Happy new year!

I hope you have had a relaxing, wonderful time with family and friends over the past few weeks.

Every year, at about this time, I sit down and purposely evaluate each area of my life. I decide what needs to change, what goals I want to make for the coming year, whats currently working, and what isn’t, then I decide and commit to new goals and intentions for the year.

This year however, I have struggled!

It was a little unsettling, if I’m honest. I think it’s a combination of uncertainty for the future (we are moving in April), and just being content with where I am at. But just as I’ve just typed those two things, I’ve realised that I can also be content with an uncertain future. I have no idea what my life will look like in Utah, after we move there in April, and we are still uncertain of where we will be based beyond March 2016. I could easily focus on the negatives of this situation, to dwell on all the scary uncertainties. But, more than ever, I know God has a perfect plan for my life. Trusting Him is the only way I stop stressing about the future.

I was reading Nancy Ray’s blog post on goal setting yesterday, she has also offered a really simple helpful pdf download for goal setting that I found really useful. She suggested breaking down the areas of your life into: Career, Family, Financial, Spiritual, Intellectual, Social, and Physical.

I want to share my goals with you for my own accountability, and to hopefully inspire you to make your own!

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CAREER

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To regularly blog (x3 weekly – starting at the end of this month) so I can continue fostering community, by sharing my life and experiences.

Commit to an inspiration day at the start of every month. This day will be for brainstorming blog posts, scheduling my blog calender, reviewing monthly and yearly goals, visiting new places, getting out of the house and away from the computer!

Organise 2 styled editorial shoot collaborations in Utah. Hopefully I get to do more than this! I can’t wait to photograph in the beautiful Utah mountains and desert!

Start a monthly newsletter.

Continue to serve my amazing clients, exceed expectations, go above and beyond what is expected of me as a photographer.

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FAMILY

From April, organise weekly Skype dates with my sisters and parents.

I really want to practice what I preach, and make small albums from Artifact Uprising with our personal photos in them!

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FINANCIAL

Be more thoughtful with our money, make a budget plan.

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SPIRITUAL

Continue my morning routine every day.

Listen to 2 sermons on a podcast each week.

Join, commit and get involved with a church in SLC.

Memorise 10 Bible verses.

Write down encouraging scripture and post it places where I’ll see it each day.

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INTELLECTUAL

Read 12 books. I really want to get a Kindle for this!

Attend one in-person workshop.

One online workshop.

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SOCIAL

Be intentional about fostering new relationships and friendships in Utah.

Attend and get involved in community events in Utah.

Social media free weekends! Use social media to build up and encourage others. Stick checking twice daily.

Get involved in church life in Utah.

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PHYSICAL

Join a gym in Utah

Go to bed by 10.30, get up at 6.30am

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If you’re still with me, thank you for reading and I really hope this encourages you to set your own goals and intentions for the new year! Everyone has a different set of values, but whatever goals you set, remember: focus on more peace, and more authenticity in your life. Goals shouldn’t make you stressed, they should encourage you to be the best version of yourself! These goals of mine very well may have to be moulded and changed! And, I’m okay with that.

I’m going on holiday until the 16th of January, to Cable Bay in the far north of New Zealand. We are leaving today, and I’m so excited to spend some time at the beach, with family, eating lots of fresh seafood (that hopefully Sam will catch!) If you want to follow along, I’ll be posting a little on my Instagram.

In my years of goal setting, I have been so inspired and encouraged when I’ve read others goals online. If you have shared your goals somewhere, please leave a link in the comments below! I would love to hear from you! Lastly, remember:

If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. Zig Ziglar