2022 Goal Update: It looks like a failure!

I started 2022 like so many of us – all set with new goals for a new me! I was motivated and going to stay on track. Until I didn’t. And here I sit, mid-December, looking at all I hoped to achieve and realize how little of it I achieved.

And that is really ok.

My life went in a VERY different direction this year than I had planned. Stressors came into play that I didn’t anticipate. Kids’ activities resumed at a rapid pace. And oh, Bill’s race team did really well!! So, I ended up making mid year corrections, focusing more on my being than my doing, and just having to let some things drop.

And really, I’m ok with it. It was the right thing to do. And since we are approaching the end of 2022, I thought it only fair that I give an accurate account of where I have ended the year. (I know, the year isn’t over. I know, however, that I am not focusing on goal work for the rest of the year. Except reading books.)

Below are my 2022 goals, and how I have ended the year.

1. I will read 36 books by the end of 2022, so that I can learn, grow, and relax. (I finished 20 books and wrote 15 reviews. I’ll likely get a couple more books read before the year is up.)
2. I will attend counseling twice a month, so that I can better know myself and love my family well. (I can say that this goal was actually met. Therapy has been a life saver for me!)
3. I will have at least 30 minutes of healthy movement 3 times a week so that I can fully live life and love my family well. (I started out strong this year, and then my schedule changed and I didn’t make the adjustment for needed for this goal.)
4. I will pamper myself at least once a week so that I can remember I am worthy of care. (This goal shifted throughout the year. I kept monthly massage appointments. I got pedicures. I didn’t do some of the other things I had hoped, yet I still found myself being more self-compassionate. And in the end, self-compassion was the true goal.)
5. I will journal at least 5 times per week so that I can process my life, mature in faith, and remember my growth. (I finished using the Present Over Perfect Guided Journal and The Grace-Filled Life: 52 Devotions to Warm Your Heart and Guide Your Path. When I switched to a non-journaling devotional book, however, the journaling stopped. Point noted for next year.)
6. I will have three 1-1 dates each month so that I can strengthen and enjoy my relationships with family and friends. (For the most part, this goal has actually been met, albeit in an alternate way. Instead of intentional “dates” with the kids, I have been taking one with me while I run errands, or while another kid is at practice. Bill and I have remained intentional with our date nights. Friend time, however, has been lacking.)
7. I will plan one family trip per quarter so that we can rest and play together. (Easter camping trip, Indianapolis race track trip, Richmond race track trip, Illinois trip. Plus the smaller sports weekend events along the way.)
8. I will complete the coaching certification process this year so that I can help others as they lead a life worthy of their calling. (I completed the coaching certification class and am in a regular coaching relationship with one person and 2 groups. Because my plans changed mid-year, this goal was no longer fully viable.)
9. I will develop a guest speaking/preaching ministry so that I can develop a secondary income stream and live into my calling. (This goal was eliminated when I began serving a church again in July. I am preaching every week though!)
10. I will save $$$ by Christmas so that we can be prepared in case of an unexpected life emergency. (Not even close on this one. While we will have made some progress by year end, it is not even close to what my goal was.)

So, there you have it. Before I typed that all out, I thought it was going to look like I was a total fail on my goals this year. In reality, and considering the big changes that happened mid-year, I’m actually feeling ok about where everything ended up. And I have a better idea of what goals may be good for 2023.

Most of all, however, I feel good about my shift to focus on “being” over “doing.” This shift was an important one for me this year. It allowed me to navigate some difficult situations and have peace with whatever the outcome may have been. In the midst of many things I could not control, focusing on who I WAS instead of what I DID made all the difference.

So looking back, this year was not at all a failure. It just wasn’t what I expected.

And I have peace knowing God had me right where I needed to be.