2016 has been a year of taking chances. We took a chance when we decided Phoenix would be a better quality of life and more family- (and budget) friendly place to raise kids, so packed up our belongings and made the cross-country move from the CT/NYC area.
Now, just on the brink of a new year, we’ve taken yet another chance — really chances. Myles accepted a new job at Netflix, where he was outside of his comfort zone, but set to learn and grow. Our family took a chance on Los Angeles, a place Myles and I had lived during our pre-kids days. It offers the vibrancy and sense of movement that comes with living in a big city, without feeling like, well, a big city. And I took a chance on me. There’s a personal project that I’ve been working on and should be set to unveil in January, one that I’m super excited to share!
So here we are, ready to ring in 2017 and it’s time to write, visualize, and execute on a new set of goals. We don’t really like the term “New Year’s Resolutions,” as it carries with it such a heavy and less-than optimistic tone. Have you ever really stuck to those resolutions longer than say mid-January? We certainly haven’t. So instead, we choose to focus on goals for the year. For us, these goals fall into four categories: Marriage, Family, Personal and Professional. We’re putting our 2017 goals out there, because we believe that publicly displaying them increases the likeliness that they’ll actually be achieved. After all, a goal without a plan is simply a wish.
- Marriage: This one is first because without this very important brick, the whole house we’re building crumbles. One goal we’d like to work towards in 2017, is fighting fair. Arguments are inevitable. If you think a perfect marriage is one without fighting or arguing at all, then you are dreaming. According to Dr. John M. Gottman of the Gottman Institute, fighting in your relationship isn’t always a sign that it’s weak or troubled, rather, it could be a sign of strength. This is all dependent, of course, on how you’re fighting. We never shy away from hashing things out (that’s not to say we don’t pick our battles so to speak), as we believe that our feelings should be known and not swept under the rug. We both could, however, do a better job of “fighting fair” — with a focus on being more constructive during our arguments and less defensive and retaliatory.
- Family: Last year’s goal was to have at least one adventure a month, whether it was exploring a new part of Arizona, play space, or brunch spot. Now that we’re settling into LA-living, this goal still seems fitting as we’re in a brand new place.
- Personal:
- Ravelle: I got pregnant with Rhyan when Logan was about 6-months-old, so not that much time to fully lose the 50 pounds I had gained. I’d like to take this year to set aside the hour or so gym-time in the mornings to focus on me. Some days it’s hard to get a workout in for one reason or the next (kids up all night, other responsibilities demanding my attention, etc.) that I don’t prioritize the gym. What I have to remember in those instances is that I always feel so happy I went and that the kids did in fact survive without me. Sometimes when I hear their cries as I’m trying to sneak out, my resolve to leave breaks. This is when Myles reminds me, that in five minutes they will be thinking about something else, ha! I’m 50-55 pounds away from my pre-baby(ies) weight, so here’s to chipping away at that…one day at a time.
- Myles: We’re in a relatively new city, at least one where we don’t have a large group of close friends like we did in New York or Phoenix, so my goal is to make a conscious effort to make new friends. We both have such strong friends from our previous two homes, and personally (less true for Ravelle), I don’t always try to add more friends to the mix because I’m happy with the ones I have. That’s not the right attitude at all, especially when living in a new city. On top of that, I’d like to do two more Half IRONMAN races as well as a handful of other running/triathlon competitions throughout the year!
- Professional:
- Ravelle: I once read that everyone has great ideas in the shower, but only a few ever execute on them. Well, I’m taking a chance on my great idea and will hopefully be unveiling it within the next few weeks. It’s something that I think will be a big help to mommas everywhere and one that I can’t wait to share and watch grow!
- Myles: I recently started a new role at Netflix and it’s without a doubt the best job I’ve ever had, and frankly, ever dreamed of. I’m obsessed with the business, the culture and my colleagues. In 2017, my goal is to make my mark on the brand and be a crucial piece of the puzzle to help drive member acquisition goals for the year. I have some thoughts up my sleeve (unfortunately can’t share those with y’all just yet), and am excited to put these plans in action!
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