A New Year Means New Goals

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We all make different goals for ourselves, and what better time than the first of January to make resolutions? So how many resolutions are made and actually followed through? I don’t know the exact numbers, but I bet it’s a lot.

As a military spouse, our lives are crazy. Sometimes we are super productive and successful, and other times, we simply exist. Creating goals is an on-going process, and we succeed or not as many times as we can manage. As military spouses, our resolutions are big, and we probably work harder than most to achieve them. In the end, we challenge ourselves and prove to be stronger than we had imagined.

What I have learned…

If I have learned anything over the course of 2018, it is that my goals are easily obtained by taking baby steps. The word resolution is slightly overwhelming for me, but thinking of resolutions as goals allows me to focus on the things I want to accomplish and the steps I can take to achieve them. Let’s be honest, giving up anything or making drastic changes has to happen in steps to be successful. My goals for January 2018 were rather large, and I managed only to achieve some of the long list of goals I made for myself. So this year, my goals for 2019 are simple. Rather than a long fancy list, I have made a short list of everything I wish to accomplish. I have written the necessary steps to reach each goal, and those steps have become my goals for the year.

I feel as if more times than not, we set ourselves up for failure rather than success. We hear the different stigmas in society surrounding our lifestyles, and we shoot to overcome those instantly. Often when we reach too high we fall short, and it takes time to jump back up again. However, everything IS within reach. Sure, life is harder for military spouses. We move, we deal with deployments, and we pick ourselves up more times than we can count. It’s so easy to see our shortcomings and to not reach for the sky. BUT! WE CAN REACH! WE CAN SUCCEED!

Your Challenge!

Here is my challenge for you. Maybe you are new to military life, but you have been married for a while. Maybe you are new to married life and new to military life. Maybe you are like me, sitting at home wondering what comes next. My challenge works for all of us regardless of our place in the journey. I challenge each of you to make a list of your long-term goals. Then make a list of the steps you need to take to achieve those goals. Now take those steps and pick the goals that you are most likely to achieve, and I want you to pursue those steps for the next year!

Carlie James Petrovics is a freelance writer originally from Georgetown, Delaware. (1).png