February Goals.

It's already the second month of the year! January always seems to come and go so quickly (and to be honest I'm completely okay with that!) These long, cold, Midwest winters can be the pits, so I'm ready to be one month closer to Spring. But hey, it's been 45 degrees (heat wave) in Michigan the past 2 days...so I really can't complain too much!

I'm so excited for these February goals, and maybe even more excited to reflect on January. 

January was good. Really good. It was filled with imperfect progress, little by little steps, a few big leaps, and lots of prayer. There was so much personal, spiritual, relationship, and financial growth this past month, and I just feel so proud. I'm proud of what I accomplished, and I think that is something myself and other women need to say to ourselves more often. We do so many amazing things everyday, but we so easily forget to give ourselves a pat on the back! I'm proud because I made things happen and took action towards my goals. I wasn't perfect, but inspiration + grace + prayer (oh my goodness, prayer) carried me through the tough days. I read two books, prayed often, budgeted, called my family members, treated my body as a temple with food, exercise, and the word, finished studying Romans, practiced yoga, implemented weekly marriage meetings with Josh, had a week long social media break, and took time for more bubble baths.

That was a lot. And it seems a bit crazy to think I accomplished it all. I praise God for the strength + persistence that he gave me.

And if you're reading that list, and feeling guilty about what you did or didn't accomplish compared to mine, please don't. I've been where you are. Struggling to make things happen, not taking action, dreaming instead of doing, not prioritizing the meaningful things in my life, comparing what I was doing to what others were doing, and feeling burdened by guilt and failure. 

Let comparison + failure + guilt go, and just start small. 

Despite all the good progress made in January, if I was honest with you I would admit to feeling overwhelmed a lot of the time. My list of goals was too long. While I may have accomplished much, my mind was constantly burdened by all the goals I had to do. So start small. Focus on a few things, or maybe just one thing. Big or small, decide what your goal is for the month, plan out a few action steps, and go make it happen. Believe that you can be proud of yourself!

I'm taking my own advice for February. While I may have accomplished a lot in January, it came with the cost of overwhelm. February is all about simplicity, and focusing on the few things that really matter.

Let's take a look back at my 6 January goals (that actually turned into like 16 over the course of the month... #liveandlearn)

January Goals

1. Focus on my daily "Core 4" 

My core 4 is: Jesus, Josh, well-being, and personal development. This is a goal that isn't completely measurable, but I felt very faithful with these things last month. I will admit to not always being in my Bible every day, so I'm focusing on daily Bible readings in February. Over all I'm feeling these 4 things becoming habits, and that is my ultimate goal.

2. 1 week free of social media 

Complete! And I plan on doing them regularly throughout the year. I wrote a blog post about it here if you would like to read more about my experience + some tips on how to find worth in your Savior before your devices. 

Also, I got another great tip from Lara Casey when it comes to disconnecting from devices: Turn off all notifications from all applications on your phone. 

This has helped me tremendously. I used to constantly check for likes + comments after I posted something on Instagram. I would see that little camera pop-up on the top of my phone and just had to see who double tapped or wrote a comment. Today after I posted a photo, I realized an hour and a half later that I hadn't even checked for likes or comments! It was the best feeling, and a nice little surprise when I did see all the love given on the photo :)

3. Continue to study Romans 

I finished this study a couple days ago and am so thankful for all that I learned from Paul's letter.

4. Read, "Make it Happen" by Lara Casey

FINISHED! It most definitely makes my favorite books of all time list. Lara's story is so real, raw, and inspirational. Go read this book, friends!

5. Implement daily devotions and a weekly "marriage meeting" (cooler name to come....hopefully) with Josh! 

We have faithfully implemented marriage meetings (I like the alliteration, so the name will be staying), and I plan to blog about our experience with it in the coming months. Until then, you can check out Audrey's post about it here if it's something you are interested in starting in your relationship. Devotions were tough for us to implement. They shouldn't be, but they were. It's something we need to schedule in and commit to this next month.

6. Start a prayer journal

I did not start a prayer journal this month, and for a couple of reasons.

1. Overwhelm

2. I decided to change my goal to simply "praying every day."

3. I'm not quite sure what format or style of journaling I want to start, so I need to do a little more research first. Suggestions are welcome!

February Goals

1. Be in the word every day. Make it a habit.

I plan on putting a time on my schedule for this, not just a "to do." Often times I overlook getting into my Bible because it's written as a task to check off, instead of a commitment or "appointment" that I have.

2. Read: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver

I'm excited to read this book! Has anyone else read it?

3. Plan out blog + Instagram posts

I have a lot of posts that I've been meaning to write, but haven't felt the push to write them. I'm hoping that setting a date to them will encourage me to share my thoughts. I plan on brainstorming + scheduling them on Saturdays and Sundays when I plan out my week. When it comes to Instagram, I do not plan on all of my posts to be scheduled. I like to add in a little spontaneity, because that's real life!

4. Implement daily devotions with Josh

They will be scheduled at the beginning of each week, just like all other commitments. I don't love treating time together in the word as an appointment, but thinking of them that way in our schedules will hopefully motivate us to make them a priority! I'm not positive what devotion book we'll use, but we may just read a section of scripture. 

I almost had the urge to add one more goal, but I stopped and reminded myself: simplicity, Rachel. Overwhelm + pressure is no fun. Goals are supposed to be fun and encouraging, not a burden. So I'm sticking with 4 goals for the month and keeping it simple.

Have a wonderful February dear friends.