goals

I opened up my turquoise journal to one of the first pages and this is what was written:

GOALS 2018

1. Grow blog following
2. Find steady job
3. Start savings account
4. Spend more time in Nashville
5. Have a good birthday

These were my simple requests that I asked of myself on November 18th, 2017. I don’t even really remember writing these down, but what’s amazing is that even if these aren’t huge goals, I achieved them and I’m dang proud.

Grow blog following:

Okay maybe I’m not going to be famous any time soon or anything, but my goal was to grow and I certainly did. I’ve become much more consistent in posting, I’ve finally found a beautiful layout for my blog, and I’ve truly felt my calling in writing and sharing my story on this space. I’ve picked up some really amazing and supportive followers along the way and I’m really thankful for those few. I’m really so thankful when someone actually messages me and says they felt moved by something I shared, that was the real goal, to help others and I feel like in a way I have.

Find steady job:

Well when I wrote this I was actually working at the middle school! I’m assuming I felt like that wasn’t very stable. I will say I work a lot more now, but I am more financially stable and genuinely happy in my place of employment than I’ve ever been before. I think that’s the stability I was referring to, so we’ll count it as a win.

Start savings account:

So I don’t really know why I didn’t start one way earlier in life, but that’s beside the point right now. I started a savings account a little over a year ago. It’s not overflowing by any means, but the goal was accomplished none the less. As far as it’s contents, that’s something I’ve prayed over and gave completely to God so I don’t waste time talking about it, I just let God take care of it.

Spend more time in Nash:

Well if you’ve been paying attention to my life at all recently. you know that I had a kidney transplant a few months ago. My surgery took place at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville and that’s where my transplant nephrologist is, so yes, I have spent a lot more time than usual in Nashville! Before all that happened though, I was able to go around 5 times to visit friends, celebrate birthdays, and go to fun events.

Have a good birthday:

Okay this one may need a tiny bit of backstory. My birthdays the past couple of years (besides 2017, it was a good birthday spent with my family at holiday world) were atrocious, majorly contributed to by the people I was dating. I literally began to hate my birthday and even told my family I didn’t want to celebrate it because of the anxiety it brought me. When I wrote this in November 2017, my poor little heart was praying and speaking positivity into existence for my June birthday in the coming months. To say the least, I spent this birthday single, with people that actually love me, with the best Italian food I’ve ever had, and lots of spontaneity. As small as this seems, my birthday is important to me, as it should be to everyone. Having a good 24th was much needed, and the goal was accomplished.

Moral of the story:

Journaling may not be your thing, keeping a yearly planner, or a goal board my not tickle your fancy, but keeping track of your goals in some way is so important. It’s important to have something to work towards. To have something to look back on and realize that you’ve accomplished these goals and so much more than you could have even anticipated. You get to reflect on where you were in life and who you were when you wrote those words down. You get to see how much has changed all around you.

I would suggest keeping your goals in your notes app or seriously making a goal board (manifest your dreams babe!). Whatever way you can come up with, do it. No matter how big or small they seem, they’re yours. No one else has to know or see, I just shared mine for inspiration for the sake of someone else, for you.

Like I’ve said before, I used to think goals and dreams were fairy tales, but if you truly do the work to set yourself up for success, you can achieve anything. It all starts with getting your thoughts, your goal, your dream, outside of the depths of your mind and into spoken reality.