2015 Goals: Midyear Update
Back at the beginning of the year I made goals for 2015 and now that we are officially halfway through the year I thought I would let you know how things are going, what goals I’ve modified, what goals I’ve quit, and what goals I’ve added. Goals are definitely flexible! Life happens and you may realize a goal you set was too lofty or isn’t something that fits in your life after all or your circumstances may have changed significantly in the past 6 months. Don’t fret. Your goals are for YOU! Don’t fear the goal refining process, use it as a way to hone your focus midyear and really zero in on what it is you want from this year. 
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Spiritual Goals
- Begin a prayer journal to record prayer requests and answered prayer. — This hasn’t happened and I’m actually okay with it. After a while I’ve learned not to force spiritual practices that aren’t “clicking” for me. I mean I’m definitely praying often, but not recording them anywhere.
- Spend time in the Word everyday. –Yes. Well, as often as possible and more days than not. Right now I’m using the She Reads Truth Bible study app to do a study of the women of the Bible.
Refined Goals:
- Continue deepening my relationship with Christ through Bible study, meditation, prayer, and spiritual community.
- Join a fall Bible Study.
Relational Goals:
- Keep up with biweekly date nights with Nate.–Yes! We’ve had a lot of fun together and recently scoped out a new place for some fun and active date nights in Kalamazoo! I think our favorite date night restaurant is Food Dance (local, organic farm-to-table food) or Erbellis (gourmet pizza). We’ve done movie dates, putt-putt dates, and just walking around Target dates. Anything together is fun!
- Deepen friendships and reach out to new people.–I think this is going well! I’ve met a lot of new people through MOPS and I’m being more intentional about asking people to meet up or hang out this year.
Refined Goals:
- Keep up date nights, really soak in being a mom to Layla (she’s growing up soo fast!), and each month have another couple or family over who we haven’t had dinner with before.
Physical Goals:
- Lose 30 pounds–I’ve lost 16 pounds since the start of the year, so halfway there! I lost weigh this year using Weight Watcheres for 13 Weeks and another Advocare 24 Day Challenge.
Run another 1/2 MarathonI decided to save this goal for another time and focus on losing weight, strength training, and running shorter distances. I ran my first post-baby 5K in May!
Refined Goals:
- Lose another 15 pounds, eat healthfully (limit white carbs, processed foods, sugar–lots of fruits & veggies, healthy fats & lean proteins–treats occasionally), and run 3 more races this year.
Professional Goals:
- 50% pageview increase–Yes! I actually have doubled my pageviews so far this year. What-what! Thank YOU for reading and sharing my posts and making this community what it is! The blog also went through a little facelift at the beginning of the year too!
- Earn $500 a month from blog –My monthly average for 2015 is $409. So I’m very close to getting that average and my main goal for the rest of the year is to diversify my blogging income. I’ve learned a lot through the Elite Blogging Academy! (To see more of how & why I utilize income streams on my blog check out my March, April, & May Blogging Income Reports.)
Refined Goals:
- Diversify my income, increase my pageviews to 30K by the end of the year, earn an average of $500 a month, and implement a free gift for email subscribers.
Financial Goals:
- Save $8,000–We are at $3,500, so not quite to the halfway point. We took a vacation and didn’t receive some money we were expecting, but I think we can still make this goal. We need to get back on the Dave Ramsey plan with the cash spending, it’s easy to justify little purchases here and there that add up quickly at the end of the month! I’m going to move our groceries, eating out, gas, and blow money into cash this month to help with the random spending.
Personal:
- Get crafty!–My goal was to do 4 crafts this year, so I’ve made a wreath, rustic picture frame, rehabed an old photo frame and painted mason jars. It’s been fun to get back in touch with my crafty nature this year.
- Go on vacation. Like a real “just us” vacation. –YES!!! We went to St. Louis in April and it was fantastic.
Refined Goals:
Go on a couples weekend getaway in the late summer or fall. Stay creative & have fun!
Overall, it has been an awesome year and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made toward my 2015 goals! I hope you have an amazing Fourth of July weekend celebrating our country and the freedome we have here! USA-USA-USA!!
Congrats on your weight loss. You are halfway there and the year is half over so great progress. Have a fun weekend!
Thanks Deborah!
What awesome goals you have! I like that you are willing to reevaluate and adjust as the year progresses. That is definitely a strategy for success!
Thanks Stephanie! I think it’s a big part of being successful!
You’ve made some great progress with your goals, especially with your weight loss and blog growth. Keep up the great work, mama!
Thanks girl! 🙂
I’m looking forward to the adult getaway in the late summer or early fall. I think Layla needs to experience a night or two away from the parents and really find out how grand life is with the grands!!
Haha! Truly!!
Good for you, Kate! You’re making good progress! I was just looking at my summer goals and realizing I need to get busy crossing things off.
Haha! Truly checking in is the way that I ACTUALLY get it done. Good luck with your summer goals!
Thanks! There is always something to do, isn’t there? Btw, did you happen to get an email from me about Tailwind? Just curious if it went through!
Yes! Sorry! Nate is just getting back to walking a bit so in a nutshell it is doing well for me. I normally take 15ish minutes probably twice a week and schedule out my pillar content and any new posts that I’ve added to that content. I have unlimited scheduling and that part is definitely worth it. I tried board booster but somehow I messed it up and it was viciously repinning the SAME two pins!! Ack! So after that freak out (I think it was totally me not getting the system or maybe a glitch?) but that’s when I switched to tailwind and have been happy with it. I do like BB’s set it and forget it mindset, but I guess I am more of a control freak. Haha! 😉
Nice job on the goals! I like how you go back and refine the ones you’re not making as much progress with. And yay to date nights. We need to do some of that here. It’s easy to get caught up in life…
Yeah, getting a babysitter can be hard (plus more $$) but it is definitely a priority for us. We NEED that time to reconnect and for me to get away a bit as the stay at home parent. 😛
Looks like you are right on track! Hope the rest of the y ear is sucessful and fulfilling! Best wishes to you.
Thank you!
Amazing. Overall it seems like you are crushing your goals! I love the refined goals. Gonna have to look in to that She Reads Through The Bible thing.
I love that I can check in and “do my devotions” (<
Wow! You’re doing an awesome job with all your goals! Down 16 pounds – a goal of 30K page views! So cool. I need to look into that blogging academy!
I think they’ll be opening registrations again in September. I’ll keep ya posted! 😉
Wow you are doing an awesome job on all of your goals. $409 average monthly income from your blog is awesome, your are sure to hit $500 soon.
You’ve done an awesome job with your goals! Keep it up Kate. Keep dreaming big friend and motivating us to do the same!
Thanks girl!
Great mid-year goal update! Thanks for sharing. Kudos for the 16lb weight loss! Way to go! 🙂
You are rocking your goals so far in my opinion! I love how diverse they are. And I totally agree- you have to stay flexible depending on what comes up throughout the year.
Thanks Lauren!
I really need to do a review of my goals. I’ve really let a lot of things in my life slide since graduation and that seems like a good way to get it together!
Congrats on killing your goals so far for the year 😀
Thanks girl! Our savings is probably struggling the most, but it is good to take another look and reevaluate. Good luck!