Posts in Goals
September 2015 Goals

I have all the feelings about you, September…

Really happy because even though it’s not really that cool yet, September means I can start wearing boots and scarves way too soon.

Really determined because I’m going to start work life again at my own pace, transitioning from maternity leave and coming out of my “mama bear cave” as I’ve come to call it. Part time this month, full time next.

Really fresh because I have a new closet and a new haircut! That’s enough to keep anyone motivated!

Really excited to plan talks for 2 amazing conferences around the corner (see below)! #nancyrayspeaks

Really nervous because I will be flying and driving and traveling with a 4 month old for 10 days straight. Help me Lord. (Raleigh > Indy > Nashville > Tampa > Raleigh)

And honestly, really nervous about how life is going to look from here on out, balancing life as a wife and a mama and a business owner and a friend and doing it all well. I know I’m about to receive heaps of grace from my husband, my team, my family and myself, as I enter into this juggle for the first time.

September 2015 will go down as a very full month… full of work and baby snuggles and travel and transition and change in the Ray household. (More to come on the hubby’s blog soon.) I told Will, “I feel like this month I’m going to have to put my big girl pants on!” As a Mama, as a wife, as a business owner, as a speaker, a photographer, a blogger… it’s time to do this thing. No shying away from what’s to come – just embracing it all with open hands and an ear always listening to the Holy Spirit.

This past weekend was so good for me. Will and I spent time with some of our dearest friends in the mountains of North Carolina, and one morning before anyone was awake, I sat on the porch swing drinking my coffee, listening to the Lord. He simply told me, “One day at a time.”

Those are MY words for this month. One day at a time. Not looking forward and stressing or worrying… just asking the Lord to help me THIS day. Maybe that’s for you, too—just one day at a time. One hour at a time. One minute at a time.

With that in mind, I’m keeping my September Goals simple. I’m choosing to embrace the crazy, the transition, the travel, the change. Let’s do this, September!

September Goals

GoalsNancy RayGoalsComment
August 2015 Goals

I knew time would fly. Everyone told me it would, and it is. However, it’s beautiful. Often I hear that phrase as a forewarning, so other moms make sure I know it’s heartbreaking to have time go by so quickly. I must say, I now understand the catch 22 of motherhood: wanting your child to grow healthy and strong while simultaneously wanting them to stay tiny forever. But I’ve realized the pace of life is really, really beautiful. Yes, once a baby enters, your time takes on a different pace completely. It’s really slow and really fast at the same time. It absolutely has been a blur. But it’s more beautiful than I ever realized it would be. Every day that passes by us means Milly is one day older, and goodness she’s changed so much in just 8 short weeks! Every day that passes means she is less tiny and less fragile. But every day that passes means she is one day closer to stepping into her purpose and destiny. And my goal as a mama is to hold her hand and help her do just that – step into her place in God’s kingdom this this world with her head held high, knowing she was meant for something great. What a privilege it is to be a mom.

My advice to new Mamas? Time will fly, but it will also crawl by, and it’s all so beautiful. Embrace it exactly how God made it to be, because it’s all too wonderful to really put into words.

August Goals

GoalsNancy RayGoalsComment
July 2015 Goals

What a sweet month June has been! Welcoming Milly into our lives has been my greatest joy. I can’t wait to share more about our birth story and life as a new Mama. Everyone tries to prepare you for life with a baby, but there really are no words. It’s something you simply have to experience in your own way, in your own time. Honestly, it’s something I’ve wanted to hold close to my heart and not share publicly until I was ready. This season is such a treasure!

Those first few weeks with no sleep and all the hormones… goodness, I cried at least 5 times a day. I even cried when my mom made me a BLT sandwich. (Not joking!) I must say – I am so, so glad I set one goal for June. I am proud to say I accomplished that goal, and it was certainly wisdom that I didn’t set any additional goals! It felt so freeing to focus all of my attention on simply enjoying this season. Now that July is here, I feel like I’ve turned a corner and am a little more of myself again.

So here I am, learning to set goals in a new way. I believe in setting realistic goals, and for me right now, that means keeping things simple!

July Goals

  • Establish a daily rhythm & evening routine with sweet Milly

  • Read The Happiest Baby on the Block

  • Blog my birth story + our baby bucket list + life with Milly

  • Write and send all Thank You Notes

  • Travel to Beaufort for July 4th (with a new baby AND our great dane Winston!)

  • Photograph a beautiful wedding in Asheville

  • Take a roll of film of life as a new family

  • ENJOY maternity leave!

GoalsNancy RayGoalsComment