I can’t remember when I started this benchmark, but it’s become a pretty important one for me every year. Some of it has to do with the time of year – September, back to school, changing seasons, new routines, and preparing for the craziest and most fun part of the year ahead (holiday season!). It’s just easier to think long term and make some goals about where I want to be.

100 Days is also key, because it’s a manageable time frame. It’s enough time to feel like you can have an impact. But it’s not quite as daunting as a full year. We all know how quick the holiday season can pass us by, so it’s just about refocusing for this last stretch to make sure we’re hitting those goals, meeting our resolutions, and finishing the year strong and proud of ourselves.

100 Days to…

The biggest focus for most of 2019 was completing my 30 Before 30. I picked 30 things I wanted to do/accomplish before I turn 30 on October 25, 2019. I’m deeeeeeeeeeefinitely behind. I still have 11 items to complete in the next 30 something days. Yikes. Here’s what I still need to do:

• See a movie alone
• Take a writing class (in progress)
• Finish an embroidery project (in progress)
• Finish my manuscript (in progress)
• Do every step of temple work (in progress, last step!)
• Throw a favorite things party (starting to plan)
• Take a trip with just our family (planned for next week!)
• Deathly Hallows (in progress)
• Finance Challenge – Shelftember! (in progress)
• 30 Day Yoga Challenge (in progress)
• TBD

The other focus of the year was my word of 2019 – BUILD. I’m truly very happy with where I’m at with this word, though it’s been much harder and more abstract than the words I’ve chosen for previous years. I am probably less technically successful; there’s just not as much to show for this word. But I know how I feel and how I’ve grown.

I’ve kicked a$$ at building a comfortable, happy home. I’ve worked really hard to improve my home this year, and tackling all the different projects has been so much fun! I’ve painted, crafted, organized, cleaned, reorganized, researched, and carefully curated so many areas of my house and I’m so fired up to keep going. It’s not just the aesthetics, though! I’ve also created some good routines with my girls, such as reading our library books every day during breakfast (GAMECHANGER) and teaching Reese to fold and put away her own laundry (PRAISE THE LORD).

I’ve built a much stronger relationship with my Heavenly Parents and improved my testimony. Serving as the Relief Society President truly changed me forever, and though being released via ward split (read: cut loose) was strange and challenging in ways, I was very pleased to find that my testimony and commitment to the Gospel wasn’t affected. I’ll admit part of me was worried that my newfound spiritual connection was contingent only on this new responsibility, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.

Perhaps what I’m most proud of is the way I’ve built friendships and relationships. I’ve screwed up in this area the most, too, but it’s lead to lots of great lessons. It’s the remodeling of this home that has been painful and messy, but I finally feel like we’ve got the bones of that new wing ready for drywall and finishes.

Right now I want to focus on finishing my 30 Before 30, planning a killer 30th birthday party with my best friend, and living up the holiday season. To continue working on BUILD, I have a bunch of projects in my home to complete, a new calling in Activity Days to magnify, and a few new strategies for being positive and uplifting in my relationships with others.

2019 has 100 days left and I want to mindfully use each of them to be better and enjoy my life more. I want to be standing tall on December 31, 2019 knowing that I have built something stronger.