setting Goals. {2015 recap and 2016 plan}

As I've mentioned before, I'm generally not a fan of new year's resolutions, I much prefer more tangible goals - so that's what I did for last year. Before I move on to planning for a fabulous 2016, I should probably finish checking in on how last year turned out: January -Get over my preconceived notions about pregnancy blogging and blog about my pregnancy, my thoughts - the good, the bad, and the ugly. - CHECK. -Edit the typos in my book and get the cover changed to say Amanda Sloan instead of Amanda Mortus. I'd love to say I'm going to overhaul the book - which I've been dreaming of - but I'm trying to be realistic ;-) - NOT SO MUCH. February -Prepare for Monkey, finish setting up the nursery - CHECK. -Finish reading an entire novel (I've currently started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, so there's hope) - CHECK. March -Have a baby. That's pretty much my only goal (due date is the 24th). Not lose my mind waiting for her to be born. - CHECK. April -Shower weekly. Life with a newborn, y'all. - CHECK. -Continue to write in my journal to my daughter AND write Anthony some good ole fashioned love notes. - CHECK. -Baptize/confirm Monkey (Maronite Rite for the win!). - CHECK. May I'll be honest: it is really hard to set goals much after April because I have no idea what life with a child will look like, much less how much sleep I'll actually get. -Blog about life with a baby and reflect on motherhood (ya know, with a baby on this side of the womb) - CHECK. June -Transition to Monkey staying home with Daddy (perks of being married to a teacher - built in summer daycare!) - CHECK. -Blog about being a working mother (and don't be so hard on myself) - CHECK. July -Take a family vacation - CHECK. -Work on actually overhauling the book (and when I say overhaul I mean there are things I want to change/add now that I'm married and see how Satan's lies get at the heart of married women too) - NOT SO MUCH. August -Transition Monkey into some sort of daycare/Mommy and Daddy are both working routine - CHECK. -Not lose my mind. - CHECK. -Set a bedtime routine for Monkey (and Mommy) and stick. to. it. - CHECK. -Go to a concert. - CHECK. September -Despite returning to long days at work, I want to read another novel. I have a tendency to read only spiritual books (which is great, don't get me wrong), but I want to read something just for fun, too. And not just baby books to my darling Monkey ;-) - CHECK (okay, I didn't finish this until New Year's Day, but I did it!) -Help plan a women's retreat. - CHECK. October -Go on said women's retreat. - CHECK. -Work out for at least 30 minutes at least twice a week. - CHECK. November -Keep working out for at least 30 minutes a day, hopefully three times a week. - CHECK. Depending on the weather ;-) -Begin working on that side book-related project I've been dreaming about (details to come!) - NOT SO MUCH. December -Take loads and loads of pictures of Monkey's first Christmas. - CHECK. -Live life and maybe blog about it (specifically the holidays and how having a baby changes my perspective on holiday traditions) - 1/2 Check (I lived life but didn't blog about the holidays with a baby) -Take at least a day and just relax. Family time. No chores, no bills, no social media. Disconnect from the digital world and reconnect to the world around me. - 1/2 Check. Took days to relax without chores, but never fully disconnected from the digital world. To recap: I did pretty much everything...except the book stuff. It is a big time commitment and I need to break it down more. And now...on to 2016! January: Two nights a week, after Monkey is in bed, spend at least an hour editing/re-writing chapters of the book (continue this until the book is ready to go) February: Go on at least one date night with Anthony <3. Consistently publish two blog posts a week. March: Celebrate Monkey's first birthday (even if it does fall on Good Friday)! Redesign the blog/format. April: Finish reading another novel. Take a photography class - even a free one. May: REPUBLISH BOOK UNDER MARRIED NAME. God willing, I'll have it done by May 15th since that will be three years (!?!?!?) since it was originally published. June: Read a spiritual book. Go on overnight trip (away from Monkey?) for our anniversary July: Announce secret book-related project. Party big time for my baby brother's wedding. August: Survive the transition of Anthony going back to school. Take at least one small family road trip before he returns to work. September: Pray about writing another book. (It is somewhere in my heart, I'm just not sure where...or what it will be about, but I need to spend some serious time discerning it) October: Take a Mommy-Monkey day/road trip out of state. Adventure! November: Start working on goals for 2017. Consistently write three blog posts a week, at least twice a month. December: Establish/write down OUR family Christmas traditions, our goals for the Advent/Christmas seasons.

What are your goals for 2016?