I’m not sure about you but 2017 was a really hard year for me.

So, as I was sitting back and ending 2017 a few months ago, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to “resolve” in 2018. What was 1 thing that I wanted to make my “New Year’s Resolution”? I couldn’t think of anything for the life of me. I had this feeling of desperation for renewal, a fresh start and new habits.

I had this idea that if I created little habits then I wouldn’t have to figure out 1 resolution.

I’ve never been one for resolutions but I’m all about creating habits. So, I came up with 12 habits that I wanted to form over the course of 2018 and since it takes about 30 days to form a new habit, why not assign 1 habit to each month. I guess you can say, my goal was to be a little further ahead at the end of 2018 with 12 new and fresh habits than just 1 resolution.

So far, I’ve got about 2 habits formed and 1 on the horizon.

January: get closer with Jesus

For me, I wanted to start my year right and if I was going to ever pour out or be available for anyone around me, I knew I had to get my relationship with Jesus right first! This habit has been a GAME CHANGER. It was overwhelming at first but after planning it out, finding accountability and committing, the month was a breeze and I found more days with a full heart rather than an empty one. I committed to read my daily devotional and be in The Word every single day for the entire month of January. Sounds super easy, right? Kind of but some days it was really really hard but those were the days that it mattered most. It taught my heart to be dependent on the creator of the universe and not on other people. I learned that it was crucial to activate a God given joy every single morning and most importantly, I had an intentional and holy encounter with Jesus daily. He showed up, He changed my heart and others around me. I learned that I needed to be covered in truth every day to get through the day rather than being set on cruise control. I saw more purpose and got deep with friends. I wanted to see a little more of heaven and got to see a bigger glimpse than I thought.

I’ll tell you that this didn’t happen overnight. It took work and effort and accountability and discipline. But I wouldn’t trade this new habit for anything because I’m sitting at the beginning of March getting to look back on 2 full months of commitment to Jesus!

February: get fit and eat healthy

I laugh at this habit because it you were to tell me that you wanted to implement this into my life a year ago, I would’ve laughed. Ironically February of 2017, brought a TON of health issues for me that would not be resolved until exactly a year later. Not going to lie to you, this one was pretty hard. Again, it took effort and a lot of will power for early morning workouts. But counting calories and creating plans for specific weight goals, and workouts at odd hours of the night because life is busy all pays off. I was done playing the victim card and blaming my circumstances for why I wasn’t healthy, so it was about time that I took control of it. See it’s funny because 2 years ago I was such a gym rat and February really showed me how much I missed it!

I’ve loved the physical and emotional strength that I’ve seen grown this past month and I’m excited to see where I’ll be at with this by the end of the year.

Also: Huge S/O to my not so personal, personal trainer, Shanelle Reeves for always kicking my butt in workouts all the way from Alpharetta, showing me how to eat right and being the best encourager. Wouldn’t have made it this past year without ya and I owe you big time for putting in those long (working) hours in with me last year at the gym. You’re the real MVP and forever a fellow Nike addict.

March: Be purposeful

I’m so excited for March. February was a hard month so I’m beyond ready for a fresh start and a new habit. This month I want to be more purposeful in who I hang out with. I want to go deeper with my close friends and be present. One way to tangibly do this is by deleting snapchat. You probably think I’m crazy but I’m logging off snapchat for the month to focus on the people in front of me and not on a phone screen. If I’m being honest here, my mind is ALWAYS running at a million miles an hour and some days it’s really hard to focus on the people in front of me because I’m usually too concerned with who I haven’t responded to on my phone. I want to listen to people, I want to be present when someone is talking to me. If I expect people to see me and love me where I’m at, I cannot live the opposite. Community is vital to life and I was not created to live this life alone, so I want my relationships to be real, authentic and a reflection of the way that Jesus intended for relationships to be.

I know this won’t be easy, but it will be worth it! We’re seven days in and it’s honestly been pretty hard but that’s how I know it’s worth it. If it wasn’t hard then I never really had and issue to begin with. But with that being said, I’m ready to grow some deep roots rather than stretch my arms out too wide. I’m expectant for fruitful conversations with my people and make this trip around the sun a lot more purposeful.