I love the new year. It brings the perfect time to reflect on the past and improve for the future. Even though I’m quite happy with my life, I always feel there’s room to make something just a little bit better. New Year’s is about a week away and I’m dedicating that week to reflection and goal setting. In fact, I’m even hosting a Goal Setting Workshop tonight complete with a free goal setting workbook for all participants. And the best part? There’s no email to give or anything – all it takes is an RSVP to a Facebook event page!
Today, I’m bringing you a selection of my favorite posts from the year. To make it easy, I’ve selected one from each month but I guarantee there are many more that could have made the list! I’ve had a lot of favorites this year! I’ve even picked a favorite quote from each post to help you determine which ones are worth another visit!
January – Dear Blogger: It’s Okay to Step Away
“I want you to remember what’s important to you. What are your values? What makes you happiest? Your values and your happiness should come at the forefront of your life. Sometimes that means putting other things on hold and that’s OK.”
Read the post >>>
February – Choose Your Own Adventure
“Do you remember those “choose your adventure” books from when we were kids? You would read a chapter and at the end, you would have to pick the next action for the main character. Depending on your choices, the book would end up in a different place each time. Those books were a really great metaphor for life in general and we didn’t even realize it back then!”
Read the post>>>
March – Fortitude: How You Can Be Strong In Your Weakest Moments
“I’m constantly being told how strong I am and how I handle tough situations so well. I simply do what I have to do in order to keep moving forward in life. If this is considered strong, then I guess I’m strong. This doesn’t mean I have my life all together or that I’m perfect. It simply means I’ve managed to create a system that works for me when it comes to the tough stuff. I thought I’d take a few minutes today to reflect on how I handle things in case it can help someone else out.”
Read the post>>>
April – Simple Phrases that can Make a Difference
“I believe that words can change the world. I don’t mean in a tiny way either. I believe they have the power to change the world in major ways. It’s all a matter of harnessing their power for good instead of bad. I thought I’d take a moment today to share some small, simple phrases that can make a big difference in someone’s life.”
Read the post>>>
May – Tips for Adding Smoothies into your Daily Routine
“You’re going to want to check your kitchen and make sure that you have a blender (I love our Nutribullet) and glasses (I recommend colored mason jars). I find that I enjoy smoothies much more when they’re in a fun glass. I also recommend getting reuseable straws and drink lids if you plan to take your smoothie on the go.”
Read the post>>>
June – Minimizing Stress During Your Big Move
“Moving can be stressful, especially when you’re constantly moving from state to state. It starts with the boxing and loading of a truck and ends with picking out a place and creating a home in a new place. Whether you’re moving yourself or hiring movers, there’s a lot to be done and many ways that you can become stressed. Any big move can become overwhelming if you aren’t prepared for what’s to come. Luckily, I’m here to share a few tips with you today to help minimize the stress that comes with moving.”
Read the post>>>
July – 10 Tips for Finding Your Next Home
“We had exactly a week to look at houses and find one that we liked. This may seem like a short time frame, but I think it actually offered us a nice deadline, which can actually help you make a decision. I thought I’d offer some tips for making your next house hunt a little less stressful.”
Read the post>>>
August – 10 Ways to be Happy Right Now
“I’ve become a little focused on what makes us happy on a daily basis. I’ve been reading and soaking up as much knowledge as possible to pass on to others. I truly feel that spreading happiness (in ourselves and others) is the secret to making this world a better, happier place.”
Read the post>>>
September – Announcing Something Special
“It’s been a hard secret to keep but somehow I managed to pull it off. Without further ado, I’d like to announce…”
Read the post>>>
October – 7 Life Lessons I Learned from my Dogs
“Mr. Gibbs continued to run from room to room playing keep away (his favorite game) as my brain put together the pieces. He was happy, carefree and enjoying the day. He wasn’t worrying about work or what he was going to do next. He was simply living in the moment and enjoying every bit of it. I decided to join him in this enjoyment and we chased each other around the house for a good ten minutes before tiring out.”
Read the post>>>
November – I’m Not Perfect and That’s Okay
“In fact, there’s so much research out there that you can end up swimming in research before you make any changes to your life. When you’re swimming in this research and the opinions of others, I want you to remember something – none of us are perfect and that’s okay. Sometimes you have to embrace your imperfection and keep moving forward. You’re not going to make the “perfect” choice every time and that’s okay. It’s incredibly hard to untrain habits.”
Read the post>>>
December – Reflect & Realign
“There’s something special about the end of the year and the way it causes us to reflect on our good and bad moments. In fact, I find the reflection part of goal setting to be the best part. It’s hard to know what to change and alter without reflecting on what you don’t like.”
Read the post>>>
Have you taken time to reflect on your blog from 2016? I highly recommend browsing through to see what changes you’d like to make for the new year. I did a lot of reflecting as I decided on my favorite posts to share from the past year, so you can expect to see some great things in the new year!
What was your favorite post or moment from 2016? Share in the comments below!
