Brittany Anne: January 2017

Two Thousand Sixteen was NOTHING like I planned. From getting back together with Trevor to my anniversary rappel at Cougar Cliffs to our family trip to Europe & oh getting engaged and married - it's been quite the year! Just shortly after the new year Trevor & I had our "first date" - for the second time. You know how the Chinese calendar has the year or the cow, year of the pig etc.? Well 2016 was the year of the Trevor. Since about the second week of January 2016, it has been all about Trevor. Reconnecting, dating, getting engaged, planning a wedding and starting our new life together back in Logan.

(don't mind our moody dog-child)

This past year I've been trying to find balance in my life. I attempted to balance a full-time teaching job, trying to train full-time for xc skiing, regular speaking engagements, balancing my role as a wife and dog-mom. I've been slacking on my blog this last year because I was trying to balance all these different roles and responsibilites. After lots of thinking and prioritizing I've decided to just SIMPLIFY.

The first step to simplifying was to let go of what wasn't bringing me joy and that started with competitive skiing. As I've been thinking through my long term life goals, I realized competitive skiing was doing nothing for me.

The best way to live a meaningful and connected life was to and to do just that - live. I will definitely continue to ski, but the stress of training and skiing competitively was not bringing me joy. I know my identity doesn't lie in my role as an athlete. Skiing and mountain boarding brings me joy, but not at a high level of intensity. And with a full time job, husband and dog, as well as regular speaking engagements and numerous failed attempts at writing - I just didn't have enough hours in the day. I still make daily exercise a priority because it always has and always will keep me sane.

Trevor & I talked a lot about consistency before the new year. We often set goals based on things we plan on doing every day or a certain number times a month. And while I think it's important to write down specific goals, I also want to remained balanced. And in order to remain balanced we need to simplify. That is where this years theme comes in:

SIMPLIFY IN 2017

So often people make these extravagant new years goals & lists. But this theme truly simplifies it all. In this simplified 2017 we want to be consistent. Consistent with our prayers and scripture study. We want to be consistent friends. We want to consistently be serving and loving others. We want to consistently work out, attend the temple and try new recipes. With consistency there is balance and with balance there must be simplicity.

This year I want to live a simplified and balanced life, but the best way to do that is to be consistent is to not try and overwhelm ourselves by starting a bunch of large ambitious goals all at once. Our actions may start small, but with all of our actions we want to be consistent and intentional.

Here's just a little recap of my past themes:

BEING BOLD IN 2009

RECKLESS in 2010

SOPHISTICATED in 2011

AUDACIOUS in 2012

LIMITLESS in 2013

RESTARTING in 2014

AUTHENTIC in 2015

PERSEVERING in 2016

SIMPLIFY IN 2017

And now for a recap of 2016: The year of the Trevor.

JANUARY