Stone Soup for Five: My goals for 2018 and my word for the year

My goals for 2018 and my word for the year





For the last couple of months I've been working my way through the Cultivate What Matters Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner.  I've heard a lot about them in the past, but never made the investment to use them... until this year.

I've taken my time working through the first 30 or so pages of prep work to narrow down all my "want to's" and "should's" into goals that matter.

My word for the year is:


Why did I choose this word?
Because if I quiet my mind and my environment, all other goals should fall into place.  My world is so loud with distractions that I can't focus or be creative (aim for soul-crushing boredom).  If I quiet my environment I don't need the newest, prettiest, tastiest, or flashiest.  I can eat simply, I can stop wasting time hunting for new recipes and just use tried and true and affordable, I can focus on writing instead of scrolling, I can read instead of watch, I can use my imagination instead of Pinterest, and I can memorize and think instead of Google.  So all my other goals flow from this one word.

With that in mind, here are my nine goals for the year and a break down of how I will attain them.  I hope to update you on my progress (to keep myself accountable) at least quarterly.


Develop discipline in our finances
Why?  Overspending in the little things is killing the big things.  I need to quiet my wants and focus on needs.  We've been stuck in a rut and spinning our wheels.  We need to kick it into gear and get "gazelle intense."
  • Build up our emergency fund to target amount by Dec 2018
    • revisit our budget (make the grocery budget realistic so I won't keep blowing it)
    • budget in a "bill" each month to pay to the ER fund goal
    • regularly have one cheap meal (leftovers or pantry) a week
  • Consistent giving of a set amount each month

Encourage and make more disciples of Jesus
Why?  I have this incredible community God has given me (in real life and online) and want to make the most of it and help grow His kingdom and encourage and make disciples of Christ.
  • Release 4 new products this year
    • I Will Meditate Vol 2, 3, 4
    • Journal and Doodle through Philippians
    • Color and Journal study ?
    • Doodle Book on Amazon ?
  • Weekly blog posts
  • Build community in the Journal and Doodle Facebook group (interaction and live videos)
  • Update and expand the free Journal and Doodle through Ephesians 
  • Read 4 business books
  • Pay attention to people around me and share Christ

Continue to mortify gluttony (yes, I'm putting this out there. yikes!)
Why?  This is a besetting sin of mine.  One I have fought half-heartedly and made excuses for myself.  I want to kill this sin.
  • Pray daily for obedience and discipline
  • Read
  • Standard meals for breakfast and lunch for January
  • Disciplined, regular exercise (3x a week for 30 min for January)
  • Fast and pray between meals (no snacks)
  • Fast (no breakfast or lunch) and pray 1x per month

Memorize Psalm 27
Why?  This is a psalm that was quoted by Darlene Deibler Rose in Evidence Not Seen.  It was a psalm that she clung to during her captivity in WWII.  If it was good enough for her, starving, abused, beaten and sick in death camps, I think it will be a good "hang on" psalm for me to memorize.

Quiet my mind
Why?  All my goals and productivity hang on this one thing.   This is not forcing quiet to happen around me (which depends on others, and I live in a house full of boys!) but it's an inner quiet.  Quiet in my head and heart and soul, which is intentionally cultivated (and starts with getting off screens which suck my soul!).
  • Remove social media apps completely from phone
  • Log off social media before dinner. (Change password to something crazy long i.e. Getoffofhereanddosomething!  or  Redeemthetime2018--neither of which are my real password, but you get the idea.)
  • Use Google Chrome extension Stay Focused to help me not forget 
    • no social media before 11am
    • no social media or email after dinner
Grow in Wisdom
Why?  If I'm not learning and growing, I'm dying.  



Plan and Prepare Well
Why?  If I don't plan, life happens to me and I live on default or damage-control.  I want to use my time well, working on goals and planning so I can celebrate special occasions well and add in more fun and less panic and last-minute stress.
  • Use my Bullet Journal throughout 2018 (most of my pics of this are on Instagram)
  • Include Bullet Journal prep time in my evening routine
  • Check the calendar daily, and check ahead 3 weeks.
  • Continue to use the Bullet Journal to record monthly memories and gratitude/thankfulness


Grow in Prayer
Why? This is such a great privilege for believers, but it is one that is VERY VERY hard for me!  It should be a lifeline for me and I want to continue to grow here.


Maintain and improve our home
Why?  Our home is simple, small, and old, but I love it.  It was incredibly well cared for by the original owners (who had it built in 1970 and lived here until he died and she moved to a retirement home).  I want to be able to repair the damages from lack of maintenance during our survival years and improve on things that need to be updated.
  • Continue zone cleaning each week
  • Replace countertops in kitchen (and bathroom?)
  • Sand down and refinish cabinet doors
  • During winter: work in the yard for 15 minutes a week, as weather allows.
  • Put in bathroom ceiling fan

I'd also love to hear your goals and how you're breaking them down!  Share some of yours in the comments!

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6 comments:

  1. I enjoy reading your goals. One of my goals for this week is to work through PowerSheets. I have some goals and ideas floating in my head. I just need to get them down on paper. My word last year was quiet but it was so quiet I forgot that was my word. My word this year is grow. Do you report your progress on your blog?

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  2. One of my goals is to memorize Romans 8 which opens and closes with two of my favorite verses. I am also building the habit of doing the "Hello Morning" routine every day. My own Goodreads goal is a bit higher than yours but slow and steady will get it done.
    Thank you for being so brave and sharing your goals with us. Best wishes for your success with them.

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  3. Enjoyed your goals. The only one I've set right now is to get out of be when the alarm goes off. With my chronic pain and fibromyalgia, it's nice to stay in bed with the heating pad and cats until I absolutely have to get up for work. I have my "read the bible in a year" at school so I can read it before classes start, but that never seems to happen as there's always something to do!! The other goal is ongoing, not just a yearly goal, and that's to get closer to God, so I'm reading all kinds of books on prayer, Bible studies, as well as different women of the bible: Ruth, Esther, Deborah, and Anna. I'm also following your Puritan study which is interesting. I live alone with 6 cats, and they think when I get a book out to study, it's their time to get close to "momma" and they want to sit in the middle of the books, Bible, or wherever!! Have a great day, ladies.

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  4. This is inspiring, especially as my Word of the Year is Rest, so some of your ideas could also work for me. I'm back to bullet journaling this year, and I know if I'm faithful to look ahead and plan each week it will definitely help me have a more restful state of mind! One of my goals is to listen to the entire Bible this year (there are free audio Bibles on the Bible Gateway app), and I found a 5-day plan so I have a couple days each week to catch up if necessary. :)

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  5. I've enjoyed reading through your goals! Thanks for sharing! Word of the year for me is "Advance". Theme of the Year, if this makes sense, is "In the Spirit of Love." Goal #1 is to read through the entire bible this year. I am using the Daily Walk Bible by Tyndale for this with the Bible Project YouTube Channel. Goal #2--have breakfast at home and bring my lunch with me to work (saves $ and reduces my waistline!). Goal #3--Revise budget plan and be consistent with the 2018 52 Week Savings Challenge (goal here is to save $10K in 52 weeks).

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  6. Add Taste for Truth by Barb Raveling to your reading list. It is a 30 day study that is easy to digest but so thoughtful.

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