I think more than any past year, I hope that 2015 will be my best year ever. I know that’s a bit of a catch phrase and maybe a tall order, but in a lot of ways, I’ve been waiting for this year for as long as I can remember, and now that it’s finally here, I want to make the best of every single day. Being engaged and planning our wedding has been so much fun, and I hope that will only continue as the big day gets closer, but I want being married to be better. And I truly believe that with the right preparation and mindset for both of us, it will be. Dave and I talked a lot about the upcoming year over the holidays, and as a result, both of our individual goals this year are centered around this vision: in 2015, we want to enter into marriage on the steadiest footing possible—close to God, close to each other, close to our families, close to our friends, healthy and confident, and in a position to be financially successful.

One of our engagement pictures, by Ryan Ray

2015 Goals

1. I want to find a prayer “system” that really works for me and helps me to be more consistent in my prayer life, and to grow in my relationship with God as a result, both individually and as a couple with Dave.

2. I want to have a truly wonderful marriage with Dave, on every level, and to gracefully navigate the transition to living together and being married. I will do this by praying with and for him, communicating kindly and openly, and making him feel loved at every opportunity I can.

3. I want to grow healthier, stronger, and more confident in time for our wedding, and to keep up that lifestyle afterwards as well. I will do this by expanding my healthy recipe repertoire, completing the Love Your Body Series and Bikini Series on Tone It Up (let me know if you’re doing either of those so we can encourage each other!), and running in at least three 5K races this year.

4. I want to find a community of girlfriends in NC, and make time with friends a regular part of my life. I also want to foster my long distance friendships through regular letters and phone calls.

5. I want to understand my finances better and be more intentional about setting myself up for financial success. I want to learn more about the married budget Dave has created for us and take an active role in keeping to it.

January Goals

– Start prayer journaling
– Clean out my closet and donate/sell items I no longer wear
– Complete the first 4 weeks of the Tone It Up Love Your Body series
– Plan a fun weekend (that doesn’t center around unhealthy eating at restaurants) with one of my sisters and two of my bridesmaids, who are visiting in a few weeks!