How to make 2019 your best year yet. Looking back on last year, I am overcome with gratitude for all of the blessings I’ve received. I was directed and guided. I had more opportunities than I could have imagined. Here are a few highlights.

• My podcast, The Women with Fire, hit 14,000/week
• Top 35 recruiters for Maskcara
• Top 55 sales for Maskcara
• Spoke at Strong Fit Mamas Conference
• Made 3 appearances on Studio 5 Morning Show
• Launched “The Quest” series for The Women with Fire
• Spoke to hundreds at a few church events
• Kept 5 kids alive and thriving
• Fell more deeply in love with my man of 14 years
• Grew in my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ

Those bottom three are my most important accomplishments of 2018

Why would I tell you these things? It isn’t to brag. It isn’t to make you feel bad and I really hope it doesn’t because my success does not tarnish your success. In fact, when my light shines brighter, so does yours. That’s one reason. The other reason is that I think it is important to look at what we’ve accomplished and show gratitude for how far we’ve come.

Most years, I just look ahead at the possibility of the new year without honoring the growth of the previous year. It is like I am ready to kick the year to the curb, but the truth is the past year has done a lot for me and my growth and I owe it to myself and to my God to show gratitude.

So that is step 1 of making 2019 your best year yet

Step 1: Show gratitude for the past.

Now that you have a clear picture of your growth, let’s look at the gaps, the places that need improvement. You know they are there. You try to sweep them under the rug, but you can’t vacuum over that bump.

And just like I want to be open with you about my good things, I am committed to being open with you about the bad.

• Compared to others too much
• Wasted too much time consuming social media instead of using it for growth
• Doubted me and my team
• Judged others too harshly
• Prepared a talk for the wrong audience (yep, I spoke way over their heads, not my best moment)
• Didn’t prepare a strategic content calendar which resulted in spotty posting and inconsistent messaging

Being able to see where you are lacking can help you take the next step for a better year. Don’t get down about where you lack, it doesn’t mean you are a bad person, it means you are a normal person. And your imperfections make you lovable and relatable.

Step 2. Honestly review where you can improve

Now that we have a clear picture of how you can improve, take a minute to dream. What would your best year look like? What do want to do? What do you want to have? Who do you want to serve? What will be your impact?

My dream goals for this year:

Yikes, there it is. Out there in the open for all to see, but it really isn’t that scary. If I’m shooting for these goals, even if I don’t hit every single one, I will be moving toward them. So, I will be better off than I was at the beginning of the year. Now it is your turn.

Step 3. Write out what your dream year looks like

Now that you have your dream your planned out, in your daily prayers, meditations and thoughts, show gratitude and visualize them already happening. This one practice has changed everything for me.

Don’t spend all of your time pleading and begging things into existence. This can be exhausting and lacks faith. Instead, be grateful for the blessings before they have actually come to you. This will help you live in a mindset of abundance and will put you on the path to action to make it happen and open yourself up for blessings.

Step 4. Show gratitude daily as if your dreams have already happened

Your dream year is mapped, now you can set up measurement marks to keep you on track. I make a list of daily, weekly and monthly actions I need to take to get me where I want to go.

Step 5. Break down your to-do’s into daily, weekly and monthly

That, my friends, is how I am making 2019 my best year yet and you can too. Download my free 2019 planning printable to get going now.

I’d love to know what your goals are this year. Leave me a comment below so that we can do this together!