 8 miles so much more enjoyable.

9. Explore nearby cities. Visit Ann Arbor. Milford. East Lansing. Detroit. We went to a fun soccer game in East Lansing. Met my parents for dinner in Milford. Checked out Holland and Ludington. Explored Pickney. Ate in Detroit during Restaurant Week. We need to get to Ann Arbor soon and enjoy East Lansing one more time before MSU students come back, but I would say I accomplished this one.

10. Continue to read 3 books a month. I've been fairly consistent with this goal. Some months I'll read five and some months I'll read one. I guess part of it depends on how long the book is and how good the book is. I struck out on a few books, but I've been having luck again lately and there is just nothing better than getting lost in a good book you cannot put down.

11. Do things that make me happy and inspire me. Go to the movies. Go out to eat. Walk Manny. Read good books. Eat outside. I'm proud to say this is something I've been doing for the last year that it has become habit. I truly believe doing something that inspires you every day is good for the soul. Even if it's just waking up early to walk and watch the sunrise. Or reading a good book. Or sitting on the deck. Or laughing with G. It doesn't have to cost money and it doesn't have to be extravagant and it will look different for everyone.

12. Go to a Lions game. We went with friends and it was a blast. We had a wonderful time and I'm so glad I can check this off the bucket list.

13. Plan more girls nights. We try and get together once a month and I always look forward to my girl time. I'm so thankful G understands how important my girlfriends are to me and supports these girls nights and girls weekends.

14. Stop letting fear hold me back. LIVE life. I don't want to regret not doing something I really wanted to do because I was afraid. This has probably been one of the hardest goals to accomplish but I'm getting better and better at it. As I look back at this past year and think of all the things I've accomplished: Applying for new jobs, interviewing, taking a new job, resigning at my old job, having the courage to leave a job I was comfortable at, starting a new job, developing a purchasing team, starting from scratch with vendor and coworker relationships  and I'm in awe of how brave I have been this year.

15. Lose the last 30 pounds and then maintain my goal weight. I'm about 25 pounds away from goal weight and I have stepped it up and hope to be at my goal very soon. I recently heard a podcast about finishing what you started and it was convicting. I have maintained 32 pounds lost for nine months now and it's time to lose the last 25 pounds and finish what I started.

16. Decide if we are going to move closer to work or not. We have come to a decision, I think. Ha! We plan to spend the next few months getting our house ready to sell (a few more paint projects, staining the deck, dry walling a spot in the garage, and making the upstairs looked a bit more lived in). We hope to put our house on the market next spring and move to a lake. We have a city in mind we want to live in, but the hard part will be finding a lake. There are a lot of unknowns but I think next year will be our year. I'm still kinda on the fence because I love our house so this is not a finalized decision. But after a summer of being at the lake ALL THE TIME it seems clear we need to start making a house on a lake a priority.

17. Laugh more. I don't want to ever take myself too seriously. I laugh a lot everyday and I'm thankful for that, but I'm sure I could laugh more. This is something I have had to be more intentional about, especially lately at a new job with high stress and stressed out coworkers. I try to lighten the mood and not take everything so seriously. It can definitely be a challenge, but it is something I'm intentional about. I just realized I'm laughing at work like I used to at my old job and I'm so thankful for that.

18. Be a bit more crafty. Get more creative with presents and make a summer wreath and actually do or make something from Pinterest that I pinned. I did make a summer yarn wreath and it was terrible. But it was a good lesson for me. I don't like to craft. I'm too impatient and it's not relaxing for me and you know what? That is okay!

19. Get all my Christmas shopping done by December 1 so I can savor the season and not be stressed out about what to get people. I did this and I wasn't rushed so I could spend more time on the perfect gift and I enjoyed the process so much more.

20. Guard my time. Only say yes to things I really want to do and that are in alignment with my goals. Don't be afraid to say no to things that just aren't the best for me. This has been difficult, but so rewarding. I'm such a people pleaser by nature, but if I don't advocate for me, who will?

21. Host a Wine Murder Mystery Party. My sweet friend, Kate, gave me this game for my birthday and I'm so excited to play! I am so bummed I have not done this yet, but this is a good reminder to get this on the calendar soon.

22. Schedule a physical and a skin check. I'm way overdue! I actually have appointments next week, eek!

23. Retry the 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts. I'm planning by Jan/Feb to be at my goal weight so I can try these videos again to tone up. I did these workouts in the winter when it was too cold for good walks and they are fun. I love Autumn.

24. More date nights with G. I don't want to ever stop dating him. We have date nights once or twice a week and I enjoy them and look forward to them. Sometimes it's just a walk after dinner or eating by candlelight on the deck. Other nights it's an 8 mile walk and talking about our dreams or trying a new restaurant or exploring a new city.

25. Plan at least two week nights with no plans and one weekend day of no plans to recharge the batteries. Get chores done. Relax. I find when we do this we feel our best and can give our all at work. This can be hard to do all the time, but definitely most of the time we follow these boundaries. I enjoy the quieter week nights to get chores done (power hour) with a little relaxation time thrown in so I can enjoy the weekends more.

26 Find a church to call home. Find a We have still been doing church online, but we WILL find a church home and get involved this month. I miss the community and being involved. 

27. Read a chapter of the Bible with G. We used to do this, but got out of the habit and I'd like to start again. It's just so beneficial for both of us. I totally forgot about this goal, but I want to start doing this now. We listen to sermons on podcasts and discuss and do our own separate Bible time, but this would be good to get into a habit of doing.

28. Try making overnight oats. I know this sounds silly but I've always wanted to try it. I'm not sure if I'll like it or not. I made a recipe I found on Pinterest and I am not a fan. They just were too sweet and I wasn't crazy about the texture.

29. Continue to run/walk everyday with Manny while the weather is still nice. I take full advantage of the warm and sunny summer months. I walk Manny about 30 minutes every morning and another 25 - 30 minutes after work. On the weekends G and I take Manny to different lakes and parks to hike and it is my favorite summer habit we unintentionally started.

30. When it gets too cold to be outside start doing The Shred or Ripped in 30 everyday. I did The 21 Day Fix and The Shred during the colder months. I actually kind of miss workouts and might try to incorporate a few workouts a few times a week mixed in with my walks.

31. Stop drinking pop. Now that I'm obsessed with La Croix I don't miss pop at all so I would like to just cut it out completely. I think I had pop maybe three times this year and I haven't missed it one bit. La Croix is my obsession and I'm not looking back.

32. Eat more unprocessed food and eat less takeout. I go through phases and I know I need to really limit my unprocessed food because I do eat a lot of it. I keep wanting to try The Whole 30 but I just have not stepped up to committing and meal prepping.

So that's my 32 goals for 32. I was pretty successful, but still a work in progress. I'm thankful I did that. It has been a wonderful year!