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At the beginning of 2020, I chose a word of the year. Little did I know how strange of year 2020 would turn out to be. Despite that, I am continuing on with my word of the year series. We are all just trying to do our best during this odd time, so I hope you are still able to follow through with your goals and dreams for the year.
My word of the year is “steadfast”. In order to stick to this goal of being more steadfast, I am reflecting on both the failures and successes of my journey each month. My hope is that by being vulnerable with my failures, you will realize that it’s possible to fail and get back up and keep going….and that by sharing my success you will realize that it’s totally possible to grow!
Steadfast: Not changing or losing purpose, unwavering; firm in belief and determination.
Each month, I am documenting my Steadfast journey in three categories: health, creative endeavors, and my spiritual walk. I am happy to report that I found it much easier to stay on track in April than in March, and I’m hoping to continue a more positive streak into May!
You can watch my youtube reflection or scroll down and read instead! :)
Health
This month, overall, has been much better in terms of eating healthier and exercising. Both Nick and I started the month off pretty strong after really struggling to be disciplined in March. We set some goals for ourselves each week and stuck to them for the most part. I’d say we were pretty solid for the first 3 weeks, and then the last week of the month we had a lot on our to-do lists and let things slip. Mostly we were trying to limit how often we were having desserts and eating out, which we did a much better job of, so I’ll count it as a win!
We also went on more walks and hikes. I don’t know about you, but during this time of social distancing, taking walks has helped me so much. Even if I don’t feel like going on a walk at the time, I always am glad I went after. Now that the weather is nice, I have loved getting out of the house as much as possible. We go on frequent walks in our neighborhood, and once a week or so we try to go to a nearby park or hiking trail for a change of scenery.
Creative Endeavors
This seems to be the category I have been the most consistent in overall over the course of this Steadfast journey. It does help that the whole Covid-19 situation has given me a lot more free time to pursue my blogging and YouTube hobbies. I have blogged and vlogged consistently each week for the entire month of April, and I have received quite a few encouraging comments on some of my adoption videos. It’s been really rewarding to see that practicing steadfastness in this area has helped others on their adoption journeys! Even though recently I have been enjoying youtubing a bit more than blogging, I have stayed consistent in both.
Spiritual Walk
Although I was by no means perfectly consistent with setting aside time with God this month, I was much more consistent than I was in March. I’m also finding that by not beating myself up when I miss a day, I am enjoying the time more and getting more out of it. Here’s the thing, it’s not like God wants us to come spend time with him out of obligation, but out of love!
As I mentioned in previous months, I am using the Bible app to do a study with women in my house church (basically a small group at church). Even though we can’t be together, we can do a plan together and comment on what we learned from the passage. It’s a nice way to stay connected when apart. If you struggle to stay consistent with your devos, I recommend you try this out with your friends! It emails you when your friends have finished a day or commented, which is a good reminder to read your Bible :)
Overall, I’m proud.
Considering the world is an a very crazy state, I am pretty proud of my progress so far. I had absolutely no clue what 2020 had in store when I set this goal for myself back in December 2019. I almost always struggle to stick to a routine in the summers because of the lack of structure (I’m a teacher), but now I have been living without much structure for several months and have still managed to practice steadfastness for the most part! We have to take those wins, even when they are small!
How are you doing with your goals in 2020? Were they completely derailed or are you still pushing towards them?