HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2017 was a pretty insane year for us. We accomplished some great stuff– Amber passed the OK bar, we paid off +$100k of student loan debt, we got settled into our careers, took a beach vacation (on a budget of course), wrote a book, and spent lots of time with wonderful family and friends. We had some hard times too– job changes, illness, setbacks.
We’ve spent the last few weeks pondering what we want to accomplish in 2018. In addition to coming up with concrete goals (which we do frequently throughout the year, not just at New Year’s– we discuss this in detail in our e-book here), we also like to come up with a theme that is consistent with our goals that we can focus on throughout the year.
SOME OF OUR GOALS:
- Pay off $144k of student loan debt by December 31st
- Complete Phased as a couple
- Grow Red Two Green (Help us by sharing it with friends! 🙂
- Start a side business I’ve been putting on hold
- Travel somewhere we haven’t been
- Read scriptures as a family every day (at least one little verse:)
- Refinance Danny’s student loans by April 1st.
- Buy a dental practice
OUR THEME: CONTROL
Our theme is what we focus on throughout the year. In past years, we’ve had themes like “healthy and happy” or “simplify.” This year, we chose “control” because we want to focus on control in all aspects of our lives. For example, we want to have more control in our spending and budgeting. We want to be more controlled with our tempers and be slow to anger. We want to control our eating better. You get the idea. Having a theme that we focus on has really helped us grow throughout the years. We like to post it in places where it can remind us often– like on the bathroom mirror, or in the car, anywhere that we are likely to see it every day.
What do you think about a New Year’s theme? Have you tried it? Did it work for you?
We wish you and yours the best 2018! May it be filled with health and wealth and all the good things. <3
Love this! I’ve been trying to decide on a theme or a mantra that could work for us all year. Got a few ideas, but nothing set in stone yet. You are both amazing people and have inspired me to do even better on the budget this year. Thanks!
Thanks Donnarea!! We love you guys.