My "One-Word" of 2019 & Goals

So...2018 ends today.

Reflection is the key to self-growth, and as I look back on the year there are many things that I'm proud of, and things that I'm looking forward to working on in the new year.

I think it is important to look at ourselves as a work in progress, as opposed to a "one and done" shot of improvement during the month of January. With that in mind, the first thing I look for is my "One Word" of the year. Last year my word was CONSISTENT. What I love about the "one word" idea is that it can encompass many different areas of our lives. Instead of focusing on one thing...family, health, career, etc...the "one word" can apply to improving anything that falls within the focus.

Last year I focused on consistency. I found that when I was doing things, I really looked for "how is this consistent with who I want to be." It doesn't mean that I was perfect...but I was FAR better at focusing on consistency than I ever had been at any "resolutions" I had set.

This year...I'm not going to forget about my "Consistent" focus from last year, only now I'm looking to add to it with this year's focus.

BALANCE.

This. Is. Needed.

Trust me.

The addition of a fourth child will come in March (or hopefully February) and the previous 6 months haven't been easy on this mama's mind or body. Once most women reach baby #4 they decide to become a stay-home-mom. Especially when the four kiddos will be under the age of 7. I'm not choosing to stay home. I want to keep teaching. BUT...as I progress in my teaching career and family life continues to multiply, it has become obvious that a work-life vs. family-life balance has shifted dramatically since we were new parents 7 years ago. Trying to figure out what that looks like is part of the reason for my "balance" focus of 2019.

The other reason for the "Balance" focus has to do with my other "goals" of 2019. Keep in mind that I don't look at these as all things I'm trying to start on January 1. These are things I want to try and tackle throughout the year as step-by-step improvements to achieve a more balanced lifestyle.

For me, a 2019 Balanced Lifestyle consists MORE or LESS of...

MORE: Books and reading at night before bed.
LESS: Screen time and aimless scrolling of my phone

MORE: Bags of donations and trash
LESS: Clutter and just moving things from one storage location to another

MORE: Water
LESS: Non-Water

MORE: Stretching and moving
LESS: Sitting in the recliner

MORE: Blogging and captioning our REAL lives and not just the "picture perfect" moments. Although, I will still post those picture perfect times too!
LESS: Online "window shopping"

MORE: Continued focus on a consistent healthy choices for my family and myself
LESS: Moments of  "gluttony" on my favorite unhealthy choices.

MORE: People surrounding me with the same mindset and goals I have. Positive people help promote a positive lifestyle.
LESS: Negativity and people who spread it.

Achieving any goal we set is a step-by-step process. One slip-up doesn't mean that we failed, it's that we continue to move past it towards a bigger dream and better things to come. Great things come in small steps, not the 31 days of January!

What is your "One-Word" for 2019? What are you striving for?