Episode 116 | My Birthday Reset: 3 Goals for the Next Season

Dr. Brandi Kelly: Hey friends, welcome back to the Lead with Hope podcast. I am so glad you're here. Now today's episode is going to be a little bit personal because I just had a birthday. And if you're friends with me on Facebook, you probably know that because Facebook does birthdays really, really well. Seriously. Birthdays on Facebook are one of the best things about social media. You get messages from people that you haven't talked to for years. People that you've worked with from different seasons of your life. And suddenly for one day, your entire history seems to show up in those notifications. And I absolutely love it. I felt incredibly blessed. Blessed by my family and my friends, and blessed by the people that I've walked through those different seasons of my life with. And every birthday has a way of reminding me that life is not measured by the number of years that we've lived. It's measured by the people, purpose, and the moments that fill those years. So I want to say thank you to everyone who took a minute to send me a message on Facebook, posted something on my timeline, or sent me a text. You made me feel very loved. And For that, I'm grateful. But birthdays also make me think. And for me, my birthday has become a reset. Not a new year, new me kind of reset. I'm not trying to be somebody else. I'm trying to become a little more intentional about becoming the person God is calling me to be in this season. One of those changes is in my health. I recently had blood work done and I am beginning a health journey with a functional medicine doctor. My triglycerides were high. I mean, really high. And so I am making some changes and I'm really looking forward to learning more about what my body needs. Not just reacting when something isn't working or something feels wrong, but paying attention to the whole picture. What I'm putting in my body, my nutrition, my movement, my sleep, my stress, my energy levels, and my overall wellness. I'm gonna share more about my journey in a future episode because I think there's a lot to talk about there. But today I'm not gonna go into the details of that blood work and that health journey that I'm embarking on. Today I want to talk to you about something else. It's about the goals that I've set for this next year of my life. Here is something I've learned about goals. A goal doesn't change your life because you write it down. A goal changes your life when you create a system for actually living it. So this year I have three goals, and I'm going to revisit these goals every 90 days with my accountability partner. Not once a year, not when I remember, but I'm going to schedule it in my calendar every 90 days. Because ninety days is long enough to create some meaningful change and it's short enough that you can't keep telling yourself I'll start later. Here's goal number one. And by the way, these are all goals that you can implement in your life too, and you can embark on this journey with me. Goal number one, take better care of the one body that I've been given. My first goal is my health. I am planning to build sustainable health routines that support the person I am becoming in this next season. That means working with this functional medicine doctor. it means paying attention to my nutrition. It means moving my body every day consistently. It means prioritizing sleep and recovery. It means actually looking at the data instead of avoiding it, you know, getting on the scale even when I don't want to. But my goal isn't just weight loss. It's to feel better, to have more energy, and to build a healthier foundation for the years ahead. My mom died very young. She had cancer, and she died at the age of 44. I want to be here for a long, long time to enjoy my family, my kids, my grandkids, and to do that with a good quality of life. And these goals, they're going to help me build that. So over the next 90 days, I'm gonna focus on consistency and not perfection. I am just gonna get 1% better every day. Perfection is exhausting, but Progress is sustainable. Goal number two, I'm building this business, Spark Hope EDU, and I'm gonna build with focus, not frenzy. My second goal is connected to my work. I have so many ideas. And if you know me, you know this is not exactly breaking news. I can see a good idea and think, we could do this and this and this. And what if we, and suddenly I have 47 projects going all at the same time. So this year, my goal is to practice focus. That means being very clear about who I serve. Problem I solve and the work that matters most. I want to spend more time speaking, coaching, training, building community, and creating resources that genuinely help leaders lead with more hope, purpose, peace, and presence. And I'm giving myself permission to say no to some good things so I can say yes to the right things. You don't need more opportunities. Sometimes you just need alignment. And then goal number three be more present for the people I love. My third goal may actually be the most important one. I want to be more intentional with the people I love. My family, my friends, the people God places in my life. I don't want to be so busy. Building a meaningful life that I actually forget to live it. I've been there, I've done that. Now I want more conversations around the table, more laughter, more time with family, making memories with my grandbabies. More putting that phone down, more being fully present instead of physically present, but mentally somewhere else. Because here is what this birthday has reminded me of. Time moves fast. And we don't get to negotiate with it. So I don't want to fill my calendar. I want to fill my life. So these are my three goals for this year. Take better care of my body, build with focus, not frenzy, and be more present with the people that I love. Every 90 days, I'm gonna sit down with my accountability partner and I'm gonna ask what's working, what isn't working, what do I need to stop, what do I need to start? And perhaps most importantly, who am I becoming? Goals aren't really about just checking the box. They're about becoming the person that God created you to be, and we are wonderfully made. Maybe you need a reset too, friend. Maybe your birthday isn't coming up. Maybe you are nowhere near a new year. That's okay too. You don't need a new calendar to create a new chapter. You can start today. Reset. Decide that this season is going to be different. Choose one goal, one habit, one relationship. Or one area where you are ready to stop drifting and start leading intentionally. That's what hope does. Hope reminds us that the future isn't fixed. There is still something ahead of you. There's something being built. There's room to grow and there is still purpose in your story. And speaking of building intentionally, I want to invite you into something that I'm creating. It's called the Hope Collective. And the Hope Collective is a VIP coaching and networking experience for leaders who don't just want to consume more information. They want to grow. They want accountability. They want meaningful relationships and honest conversations. This space is for leaders who want to work on themselves while also being around people who are committed to becoming better leaders. It's about creating a space where you can step back, get clear, get supported, and move forward. And I am intentionally keeping this group small. There will only be 20 spots. I don't want this to become another giant online group where you join, get added to 14 notifications, and then never hear from anyone ever again. I want this to feel personal, connected, valuable, and honestly a little exclusive. So if something in you is saying I think this is the season where I need a space like that, send me an email. Tell me you're interested in the Hope Collective, and I'll add you to the list. Once these 20 spots are filled, they're filled. And I would much rather have 20 people who are truly committed to doing the work than 200 people who are just watching from the sidelines. Before you go today, I want to ask a small favor. If this podcast has encouraged you, challenged you, or given you something to think about, would you take a moment to subscribe and rate the show? Every rating helps us share this message of hope with busy leaders who need it. And if you know someone who needs a reset right now, send this episode to them. Sometimes the most powerful thing that we can do for someone is Isn't giving them the answer. It's simply to remind them. You don't have to stay where you are. You can start over, reset, choose hope, and lead yourself and the people around you with intention. Thanks for being here And here's to the next version of me and of you. Here is to more health, more focus, more presence, and more purpose. And as always, keep leading with hope. I'll see you next time.