My Goals for the New Year | 2017

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My Goals for 2017

Good Morning Friends,

I am always so excited about a new year!  My favorite part is coming up with a list of goals and things I would like to accomplish. I also love choosing a word to focus on throughout the coming year.

In today’s post I want to share with you my goals for the new year –  and then I want to hear all about your goals for 2017!

My Goals for the New Year | 2017

Spiritual Goals

My one word for 2017 is faith.  This year I want God to teach me more about walking by faith and not by sight. Last year, there were a lot of times that I wished I knew what was around the corner or what I would be doing this year. But, God doesn’t reveal His will to us like that. He just shows us enough to take the next step.  With my one word in mind… here are my spiritual goals for 2017.

Read through the Bible looking for verses and passages talking about faith. I plan to keep two 3×5 cards in my Bible – one to list verses about faith the other to list verses relating to women, especially wives. I am using my KJV Life Application Study Bible.

Work on memorizing one Bible verse each week. 

I really want my time with God and my relationship with Him to be the main focus of my year – it should be the main focus every year!

Health Goals

Maintain my current weight.

Establish a consistent exercise routine – my sister-in-law has already agreed to be my accountability partner for the year so…. this could be fun 🙂

Drink more water – it’s on my list every year. But seriously, I never drink enough water.

Research ways to build up my immune system – I was sick so many times this past year, and frankly, I’m sick of getting sick. So this year I want to change that. I’m sure getting sick was partly due to a lack of sleep, which bring me to my final health goal….

Make sleep a priority!

Personal Growth Goals

Re-read 9-12 books – I spent the past two years reading a lot of books. This year I want to go back and read some of the best ones.

Read a total of 30 books – A MUCH smaller reading goal this year for three reasons 1) I want to spend more time reading my Bible 2) I want to take my time reading through books to get the most out of them 3) I am not going to have as much time to read this year since my job is changing.

Start reading through counseling notebooks – I have three large notebooks chock full of counseling info. I want to start reading through the sections that are most applicable to me, as well as the ones I want to use to help others.

Blogging Goals

Set up a blog store – I already have the plugin I just need to set it up!

Create my first product! – If you all have some suggestions as to what you would love for me to offer in my upcoming blog store, just let me know! 🙂

Grow my Pinterest following to 10,000 +

Read at least two books that will help me with blogging. I am considering The Ultimate Guide to Blogging and maybe this one too.

Other Goals

Fill up my recipe binder – hopefully with delicious and healthy recipes.

Organize my hope chest – it’s bit overcrowded at the moment. I seriously need to get some plastic bins so I can move some things up to our attic.

Write a book – e-book or printed, I am not sure.  It doesn’t need to be published or anything, I just want to write a book. 🙂

That’s about it

I tried to keep my goals simple this year.  I really want to focus on the most important things (like time with God and sleep!)  and forget about all the other “stuff”.  I want my faith in God to be central, and I want to take care of myself so I can be present and more effective with the people and ministries I have in my life. Last year I threw in a lot of excess and got off balance. This year I see the need to simplify and focus on less. It’s just better that way! 🙂

Just for fun I plan to write up a big crazy list of all the things I would love to do in 2017. This will include all the things I may never get around to but…. you never know 🙂 It’s fun to make big bucket lists like that.

I am excited about 2017 and all the opportunities and learning experiences that are bound to come. I hope you are excited too!

  • What are your goals for 2017?
  • Did you choose a word for the year?
Rebekah Joy (2)

14 thoughts on “My Goals for the New Year | 2017

  1. I loved this! Goal posts are my favorite! 🙂 I understand completely about the water — I don’t drink enough either! Sometimes I seriously wonder how I stay alive, when I think over how much water I drink. Water is also the only beverage I drink, so I’m not getting liquids from anything else. So I really need to start drinking more water! :/
    I went crazy with goals last year, so this year I’ve shortened my list too. Some things I’d like to do are: memorize Philippians, write 5 hymn arrangements (one at least for the erhu, my newest instrument), read 20 books, try 20 recipes, guest post on a blog, blog 40+ times on my own blog, learn guitar, have 5 photo-shoots, complete a Scripture-writing challenge. Those are most of my goals.
    I don’t have a word for the year, but I think that patience is something I definitely need to continue working on. It was a big thing God taught me last year, and I’d like to continue growing in my patience. I’d also like to make my siblings more of a priority, and invest in their lives!
    I can’t wait to see your blog store! 😀 Maybe you could sell stationary and note cards? I am in need of some nice stationary, so that would be something I would probably buy! 😉

  2. Hi Grace, I am so glad you liked this post – I love reading goals posts myself, and writing them is always fun too! Haha! I drink water and coffee mostly – I am probably chronically dehydrated like most Americans. Thanks for sharing all of your goals – they sound GREAT! I hope you have a wonderful year – Keep the Lord first in your heart ♥
    Rebekah

  3. My goal this year is to spend time with God DAILY! I have struggled with this for years and this year I heard Him whisper, “spend time with me.” And so that is my goal. And my word for the year goes along with our women’s ministry theme. I have chosen “renewed.”

    1. Hi Lauren, that’s an excellent goal! And that is a great word for the year as well. Hope you have a wonderful year with plenty of time spent with the Lord – what a great way to spend your year!
      Rebekah

  4. Rebekah! I know I haven’t commented in a while, but I’ve loved your weekly devotions and posts– you surely have the gift of encouragement, friend. It’s a blessing to keep up with you and all that the Lord is doing in your life in this way. If you’re ever in Michigan, it would be fun to finally meet someday. We shall see what the Lord has in mind. 🙂 God bless you, sister!

    1. Hi Allison, thanks for the encouragement! I’ve never been to Michigan but if I ever go I’ll have to let you know 😉

  5. Thanks rebekah for this post ! Loved it ! My word for this year IS grace ! I have to look for His GRACE in every part of my life ! By Reading my bible every day, pray and just be in His presence, visit your amazing blog of course … Be blessed rebekah

  6. I really like to setting goals, challenge myself and especially to grow and that’s because I absolutely love your posts about these topics! 🙂
    I believe that this year will be amazing, full of blessings and growth!
    My goals for this year are very similar 🙂 My priority No. 1 is get closer to God and grow in faith. I’d like to make a plan for reading Scripture and also for memorizing it. And I’m going to make a prayer plan! I’m excited what God has in store for me! I want also to become more godly girl which will radiate and which find her value in Christ alone. This two goals are very important for me and I’m praying God will help me & guide me this year! 🙂
    I want to read 50 books this year and start a journal. Further I want to workout more and become more flexible, eat healthier, avoid much sugar and drink at least 2 liters of water per day! I’d like to start again play on my flute and learn how to juggle. And I also want cook more! I have a lot of goals for this year…
    I’m really looking forward for your posts this year… Your blog is so inspiring and full of encouraging words! And I’m really excited that you want to write a book… I hope it will be available for us 😉
    Thank you for your ministry here on blog… Pray for you! Hope this year will be full of blessings and good things for you… 🙂 ❤

    1. Hana, thank you for sharing all your goals – they are GREAT! Yes, if/when I write a book it will definitely be available to all my blog readers!
      Thanks for the sweet and encouraging words!

  7. This was a great post! I love setting goals and then seeing them checked off is amazing. I love your idea of a 2017 bucket list will definitely have to try that. Some of my goals this year are to read the bie chronologically, write the book of Philippians, memorize 50 verses, start a blog, and try some of those 30 day exercising challenges on pinterest. I think you should put your devtionals you have been emailing into maybe a 30 day devotional book.

    1. Leanna, those are great goals – thanks for sharing them with us 🙂 I have thought about putting my devotionals into a book, thanks for suggesting it too! We shall see what I decide to do 🙂

  8. I love your goals! Your priorities are great! 😀 My resolution is pretty long, but I’ll try and write them here. XD
    Writing: Finish first draft of a book I’m writing ~ Finish editing a book I’ve written with a friend ~ Complete NaNoWriMo ~ Grow my blog ~ Create a new blog that’s more devotional-style based (Your blog has played a big part in inspiring me to do this! I love the idea of an inspirational blog.) ~ Continue writing for PURSUE (online magazine) ~ Reach 100 followers on my blog
    Reading: Read 40 books ~ Read more classics
    Health: Go for walks more often ~ Have earlier nights ~ Reduce time spent on phone ~ Sign up for the gym ~ Stretch daily (I used to do this and be able to kick above my head!)
    Financial: Get a job ~ Save for a car
    Music: Learn jazz ~ Get into retro music ~ Film a music video for one of my songs ~ Get better at piano ~ Sing a duet with my brother ~ Write a jazz song ~ Write a retro-sounding song
    Spiritual: Learn to embrace the presence (kind of what you were talking about with the word faith) ~ Dedicate morning time for reading the Bible (I tend to put it off until later in the day) ~ Take Bible verses with me throughout the week ~ Keep nothing from God in prayer ~ Not be afraid to highlight of underline Bible verses that stick out to me
    Organisation: Compile a folder of memorabilia (from the last production I was in) ~ Reorganise my wardrobe once every season
    Other: Get my provisional licence ~ Continue learning French
    There it is! 😉 I don’t really have a word for this year. I tend to discover the word at the end of the year when I look back! 🙂

  9. I’m thankful for whoever came up with the concept of a word for the year instead of a resolution. It’s much less intimidating and easier to accomplish for me. This year, my word is Blessed. Anxiety has kept me home-bound for a little over a year. It’s been difficult and frustrating in so many ways, but it’s also opened my eyes up to the many things I took for granted. I have a new perspective on daily blessings. As I continue to take steps toward overcoming anxiety, I want to hold on to this new perspective.

    You’re one follower closer to your 10,000 Pinterest goal. Best of luck to you!

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