Last year, I re-imagined the way I set yearly goals. Instead of setting traditional goals or benchmarks (which often look more like a yearly “to-do” list), I started to define my personal values and aimed to live with those values as a guide for my life. Over the course of the year, I found that living from my values instead of trying to meet specific “goals” made the things that I accomplished much more meaningful because they were purpose-filled. Not just as things I thought would be neat/cool/fun to do, but as things that were leading me in the direction I wanted to go and towards the values that I wanted to embody. Instead of frantically trying to check things off a yearly accomplishment list, I used my guiding values to evaluate decisions I made on how I spent my life/time. It allowed me to much easier say no to things that weren’t aligned with my values. Of course, I had some ideas of things that I wanted to make happen in my personal life and career, but letting values instead of goals guide me allowed myself to flow a little more, being open to what my future held (instead of being intent on making happen what I wanted to happen).

The guiding values that I set for 2016 were: create daily, live simply, value rest, and be open to adventure. (read more about them here) Over the course of the year, as I started to refine those values, I realized that they weren’t just things that I wanted to work on in 2016, but they embodied the way I wanted to live my life as a whole. A life filled with creativity, simplicity, mindfulness, and adventure.

For 2017 in particular, here are some of the ways I would like to live out those guiding values:

CREATIVITY:

• refine my work — quality, deepen my personal style, define my “why”
• market my work — build my brand, build a following, share patterns/studio/process on Instagram, shed the fear of putting myself/my work out there
• finish graduate school (masters in fibers/textile design) — final portfolio that I’m proud of and is helpful to moving my career forward
• get a job in the textile design industry (print & pattern)

SIMPLICITY:

• live in the same place as my husband again! (only have/pay for one apartment!)
• continue to live debt-free
• continue to be mindful of the purchases I make for my home and clothing — only things I really love, need, and fit within my style/aesthetic
• continue to be mindful of the environmental impact of my choices

MINDFULNESS:

• come from a calm and peaceful place — center myself so that peace radiates from within
• wake up every day with gratitude and love for life
• learn to be alone
• be better to my mind/body/soul — meditation, self care, rest, take real breaks, read for pleasure, journal, whole/paleo foods, nature, walks, exercise, empathy, kindness
• direction and clarity for my life moving forward — refine my “purpose”

ADVENTURE:

• let go of fear and let life flow — be open to the possibilities of my future

My mantra: I am strong, capable, creative, talented, brave.

I’m really excited to see what 2017 has in store for me! I know that it will be a year full of good/hard growth, but I’m confident there are exciting times ahead! Here’s to new adventures, discoveries, patterns, places, and opportunities ahead.

“There are stars you haven’t seen and loves you haven’t loved. There’s light you haven’t felt and sunrises yet to dawn. There are dreams you haven’t dreamt and days you haven’t lived and nights you won’t forget and flowers yet to grow and there is more to you that you have yet to know.” –Gaby Comprés

P.S. Past old year reflections and new year goals: Reflections on 2016, Goals for 2016, Reflections on 2015, Reflections on 2014, Goals for 2015, Reflections on 2013, Goals for 2014, Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013, Happy 2012, 2011 and 20 Before Twenty. 

P.P.S. The image above uses one of my favorite patterns I’ve made so far and also my own digital hand lettering! 

P.P.P.S. For more help in figuring out your own guiding values, look into Lara Casey’s Powersheets, Jess Lively’s Values Based Intentions, and the 52 Lists Project. I’ve found all of these helpful to me on my journey.