A Purposeful New Year- 2018

Can January 8th be the new January 1st? I needed a restart from how our New Year began last Monday so I have decided today is really the first day of my new year. Happy New Year to me!

I took a break from blogging and my side gigs almost the entire month of December. I wanted to be able to focus on family and soak up every minute of the holiday season with emmy and elle. The girls thought Christmas was magical and it was definitely one I will never forget. I am happy that I consciously took a step back from all obligations and now I know I want and need to do this each year. 

Throughout the past couple months one word has kept repeating in my mind when I have thought about various goals, dreams, visions...really anything. The word is, "Purpose." Purpose will be my word for 2018 and is the basis of my New Year List of Intentions. Resolutions scare me a little. I know I have made so many resolutions over the years and I am really hard on myself if I start to slack-off. Even the definition of "resolution" is intimidating. "Resolution- a firm decision to do or not to do something." But intentions, "an aim or a plan," is an idea I can get  behind because I always love a great plan. 

I want to share my purposeful list of intentions with all of you because I believe it will help hold me accountable to live up to my plans for 2018. So here goes being transparent in 2018!

Parenting with a Purpose- I want to be more present in their current age instead of always thinking ahead. To be calm when the girls try something new for the first time and not always so scared of the, "What if's?"  I want to become more overwhelmed with the love I have for my family and overwhelmed with fun we can experience together versus being overwhelmed with house work and other trivial matters. 

Eating with a Purpose- This plan is extremely important to me because I want to become healthier this year. If we are ever blessed with more children then I want to enter the pregnancy knowing my body is the healthiest vessel to grow a precious life. I want to also be the healthiest I can be for my family now because they deserve the best of me even if there are not any family additions in our future. I want to cut down on senseless snacking and make sure to nourish not only mine, but my families bodies, with healthy food choices. I also want to make sure I exercise more because not only does exercise help me physically but also mentally since it is a time where I can become lost in my own thoughts and focus on myself. Every mom needs some "me" time and that's how I feel when I am at the gym and the girls are playing happily in child care. (Can I get a hallelujah for the YMCA child care program!)

Activities with a Purpose- I am quick to say yes to too many activities for myself and my family because I never want to disappoint others. I want to ask myself this year if the activity is going to help me and my family grow or if it's just something to fill the calendar. My aim is to stay away from the latter. 

Spending with a Purpose-This year I want to spend less on material items and more on memories. Memories such as family vacations and activities which will serve the purpose of bringing us closer together. Spending money on a few extra date nights so the hubby and I can have time to reconnect is going to be a priority too. I feel like the past three years we have been in complete mommy and daddy mode but we need to remember we were first Dave and Jessica, two married kids in love. Oh and more saving because everyone needs a rainy day account and college fund! 

Writing with a Purpose- I started my blog, overwhelmed, to create a community and to spread awareness about topics, ideas, products, services, and issues which are close to my heart. I write and create posts which have a true purpose of wanting to share, educate, and inspire. I do not want to just publish content to have content but rather publish content which is meaningful to me and my followers. I want to remember the last three sentences I wrote throughout this year whenever I start to create a post. I also want you guys to hold me accountable for creating content which is beneficial to you and your families as well. 

Organizing with a Purpose- We are super lucky to live in a newly built 2,800 square foot home. I know our home is not the largest home but it is more than enough space for our family of four so I need to make sure I am utilizing the space wisely. I have mapped out a few organizational projects that I am excited to conquer throughout the year. I will be sharing them here on my blog to hopefully give inspiration to others. I want to declutter, repurpose, and dispose of anything that is not necessary for us to have in our closet spaces. I also want to give our loft area a little makeover to become more emmy and elle friendly. I am excited to tackle the small projects to update our home to make it a better fit for us! 

I will be giving updates on the regular about my list of intentions. Do you have any goals or purposeful intentions you want to reach in 2018? Please feel free to share!