What worked for me in 2016

I've been trying to do some goal setting for the new year, but I've also been thinking a lot about the past year.

So often we think about what we need to do differently or what we want to change. It's helpful to focus on what does work for us, rather than what doesn't. I always love when Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy shares her What Worked for Me lists.

1- Using a paper planner. I have tried to just rely on the calendar or set reminders in my phone, but found myself wanting an actual planner I could carry with me to keep track of things. This year, I invested in a really cute planner from Anchored Press (I had a coupon). It is not only gorgeous (inside and out), but it also has weekly devotionals and plenty of space to make a daily to-do list, write down what you're having for dinner as well as appointments. I've only been using it for a week, but I really love it.

2- A simplified wardrobe. Now that I am a stay-at-home-mom and live in a very casual place (thank you Colorado), jeans and t-shirts/sweaters are the perfect go-to outfit for my daily wear. Sunday is about the only exception, when I often wear black jeans and a cute top or occasional dress with leggings (because I have two small, active children). I had read about the daily uniform wardrobe and capsule wardrobes for years, but finally got to put some of these into practice (more on this soon I hope).

3- Drinking my coffee black. I know this may seem so simple, but I have Whole30 to thank for training me to not need any cream in my coffee. There are times (holidays mostly) that I add a splash of something like eggnog, but on the daily I am enjoying my coffee black.

4- A few apps helped me keep track of things. Clue (tracks your menstral cycle), Goodreads (lists of books I've read, want to read, etc), Ibotta (saves me money through rebates. I've seriously earned over $175 since I started using it last year by uploading my receipts from stores I regularly shop at, i.e. Target), Ebates (also give me money back, but for online shopping). Even though I mentioned my love for a paper planner, I do use several apps to track my life in areas such as reading, my period, and shopping.

5- Keeping a gratitude journal. I started this in November, but have kept it up and started using  a separate notebook this year to write down things I am grateful for on a daily basis. I have tried to keep it simple, but love how it allows me to journal in a small way by keeping track of things my kids say/do.

6- Washing my hair twice a week. That may seem a little gross, but I my hair has "trained" itself to be less oily and since I live in a very dry climate, the less washing the better.

7- Facebook groups. I used to be very much against online groups, but have tapped into a few great communities through Facebook that are so life-giving and encouraging (I also hope to write more about this later).

Have you thought about what worked for in the last year? Tell me in the comments!