I wasn't sure that I was going to have a word to focus on this year. In the past, I have had a word of focus some years, but not all. After looking back at posts in my blog, I found that these are the words I have focused on in the past.
2017 - Go and Do
2020 - Intentional
2021 - Strong
2022 - Continue
2025 - Hopeful
It was interesting to recall what was going on in my life during these years and how each word corresponded with that.
After giving it some serious thought over the past few days, I decided that my word for 2026 is PROGRESS.
Why did I choose the word PROGRESS? This year promises many changes for me and for my family. We are buying another house and will be moving there, and selling our current house in a few months. Josh will be moving out and into his own place. I will be retiring from teaching at the end of the school year in May, and we will be going through all of the financial changes that come with that. As all of these changes come, I feel that I need to move forward one step at a time, doing what is right for me and my family in the eyes of God. That, to me is PROGRESS.
Now onto some of my 2026 goals. My goals for 2026 are simply to do better than I have in the 2025 in these areas:
Physical - I want to continue being healthy in 2026. I lost a little bit of weight in 2025 and would like to continue and lose about five more pounds in 2026. To do this, I plan to watch/limit my calories and exercise every day. My goal is to walk at least two miles, or exercise for 30-40 minutes a day 5-6 days a week.
Mental - I want to find better ways of dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression. I need to respect my own limits and boundaries, get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, limit caffeine intake, and exercise. I will deal with depression through building strong and healthy relationships, praying, and being grateful for my blessings.
Spiritual - I want to continue reading the word of God in scripture every day, and attending church and the temple. I will continue to pray daily, and also whenever I need help or inspiration, or just want to talk to God. I need to be willing and able to follow inspiration that comes from the Holy Spirit.
Relationships - I want to continue to build strong relationships with important people in my life - my husband, children, grandchildren, mother, cousin and friends. I want to spend time with these important individuals, and make sure that they know how much I love them and how important they are to me! I want to perform daily acts of kindness whenever I can, and continue to make family my #1 priority. I also want to make some new friends in my new community when we move this coming summer.
Finances - This is a big area for me because I am going to retire at the end of the school year. We want to sell our current house and clear enough to pay off other properties. I need to find and enroll in good supplemental Medicare insurance. I need to apply for Social Security and my state pension. We need to pay off any excess debt and keep our expenditures in line with our new retirement income. I want to be debt free (including mortgages), as much as possible, by this time next year.
Career - I want to retire at the end of May! I also want to find out how to retain my teaching license in retirement, in the unlikely event that I decide to do a little substitute teaching to supplement my income (which at this time I am not planning to do).
Personal Growth - I want to continue reading every day. I hope to read 1-2 hours every day in retirement. I would like to surpass the number of books I read in 2025 (67) in 2026. I would like to get a piano and try to regain musical skills I once had.
Of course, I will adjust my goals as circumstances deem necessary. What about you? Any goals for 2026? How about a special word for the year?
Until next time,
😊Deb💖
"The secret of progress
is to get started."
~Mark Twain
