Hello, friends! We’ve had a few days to settle into 2015 – how does it feel? For me, I would say this year feels a bit more like a continuation than turning a truly new page. Instead of setting off on a new path, I’m excited to continue the good progress we made in 2014 – in our home, finances, eating habits, fitness routines, and most importantly, in my heart. (More about that in a moment!) I’m a little less than a year into my 60 Before 30 goal project, and it’s still very much where my focus is. I think if I were to set goals for 2015, they would look a lot like a pared down version of that list. So instead, I’m going to be sticking to the systems I already have in place, using my daily and monthly goals (explained here) to take small steps toward big progress, and my 60 Before 30 list to check off exciting experiences and larger projects. And I do hope to make some good 60 Before 30 progress this year! Here are a few I’d love to tackle: — Order an heirloom-quality wedding album for our home — Fully fund a savings account for our next car purchase — Host a favorite things party — Run the Chick-fil-a 5k — Make a will — Follow a year-long Bible reading plan with John — Go to Europe (!) Side note: Many of you have asked about the reading plan we’re following. We are using the Bible In One Year plan through the free Youversion app. I prefer to read in my actual Bible versus on the phone, but it’s a convenient way to have the day’s readings and devotional at hand! Even though I am not setting traditional yearly goals, I’ve

Happy New Year, friends! I’ve finally resigned myself to the fact that I’m in the middle of recovering from a cold, which doesn’t help with the “fresh start” feeling, but we’re laying low and making the best of it. I really enjoyed looking back at 2013 a few days ago, and now it’s time to look ahead! Y’all know I love me some goals, but let’s back up for a moment. The reason that I set goals — big goals, small goals — is to help me move closer to the person I want to be and the life I want to lead. In the past few years, I’ve used a combination of goal types in this pursuit: Daily goals. You can see my daily goals for 2013 here and 2012 here. The basic idea is that I make a list of daily practices that I want to become habits by the end of the year. In January, February, and March, I promise myself I’ll do at least three of the practices every day. In April, May, and June, five. In July, August, and September, seven. In October, November, and December, nine. The thing I love most about this system is that it doesn’t expect me to do everything every day, or all at once. I’m able to gradually incorporate the changes into my life over a year, and if I slip up a few times, that’s okay. I use this to track my daily progress. I prefer this type of system/habit building to setting one-off goals because it shifts the focus from checking things off and moving on to moving forward in a sustainable way. Monthly goals. See here or here for examples. John thinks these are more similar to “to do” lists rather than lists of goals, but