2017 ch. 8

If you asked me what day it was, I would say it was somewhere in the middle of August. WHERE HAS THIS YEAR GONE? I'm at a loss. A real loss. I have weekly to-do lists and they make the time go by so quickly. Sometimes too quickly. It's hard for me to believe there are only 4 more months left of 2017. I've sincerely had such a great year so far and look forward to what's to come.

With 4 more months left, I feel like I've made decent progress on the goals I set for myself this year.

TRAVEL

In August, we went camping up American Fork Canyon, which was so.much.fun. I had never camped up there and I loved it. It was beautiful! I was able to go to Scout Falls, which was so beautiful! 

We were also able to go to Lake Powell for a short weekend. I feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. 

I have enjoyed being able to travel so much this year. To take the time to enjoy what God has created. I've already started thinking about travel goals for next year and it makes me a little sad that I will have to pick a new goal, which might mean that I can't travel every single month. I'm going to miss it. Does anyone else travel every month? If so, how do you do it?

READ

I read some good books this month. I've been into personal development books this year...they're inspiring and remind me to actively work towards my goals and to choose happiness. This month I read,

     It's okay to laugh (crying is cool too)-Nora McInerny Purmort
     The Joy Plan- Kaia Roman
     Make it Happen- Lara Casey

I really liked The Joy Plan, it was a good reminder for me to recognize my happiness is a choice. I can choose to complain about situations, or I can actively work towards creating the life I want.

I wanted to read 12 new authors this year. So far I'm at 10. Who is your favorite author?

RUN

I ran a new race this month (Porter's Half) with my dad and sister. It wasn't my best race, but I still had a good time. It's always fun running a new course. This was my 5th half of the year...3 to go! Want to run with me? Sign up to run the haunted half or thankful 13 with my link!
thankful13  haunted half

   

SCRAPBOOK

I ordered pics for June + July and actually worked on them! I have loved seeing my pictures printed. Now I just need to work on getting books done for 2013-2016. I think I'm going to use a site for these years. Which site is your favorite to use? 

BLOG/JOURNAL

I'm shocked I'm still journaling each week. Sometimes I feel like it's redundant as I write a daily happiness log already. I've tried to emphasize my journaling to include my feelings and better descriptions from what has happened over the week. 

So that's that. This year is going well. I have a few other goals I'm working on, that I'll carry over to next year, but I'm feeling good about my progress. 

I dare you to pick one thing you want to accomplish before the end of the year and make an action plan for it to happen. See my previous post for 6 easy steps to accomplishing your goals! You've got this! 4 months is plenty of time. :) 

6 Easy Steps to Crushing Your Goals

Have you ever wanted to accomplish something, but didn't know where to start or where to go? Yep, I get it. I've been there. It can be a sea of black. A void. What if I told you there's a way to turn those dreams into reality? 

Here are 6 steps to crushing those goals of yours! 

1. Identify your goal(s) 

What specifically do you want to see happen? Be as specific as possible. 

-For example: I want to travel to Thailand by the end of 2018)

2. Write it down. 

On a post-it. In your journal. On the mirror. Physically write it down. I like to have my goals written down in multiple places, including on my phone so I can look at them regularly. 

3. Split your goal up into daily/weekly/monthly milestones (or mini goals) 

-For example, each month I will save $X

Could also include, when you'll book airfare, hotel, etc

4. Make a specific plan for your milestone goals 

-For example, I will save $X by creating a budget and determining which areas I can cut each month. 

Your plan could include talking to others who have travelled to Thailand, picking a month to look into lodging, etc. 

*The more detail you have in your plan, the better off you will be. You will know what to expect. Like your goals, write down your plan. 

5. Check in at each identified milestone and reassess if necessary. 

Have you ever made a goal to then later decide that maybe it wasn't the right time or you simply changed your mind? That's totally okay. By checking in, not only are you ensuring you are still on track, you can determine if anything needs to change. If you deviate from your goal, create new milestones and plan. 

6. Have a plan for when you finish. Where do you go now? What's next, anything? 

Looking at the Thailand example, what happens once you get to Thailand? Maybe your goal was to exercise for a year, what do the months after you finish look like? Are you rewarding yourself after you accomplish your goal? 

By knowing what it will look like to finish, you will be able to continually motivate yourself to keep it up when the going gets hard. 

So go for it! Set a goal and make your plan. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you put in the work. 

There's no better time to start than now. You don't need to wait for the beginning of the year, month, or even week. Start now! 

Let me know if these steps work for you, I would love to hear from you! 

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