Review of 2014 Goals

It’s hard to believe we’re coming towards the end of 2014. I realized that this year has been one of the first that I have been dedicated enough to follow through on my New Years Resolutions. I’m ecstatic about the positive changes these goals have made in my life. I love setting goals!

Here were my goals for the year.

1.  Don’t let any situation control my attitude
2. Make daily scripture study more meaningful
3. Learn to love myself/build a positive self-image

I made a point to write down my goals, decorate them, and put them in a place that I could see every single day. It really helped to start off each day being reminded of what I wanted to accomplish. I know my list sounds pretty broad, but I made smaller goals that would aid in the progression of the main goals.

I think these are things that I will continue to work on for the rest of my life, but consciously deciding to focus on them has really helped me improve in these areas. Goals number 1 and 3 were things that I didn’t think I would make much progress in, but I’ve really surprised myself with the how far I've come. That made me realize how much more we are capable of accomplishing when we really try our best.

Throughout this year, I have also learned that making progress in these areas isn’t always as easy as it seems. I was faced with an opportunity that I knew would give me a lot of anxiety and stress. It would have been easy to avoid the situation and move on, but I knew it would be great practice for goal number one. I took that opportunity, and it hasn’t been easy. It’s been absolutely worth it though. I am in a much better place than I was at the beginning of the year in regard to that goal.

My second goal has probably been the easiest of the three. My mom in law told me that she listens to the scriptures with the audio feature while she does other things. I decided to try it out myself, and I love it! I’m moving through the Book of Mormon a lot faster, and I have found that I view scripture passages in different light by listening rather than only reading silently. I still like to have quiet reading time, but I am loving the variation.

My third goal, loving myself, is a hard one to track. It’s pretty difficult to come up with specific situations that will help me build a positive self-image. One thing, though, that has helped is to stop with comparisons and judgments. Stop wishing you looked like the girls on Pinterest. Stop envying others' talents, and stop caring what people think. Loving yourself regardless of others opinions is easier said than done. I think almost all women can relate to that.

I have really proved to myself what I can accomplish when I set my mind to a task, and when I make it a priority. I’m excited for this upcoming year, and for upcoming New Year’s Resolutions.