Choosing a Focus Word for 2019

Fresh year and a fresh start. As we step into 2019, I am more aware of the time involved with adding a growing blog into my schedule. So this encouraged me to be slightly more cautious about the amount of goals I wish to set to keep a healthy balance between stretching myself and feeling overwhelmed. And try as I might to pick a FOCUS Word, it appears my FOCUS Word chose me! So here is how I went about choosing a focus word for 2019 and incorporating into my goals. And don’t worry, I fully expect some true confessions from you all below in the comments so don’t think you are off the hook, just because I am going first.

My FOCUS Word for 2018 was Strengthen. As I mentioned here, I chose the word, envisioning a year of powerful growth! I set up a plan to grown stronger physically and to see leaps and bounds of growth in my blog. Well, I leaped! Not sure about the bounding part…Ha!

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The year’s results were NOT exactly what I had hoped, as our family faced several deaths. For both Country Boy and I, our businesses grew but more heavily in experience than in the dollar signs we had envisioned. And Strength became the word of the year in the sense that it required A LOT of Strength, mentally & physically to press forward. Hmmm…thanks God for the play on my Focus word!

But we were Strengthened and I did create a STRONG habit around the blog. However, this experience does make one a wee bit cautious picking my new word:)!

Focus Word for the New Year – My Personal Word for the Year

I had planned on Comfort or Solace for my Focus word of the new year…in the sense of creating our home to be a place of refreshing, where I let go of worrying about things outside my control. But a more active word came and found me. JOY! What? I have to be crazy to pick such a brazen word as JOY. Believe me, I am NOT happy about it either.

I am not sure I am up for the task. But I do feel that JOY is something very worth striving toward. And that if I focus on the real Truth in life then there is plenty to be JOYFUL about.

Setting a FOCUS word really allows you to focus on Personal Growth all year! Learn about creating a focus word here!

My Tops Goals for the Year for Personal Growth

I love Brilliant Business Mom’s idea of picking 5 categories representing the areas in your life that are most important to you. And then chose 1 or 2 goals in those areas that you are going to target this year.

Sign up here for Brilliant Business Mom’s FREE masterclass this week on goals!

For me, those categories are Faith, Family, Homeschooling, Personal Wellness and Business. Your groups may be similar or look totally different.

Set Yourself for Goal Success with a Guiding Word

Here is how I incorporated my focus word into my goals!

Faith Goals – Take JOY in God

Several years ago, our homeschool curriculum had us celebrate Jewish festivals from Old Testament times. Though these festivals are not typically celebrated by Christians they are so interesting in their historical importance. And they truly helped the Bible come more alive. This year as one of my faith goals, we are going to celebrate one of those festivals with some family that was interested in learning more about significance of these celebrations.

Family Goals – EnJOY my Family

One of my family goals this year is to work with Little Red on encouraging habit building. She is more of a creative innovative thinker so details and habits are less exciting to her. But I feel it is really important to have some basic “habits” in the area of tidying and caring for the animals so that I am completely worked out of the job as “reminder” mom!

College Boy will be graduating from the university. I would like to have a family celebration for his graduation. And I would like to help him as he gets settled into wherever he is going to be moving.

Homeschool Goals – Bring JOY to Others by Connecting Them to Their Interests

This is the 4th year I am coordinating the College and Career Fair for my homeschool group and all local homeschoolers. I start in August and September calling colleges and brainstorming speakers. I am really excited that once again so many people are generously sharing their experience so that students can learn about all the exciting career fields available. We even have a food blogger, Tastes of Lizzy T, who is coming! Check out her scrumptious mom and daughter food blog here!

So I am now in the finalizing and promoting stage of the College and Career Fair.

I am also planning on taking at least 5 field trips with Little Red this year, including a play and a homeschool convention.

Personal Growth/ Wellness Goals- Keep My JOY by Burning Off Stress

Which brings me to my nemesis – exercise! Actually, I don’t mind exercising. I just get bored easily and can’t seem to find the perfect time of day to exercise. SO then I have too many daily decisions around exercising leading to me NOT doing it. I did OK with my walking last year making it slightly more consistent. I’m still working on how I will accomplish my goal. But I have been writing down lots of different options to try to achieve this goal.

I would like to bring more JOY into my home by tackling two areas in my home to create small “cozy” spots of beauty. One will be my “office wall” as I really enjoy FB Live. And it would be nice to have a pretty background. And now that my mother-in-law purchased a great camera light for me, I can be more flexible on where I move and put my “office wall.”

I am also excited to read this book, The Nesting Place by Myquilliyn Smith that I have heard such great things. She shows you how to create a home that is functional and real but also brings beauty into your life!

She has also written a new book called, The Cozy Minimalist: More Style, Less Stuff! Just love the sound of the book! Can’t wait to read!

Business – Connect with My Family Through the JOY of Learning

After talking with my husband over the holidays, we decided 2 big business goals. One, I am going to take a SEO course. For those of you not familiar with SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is how Google finds and recognizes your site. The more Google recognizes you for one or two topics the better your site is brought up when people search topics.

Secondly, Little Red and I have a set “date” to work with Country Boy on farming stuff once a week. By setting a specific date we are trying to be more intentional about all being supportive of the farm/ cattle business. And I would like (I use the word loosely) to learn how to run some of the equipment. It is the smart thing to do, and I want us all to be spending time working together.

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