I had spent the time between Christmas and New Year’s evaluating my life and my work. I did some reading on goal setting and planning and after spending time finally reading articles I had pinned on Pinterest, I came across Intentional by Design. This site by Leigh Ann Dutton is a wonderful resource and her free ebook Planning 101:How to be Intentional with your Time was exactly what I needed. I know how to plan and organize, that is in my DNA, what my planning was missing was, purpose.

I do a lot of things and most of them are good. I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, aunt, and mother-in-law. I run 5 small businesses. I volunteer at church in both music and kids ministry, and anywhere else they need me. I “do” a lot, but especially in my businesses, I’m not seeing the results I should. The reason I’m not seeing results is that I have lacked purpose, I’m often spinning my wheels, not growing or learning.

Purpose-the reason why something exists. What is your purpose?
Click To Tweet

Not any more! 2016 will be a year of asking “Why am I doing this?” Is this advancing God’s kingdom? Is it providing for my family? Is it growing my community both online and off? I have already started learning more about ways to improve in my 3 top businesses. Soon my longest running business will close and another is teetering on closing as well. I am fine with doors closing. My plate is full and there is no room for new adventures with old stale things still on the plate. As an entrepreneur, it might help a ton to learn details such as the great business electricity guide by About Manchester.

There will be changes around here too. I believe most of them will be for the better and I know, if you don’t like them, you will let me know

When I shared my verse for 2016, I shared it from the New Living Translation. I also really like the way it reads in The Message Bible:

“So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.” Ephesians 5:15-17 The Message

What does the Master want? Figure that out and do it!

Happy New Year!

The post Purpose appeared first on The Mom Maven.

I almost didn’t write this post because I missed most of my goals for November but, I made a commitment to myself to document my goals, successes and failures for a year so, here it is.

Review of November Goals

Business

• Pageviews to 15,000 and uniques to 13,000. I don’t know how, but I did it! Pageviews 18,762  and Uniques 16,254. My best month this year!
• Book 3 vacations. It’s not too late to plan a Cruise or Disney vacation for the holidays!-I quoted a few vacations but no one booked
• Sign 2 new Plexus Ambassadors and find 5 new customers.-nothing

Personal

• Walk 5000 steps a day. I’m doing a 21 day walking challenge with Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home program.-Nope
• Drink 100 oz of water a day.-no
• Lose 5 pounds-I haven’t gotten on the scale.

Spiritual

• Work through Good or God?: Why Good Without God Isn’t Enough by John Bevere. This may take more than a month.-I haven’t started this book yet.

Household

• Menu plan-Already done!
• Daily Chores-I’m trying a new way to organize these.-New plan didn’t work
• Decorate for Christmas the week before Thanksgiving!-Didn’t get done

December 2015 Goals

Business

• Pageviews to 20,000 and uniques to 18,000.
• Book 3 vacations. It’s time to plan your spring getaway!
• Sign 2 new Plexus Ambassadors and find 5 new customers.

Personal

• Walk 5000 steps a day.
• Drink 100 oz of water a day.
• Lose 5 pounds

Spiritual

• 31 Day Christmas Scripture Writing Plan
• Advent/Christmas Devotionals on the YouVersion App

Household

• Menu plan-Already done!
• Daily Chores-Trying a 3 a day method this month

I’m praying December goes a little more as I have it planned than November did. If you blog your goals, please add your post to our linky!

The post Goals for December 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Review of October Goals

Business

• Pageviews to 15,000 and uniques to 13,000. I’m at 13,300 and 11,900
• Book 3 vacations. It is National Plan a Cruise Month! Who is ready to plan a cruise? NONE!
• Sign 2 new Plexus Ambassadors and find 5 new customers. NONE

Personal

• Walk 5000 steps a day. I averaged about 3,000 steps a day.
• Drink 100 oz of water a day. Not even close
• Lose 5 pounds. I lost 2 lbs.

Spiritual

• Finish Believing God . Only 3 lessons left!

Household

• Menu plan. Done
• Daily Chores-I started a new way to organize this last week. So far so good!

Overall, once I got back home from all of my traveling on October 12th, it took me a whole week to just find my bearings again. Three weeks in a row out of the office is very crazy! Last week and this week, life has been back to “normal” so I am eagerly looking forward to November.

November Goals

Business

• Pageviews to 15,000 and uniques to 13,000.
• Book 3 vacations. It’s not too late to plan a Cruise or Disney vacation for the holidays!
• Sign 2 new Plexus Ambassadors and find 5 new customers.

Personal

• Walk 5000 steps a day. I’m doing a 21 day walking challenge with Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home program so hopefully I will surpass this goal.
• Drink 100 oz of water a day.
• Lose 5 pounds

Spiritual

• Work through Good or God?: Why Good Without God Isn’t Enough by John Bevere. This may take more than a month.

Household

• Menu plan-Already done!
• Daily Chores-I’m trying a new way to organize these, I’ll let you know how it goes!
• Decorate for Christmas the week before Thanksgiving!

Do you blog your goals? Please join our goals blogging linky!

The post Goals for November 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Review of September Goals

Business

• Pageviews to 15,000 and uniques to 13,000.-I did 13,000 and 11,000 which is fine for being away from the computer for about 2 weeks.
• Book 3 vacations.-I didn’t book any
• Sign 2 new Plexus Ambassadors and find 5 new customers.-I got 4 new customers

Personal

• Walk 5000 steps a day.-If I average out the month I did well, thanks to the cruise!
• Drink 100 oz of water a day.-I did great until the cruise. The bottled water available on the cruise was horrible and metallic tasting so I didn’t drink nearly what I should have.
• Lose 5 pounds-I lost 2.2 pounds while on the cruise!

Spiritual

• Continue with my “Believing God Bible Study”-continued
• Begin to read “Good or God” by John Bevere-started

Household

• Menu plan-done
• Daily Chores- sort of done

October Goals

Business

• Pageviews to 15,000 and uniques to 13,000.
• Book 3 vacations. It is National Plan a Cruise Month! Who is ready to plan a cruise?
• Sign 2 new Plexus Ambassadors and find 5 new customers.

Personal

• Walk 5000 steps a day.
• Drink 100 oz of water a day.
• Lose 5 pounds

Spiritual

• Finish my “Believing God Bible Study”
• Continue to read “Good or God” by John Bevere

Household

• Menu plan
• Daily Chores-I’m trying a new way to organize these, I’ll let you know how it goes!

The post Goals for October 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Review of August Goals

Business

• Pageviews back over 10,000. Thanks to the amazing recipe site Yummly, my Pageviews were over 13,000 and my uniques were over 11,000.
• Book at least 3 vacations. Where do you want to go? Visit my Travel Quote Page to get started. I didn’t book any vacations August was very slow on the travel front-probably because everyone was traveling!

Personal

• 5000 steps a day-I reached this goal about 1/3 of the time.
• 64oz water a day-I reached this goal every day!
• Lose 5 pounds-I lost 3.3 pounds

Spiritual

• Finish reading “Thrive”-I’ve laid this aside for now.
• Start the “Believing God” Beth Moore Bible Study with Women’s Bible Cafe. I’m loving this Bible Study!

Household

• Menu Plan-done
• Daily Chores-not done
• Gut my closet-done lots and lots of stuff went to Goodwill!

Goals for September 2015

I feel like my goal should be…Don’t go insane! LOL I will be volunteering at Sharathon for The Joy FM Sept 22-25 from 5:45am-8pm every day and then on September 26, we leave on a 7 night Easter Caribbean Cruise! I have yet to figure out when I am going to do laundry and pack. Plus I need to pre-write my blog posts etc! So Don’t go insane, will be my over-arching goal this month but now I need to get specific.

Business

• Pageviews to 15,000 and uniques to 13,000. That is a big goal when I will be away from my computer for at least 13 days this month!
• Book 3 vacations. Now is the time to plan your Fall and Winter cruises or trips to Walt Disney World. Visit my Travel Quote page for more information.
• Sign 2 new Plexus Ambassadors and find 5 new customers.

Personal

• Walk 5000 steps a day. This will be easy on the cruise, not so easy during Sharathon.
• Drink 100 oz of water a day.
• Lose 5 pounds

Spiritual

• Continue with my “Believing God Bible Study”
• Begin to read “Good or God” by John Bevere

Household

• Menu plan
• Daily Chores

How is your September shaping up? I hope yours is as fun as mine is going to be!

The post Goals for September 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Review of July Goals

Business

• Pageviews back over 10,000-I am barely over 8,000
• Book at least 3 Disney vacations! Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani…where do you want to go? Let me help you get there! I haven’t booked any vacations yet but I have quoted some Disney vacations, a Disney cruise, 2 Royal Caribbean cruises and a Celebrity cruise so hopefully those will turn into bookings soon!

Personal

• 5000 steps a day-put that Fitbit back on and move! I have reached at least 5000 steps about 1/3 of the days this month, which is an improvement
• 64oz water a day-Done!

Spiritual

• Finish reading “Thrive”-still reading
• Finish the Beth Moore Bible Study through church-had to quit due to scheduling conflicts

Household

• Menu Plan-done
• Daily Chores-done

Goals for August 2015

Business

• Pageviews back over 10,000
• Book at least 3 vacations. Where do you want to go? Visit my Travel Quote Page to get started.

Personal

• 5000 steps a day
• 64oz water a day
• Lose 5 pounds

Spiritual

• Finish reading “Thrive”
• Start the “Believing God” Beth Moore Bible Study with Women’s Bible Cafe

Household

• Menu Plan
• Daily Chores
• Gut my closet

I hope you have a great August! If you blog your goals please join the linky below!

The post Goals for August 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Review of May Goals

Business

• Unique Pageviews to 12,500-I’m just over 10,000
• Begin to Build my Young Living Essential Oils Business-I have done a lot of learning and made some strides forward.

Personal

• 5000 steps a day-I reached that 4 days this month!
• 64oz water a day-Oh…I was supposed to drink water?

Spiritual

• Read “Thrive: Digging Deep, Reaching Out“-I am in the middle of the book. I liked it so much I ordered several copies for high school graduation gifts.
• Complete a YouVersion Daily Devotional-I did the Align:Godly Character Study

Household

• Menu Plan-I completed the menu plan and we have stuck to it all month! This has been our best menu plan month ever.
• Daily Chores-I did much better with daily chores during the month of May. I just really wish the kitchen fairy would show up after dinner and clean up so I didn’t have to.

Goals for June 2015

Business

• 12,500 Unique Pageviews on the blog
• 2 new Young Living Team Members
• Complete my Travel Agent training

Personal

• 5,000 steps a day
• 64oz water a day

Spiritual

• Finish reading “Thrive”
• Begin the Beth Moore-Breath, the Life of God in Us Bible study with some friends from church.

Household

• Menu Plan
• Daily Chores

Thanks for letting me put these goals out in public. It really does help me to be more accountable. If you blog your monthly goals please add your post to our linky!

The post Goals for June 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Review of March Goals

Business

• Pageviews are way down this month I didn’t even hit 10,000. I know part of this is because I was offline 4 days straight while I volunteered at Friendraiser but it is still frustrating.
• Thankfully, the Type-A Challenge for March still hasn’t been posted because I still haven’t gotten to February’s yet!
• I got some work done on my ebook but I am still behind schedule

Personal

• I did better on my steps in March but I am still having trouble even hitting 5000 a day on most days.
• Water, I did much better on. Now I just need to keep it up.
• I hardly read at all in March even though I enjoyed it so much in February.

Spiritual

• I did not finish the Covenant Bible Study on time. I have 9 days of work to finish but I really hope I will finish it by Easter. I always spend noon-3pm on Good Friday in the Word and worship so this year I will be focusing on completing this Bible study.
• I decided not to sign up for the next online Bible study, partially because I was behind on Covenant. Instead, I’m going to start Thrive by Mark Hall after Easter.

Household

• With Jordan leaving last week we are in the midst of shifting chores around.
• I’m getting better at completing my daily chores.
• We have also gotten more work done in the den/office.

April 2015 Goals

Business

• Get up to 12,500 pageviews.
• Spend at least 8 hours working on my ebook.
• Launch my Young Living Essential Oils Business.
• Get caught up on the Type-A Challenges.

Personal

• 5,000 steps a day minimum. Start doing a Leslie Sansone workout 3 days a week to help reach this goal.
• Get to 64oz of water a day, every day!
• Read 30 minutes a day.

Spiritual

• Finish the Covenant Study.
• Thrive is a 30 day devotional so hopefully I will be 75% of the way through it by the end of April.

Household

• Daily chores.
• Keep the kitchen sink clean.
• Continue meal planning.
• Move the white dresser into the den/office and hang my whiteboard over my desk.

Have you blogged your goals? Add them to the linky so we can all support each other in our efforts!

The post Goals for April 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Review of February Goals

Business

• <Gasp> I haven’t even looked at the Type-A February Challenge. It came out late, mid-month and I haven’t had time.
• I’m almost done with my media kit from the Media Kit Smash class! The class was awesome. I just have some tweaking to do.
• My pageviews are up over 20% YAY! Thanks for your help.
• My weekly newsletter  is set up and will start in March. You can subscribe here. Also, I’d love for you to take my 3 question Newsletter Survey
• I have started writing my eBook but I am a bit behind schedule.

Personal

• Still failing at the water consumption.
• I’m averaging 3,392 steps a day. I need to get moving more.
• We still haven’t found a time that works to get together with Aaron & Summer regularly. Aaron is working a lot of evening events lately.
• I have done well on my reading goal. I finished Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Game. 

Spiritual

• I am a few days behind on my Bible study but I am loving Covenant: Gods Enduring Promises by Kay Arthur.

Household

• Meal planning is still on track
• Living Room corners and media area de-cluttered
• Game closet de-cluttered

Overall, February was an ok month. Some goals have been hit and others still need a little more work.

March 2015 Goals

Business

• 15,000 pageviews. we are close and with your help, we can get there.
• Type-A Challenge for February and March
• Get half way through eBook writing

Personal

• 5,000 steps a day minimum-this is going to take a lot of work
• 64oz of water a day
• Continue reading a chapter a day for pleasure

Spiritual

• Complete the Covenant Bible study on time
• Sign up for another Bible study with WomensBibleCafe. I’m leaning towards How to Study Your Bible: Discover the Life-Changing Approach to God’s Word.

Household

• Keep up the meal planning
• Get back on schedule with daily chores
• Continue work in the den/office
• De-clutter kitchen

You may remember, I am part of a Facebook group that encourages each other as we set and work towards our goals. We have created this linky so that we can share these goals. If you write about your goals, please feel free to link up with us

The post Goals for March 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Review of January Goals

Business

I completed Content Brew! This course is a wonderful way to fill up your editorial calendar and start thinking creatively about upcoming blog content. If you are a blogger and haven’t taken this course, I highly recommend it. It is self-paced so you can start any time! I am participating in the Type-A Parent 2015 Next Level Blog Challenge and I completed the January Challenge. I am in the middle of the Media Kit Smash class, it runs through February 6th. Soon this will be available as a self-paced class as well. Make sure you are following my Facebook page so that you can know when that happens. Unfortunately, my pageviews are way down for January

Personal

I did pretty well at going to bed by 11pm most nights. I was horrible at drinking my water, I have done better with it now that I am sitting at my desk and I keep my water glass with me. I set a low goal for steps and I still failed miserably. Two days I forgot to wear my Fitbit! Two days I reached my goal one of those was a Disney day and the other was when we went to Monster Jam. I will do better in February because I have signed up for the Vionic Walkabout. This will help be be even more accountable. Have you signed up for the Walkabout, it starts February 1st!

Spiritual

I did much better, reading my Bible and praying at least 5 days a week. I am also loving the online Bible study I am currently in.

Household

I did meal plan for January and we actually stuck to the plan about 75% of the time. Daily house cleaning was hit or miss. I never found another decluttering challenge that suited me but I have been focusing on one area of the house a week to declutter and progress is being made.

February Goals

Business

• Participate in the Type-A Parent 2015 Next Level Blog Challenge and complete the February Challenge.
• Complete the January/February Media Kit Smash class and finally have a professional media kit!
• Increase my pageviews by 10%, you can help by sharing my blog posts on your social media!
• Create a weekly newsletter.
• Start writing my first eBook

Personal

• Drink at least 64oz of water a day and log it
• Get in at least 5,000 steps a day-this will be easier with the Walkabout-I hope!
• Spend one evening a week with all 5 of us together-getting on Aaron  Summer’s schedule has proven to be difficult.
• Read one chapter a day in a book for pleasure.

Spiritual

• Read my Bible daily
• Spend time in prayer daily
• Take part in a Bible Study-There are 5 weeks left in my online Bible study

Household

• Meal planning-keep it up
• Daily cleaning-get back on schedule
• Declutter living room (media corner-end tables-misc junk)
• Clean and declutter the game closet
• Put dresser in office and re-organize

You may remember, I am part of a Facebook group that encourages each other as we set and work towards our goals. We have created this linky so that we can share these goals. If you write about your goals, please feel free to link up with us!

The post Goals for February 2015 appeared first on The Mom Maven.