Reflection on Accountability in 2017

My word for 2017 was “accountable”. I was determined to be more accountable in all aspects of my life to reach my goals.  Let’s see how it went….

As I look back on 2017, I see so many ways in which I was blessed.  My goal was to start fresh – a new me for a new year.  By being accountable, I wanted to take responsibility for my actions – willing accepting praise and constructive criticism.

I will admit I was apprehensive about having this as “my word”,  Fear of failing. Fear of having to explain my actions. Fear of letting others down. You get it, right? Being accountable would mean I needed to be willing to share my dreams, and my plans.  I would need to share my successes and my failures.  I love helping others achieve their goals BUT honestly, I am not the best at taking my own advice. This word meant I needed to be utterly transparent, stepping further out of my comfort zone then ever before. It meant learning to love myself (the good, the bad and the ugly) unconditionally.  It meant being accountable in every aspect of my life which was scary as HELL!

I used the letters as an acronym which helped me to break things down into manageable steps.  I had the help of an AWESOME accountability partner and although may not have always communicated, we were there for each other.  Thank you Amber for helping me to let down the walls so I could grow  in my business.

Let’s look at the goals for 2017:

1. Reach my goal weight by maintaining the new eating plan. DONE!  The doctor set a goal weight for me and I am maintaing it.  I am 95% of the time gluten free and feeling much better.
2. Be consistent in my business with book, sell, recruit.  Consistency in my business paid off.  I earned the Leadership Incentive Trip for the first time.  My personal sales increased by 18%, and my team’s sales increased by 24%.  My recruiting was down from last year BUT I maintained the same team members throughout the year.
3. Nurture my relationships with my hubby, family and friends.  This is an ongoing process but I am blessed to have strengthened of my relationships.
4. Pay off some of my credit card debt.  Well, this goal wasn’t achieved but I am not giving up.

For those who set goals in 2017 (or on a regular basis), you may say – these aren’t good goals. They are not measurable nor do they have a time frame attached to them and you are right. I have found those types of goals (resolutions) fall by the wayside and are never obtained. So, this year I tried by laying out my general goals, set a plan each month to achieve them and then was accountable for each step I take. The overall results were – GOALS MET (mostly)!

Have you selected a word for 2018? What drew you to the word and what does it mean to you? Share your word with us…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

How To Practice Loving Your Hubby

Happy Friday!  Yes, it is a strange topic for a Friday but before the hectic fall season gets into full swing, I wanted us to take make sure we are honor our relationship with our spouse.

It is easy to love on your spouse when things are going well, right?  Snuggling on the coach, enjoying quiet moments, dinner together and lots of conversations.  But when the going gets tough, we need to learn to dig a little deeper in order to love more intentionally. I mean who has time to love on your spouse as you are playing mom taxi, cooking dinner, working, running errands, struggling with health issues and juggling a million balls in the air during the school year?  It is during these times that we need to dig deep to make sure that we love on them. Thank you Club31Women for these tips:

1. Be patient with him.
Okay, so this is not always easy for me but I am working on it.  No matter what drives you crazy about him, or what struggles he’s facing, be patient with him. Take a breath, and pray for patience. Love is patient and by showing patience, you are showing love.

2. Be kind to him.
Sometimes, we think we are being kind but our tone or that snarky look on our face says otherwise.  It is during these times, out kind gesture turns into unkindness. Kindness is a cornerstone of love. Being locked into a committed relationship does not give us license to be mean. When you’re having a tough day, dig deep and be kind anyway.

3. Be honest with him.
There’s a time to share honest communication and a time to wait.  In the heat of a moment may not be the best time to be honest.  When sharing concerns, be honest about them, but do it in a kind manner. Honest communication is crucial for a marriage to thrive and grow. Hiding things from your husband will only shake or break the trust in your marriage.

4. Protect him.
I am learning to do this – not physically but in my conversations.  Sometimes our off-handed remarks are mistaken by others leaving the door open to attack or speak down about our spouse.  Protect his character and integrity. Always speak well of him to others. If you need help with struggles, do it privately with someone who can be trusted.

5. Trust him.
This can be tricky, if you have experienced situations in your relationship where trust has been broken – it takes time to build it up again.  Forgiveness can help us begin or continue to build trust. Also, trust him to make decisions for your family!

6. Hope for your marriage.
All marriages struggle at some point or another. Some struggles are larger than others, but most can heal and be made whole again. There is always hope even when we hit rock bottom. God designed marriage to be for life. Always seek Him for counsel through His Word.

7. Persevere for him.
All husbands make mistakes and have struggles. As his wife, we ought to be his biggest support and helper. Let’s be honest, we all make mistakes.  Love perseveres, and love covers a multitude of sins. No matter what*, you’re always fighting for love.

Every day we have an opportunity to show practical love to our spouse.  When the stress comes and struggles get real, take a moment to remember the reasons you fell in love with him so many years ago.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Your Best Intentions

We all have good intentions, right?  You say you want to do something but you don’t.  I don’t necessarily mean those really BIG things that you dream about; I am talking about those obtainable dreams.  Maybe things don’t happen the way you want for a multitude of reasons.  We have all been there, done that and probably have an unwanted t-shirt.

You start out with a clear vision or plan.  Maybe it is a new kitchen (that’s one of mine), the next promotion or a full calendar (this one too).  Maybe it is keeping your house clean – yes, I have grown attached to my dust bunnies.

You have or know the list of action steps necessary to make it happen.  A plan written out and maybe it is even scheduled on your planner. Then STUFF  happens – you procrastinate, fear creeps in, you get side tracked with life and the next thing you know that clear vision is a muddy mess.

Yes, I know that it may seem a little silly to compare DREAMS with cleaning the house but everyone’s vision is different.  So no matter what your vision is I want you to consider doing these steps:

Step #1: Write down what you really want and why you want it. Are you looking to please someone else or is it something you really want?  Set aside the doubts, the fears and the daily concerns.  YOU and only you have the power to light the fire and get yourself moving.

Step #2: Set aside time to quietly and honestly answer the following questions.  I know that this is probably really tough for you because as busy women, we never seem to have any time, right?  But you can do it – I believe in you.

1. What do I want?
2. What is important to me about having it?
3. How will my life change if I have it?
4. How will I feel when I have it?
5. Who else will be impacted by this achievement?
6. How will those I love see me when I achieve this?
7. Will I feel different about me? How?
8. How will this change the outcome of my life or the lives of those I love?

Write the answers in a special spot – for some it may be a journal while for others it could be a spot on your phone or if live by your planner, maybe it is on there.  You want it to be someplace that you can go to when you find that you are distracted or procrastinating.

Life is full of changes which sometimes means that your ‘what and why’ will change, too.  Your special spot will be a great source of inspiration when life gets challenging.

Step #3: Follow through is the key even when things are hard.  Motivation comes from within and when you know what you really want and why you want it – you are unstoppable.  This inner power helps you to set boundaries to the things that distract you.  It allows you to be ready for the things that challenge you on the journey to realizing your dreams!

So, whether your dream is a dream kitchen or a clean house or a new job or promotion or even to grow your current business remember to tap into that inner power.  You said you will do XYZ but will you do it?  You said you will see your vision become a reality but will you?  What is holding you back?

Share your thoughts with us….Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!