It’s a new year, and thank goodness for that. I’m determined to make it better than 2017 by practicing mindfulness, kindness and gratitude. By putting those practices into action everyday, I’m striving to live out a prosperous year. It’ll be a year to remember – I know it! Join Wynston and I as we share our goals and plans for 2018.
Our Goals & Plans for 2018
Travel…a lot…
Wynston and I have a ton of travel plans this year! Since we had so much fun exploring more of the country during the last six months of 2017, I want to do more of it! We head to BlogPaws in April, which takes place in Kansas City. We plan to do a two week (maybe more) road trip through several states for that trip. We’d also like to go to Colorado, maybe Las Vegas for Super Zoo, and possibly Indiana to see old friends. I’m honored to share that I will be headed to New Jersey in June to speak at the World Dog Expo. I will most likely have to leave Wynston at home unless I have someone with me who can take care of him while I speak and network with other business owners. Overall, the biggest travel goal is to explore new places with my son.
Simplify
We’re down sizing our home (we close on the new house on January 31) so this is the first step toward simplifying my life. I’ve learned first hand that having “things” doesn’t make me happy. I’d rather simplify my physical life by having less house and yard to take care of, and be able to travel more frequently. I plan to simplify my life in other ways as well. This includes setting boundaries for people who cause me stress, living more in the present moment, letting go of what I can’t control, and removing toxic people from my life.
Get in Shape
Cliche, amirite? I need to have hip surgery this year, so as a part of that journey I’d like to get into better physical shape. I’m not talking about losing weight necessarily, but just exercising more frequently. Even if it means going on an extra walk or lifting arm weights for 10 minutes, I want to do it. I’m not going to set unrealistic expectations, but my hip has really set me back on what I can do. So instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I’m going to focus on what I can. Light hikes, longer walks and yoga are on my agenda. Wynston also needs to work on building his muscles back up after breaking his foot and being casted for nine weeks. The ultimate goal is simply to feel better, and I look forward to Wyn and I working together on this.
Express Gratitude
I consider myself a spiritual person, as I believe in God and pray to him frequently. Every single day I literally thank God out loud for the life he’s given me. Working from home, having a healthy family, living in a beautiful house – these are things I like to thank Him for. However, I want to start practicing being grateful for the smaller things such as being able to brush my teeth and shower everyday, buy groceries without money worries and having a bed to sleep in at night. We tend to be grateful for big things in life while there are people out there who would do anything for a shower and bed today. I also want to express my gratitude for people who bring happiness and love into my life. I recently started thanking people for “being so kind” if they are helpful to me in public. It’s amazing how people smile after I say that to them. This year, join me in spreading love, kindness and gratitude. Let’s work on making this world a better place!
Practice Mindfulness
Several years ago I learned about this thing called “mindfulness.” Living in the present and being mindful of what’s going on around me has been crucial in my battle against anxiety. After a terrible 2017, I realized that it’s much harder to be mindful during times of extreme stress and sadness. I’ve made it a goal to work on being mindful during all types of situations. It takes a lot of practice to be mindful, but it’s totally worth it. I have to remind myself that it’s about progress – not perfection.
I’ve found that a great way to practice mindfulness is when I’m traveling with Wynston. I want to make memories and be completely present in the process, which is the perfect reason to be mindful. When I’m out exploring with my son, I tend to focus on what’s going on at that moment, which is the ultimate goal. Since I’m so good at doing that when we’re on adventures, I want to work on bringing it home and into my daily life.
Overall Vision
My overall vision for this year includes exploring, embracing adventure and working on being my happy self again. I’m ready to face any change I need to in order to get back on track. In the meantime, I hope you’ll stay on this journey with us as we move forward.
What are your goals and/or plans for 2018?
Casey@Petcomments says
“Get in Shape” This is something tough goal for me, and i never achieve it yet for so many years. I will try again this year. It is hard sometime to forget what you love to eat. By the way, this is my first time reading your blog. I adore the style of your writing, i mean you write from your heart. Like a mom who always advice his kid, i mean the way you elaborate the point. Will come often here to read a good stuff.