Have you taken time to reflect on your life in 2021? My year was full of tremendous happiness, heart-breaking pain, amazing experiences, and challenging obstacles. Despite the ups and downs of the year, my perspective was planted firmly in a state of joy, accomplishment, and peace of mind. My mindset and mental health have grown strong, not from any tricks or life hacks, but from a continuing lifestyle that focuses on goals, positive habits, and active progress anchored in 11 key focus areas of life. The result is a life focused on attachment to a mission and purpose, as opposed to a person, place, or company.
The goals I pursued and accomplished began with desire, followed specific plans, and ended in a quiet celebration for the work, journey, growth, and achievement experienced over the past 12 months.
The Pursuit of Growth lifestyle has blessed my life, and I’m proud to share highlights featuring many of the goals I planned, pursued, and accomplished over the past 12 months in each of the 11 focus areas.
FAITH IN GOD
- Found a new church to attend and engage.
- Studied a new daily online Bible course each morning.
- Listened to over 100 hours of Christian apologetics online.
CHARACTER
- Created a life mission statement to align my mindset towards a clear purpose.
- Studied & placed a daily focus for recognizing opportunities to act with boldness & decisiveness.
- Studied & placed a daily focus to remain cool under pressure.
ATTITUDE
- Read 12 books to encourage personal, professional, spiritual, mental, and physical growth.
- Shared top three gratitude moments from each day with my girlfriend throughout the year.
- Created a habit during my daily workouts to review a mental checklist of future items and accomplishments that spark my excitement in each of the 11 focus areas – the vision of my future self.
CONFIDENCE
- Developed a new morning routine that includes prayer, Bible study, goal review, affirmation review, accomplishment review, and life principles review.
RELATIONSHIPS
- Developed a loving relationship with an exceptional woman who aligns with my core values – our incredible shared experiences this year are much too massive to capture in a blog, or a book.
- Reconnected with lifelong friends online and in-person.
- Scheduled and held weekly phone calls with my parents to talk about our lives.
- Moved to a new part of the city to live near my girlfriend.
HEALTH
- Created and strictly followed a yearlong clean diet of lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates.
- Created and strictly followed a yearlong workout plan including 3 days of weightlifting and 3 days of cardiovascular exercise each week.
- Accomplished the MURPH fitness challenge.
LOVE & SERVICE
- Created weekly and monthly goals to spend quality time with important people in my life.
- Dedicated time each week to create and share blogs, podcasts, and social media content through The Pursuit of Growth to teach, motivate, encourage, and support people to pursue the best version of themselves.
- Added a checklist to my weekly planner with tasks I could complete each week to serve the people in my life.
LIFELONG LEARNING
- Studied, created, and implemented an evening and morning routine for waking up each weekday at 5:00 AM.
- Studied and began investing in cryptocurrency.
- Studied professional leadership skills including implementation of new time management efficiencies, plans for creating high performing cultures, and new principles and processes for solving work issues.
FINANCIAL LITERACY
- Created a new personal budget and savings goal.
- Achieved monthly and yearlong savings goal.
- Read three books on financial literacy and wealth creation.
PROFESSIONAL WORK
- Achieved revenue goals for three major charitable fundraising events.
- Achieved revenue goals for acquiring individual major gifts for charitable mission.
- Wrote and published 52 blogs for The Pursuit of Growth.
- Interviewed and published 27 podcasts for The Pursuit of Growth .
HOBBIES & EXPERIENCES
- Road tripped to the beaches of Pensacola, Florida, the nightlife of Memphis, Tennessee, and spent unforgettable weekends in Oklahoma City and the Texas Hill Country.
- Experienced adventure sports including downhill mountain bike riding, kayaking, paddle boarding, and sailing -alongside dolphins.
- Experienced live music concerts with The Beach Boys, The Foo Fighters, and the talented rhythm and blues musicians of Beal Street.
Reflect on your 2021 and celebrate. What goals did you accomplish?
Live The Pursuit of Growth
*In 2021 my family mourned and celebrated the life Josh Bauerle, who went to his heavenly home to be with his Lord and Savior, just a few days before his 21st birthday. Josh had an infectious smile and lit up every room he walked in. He made it hip and cool to be a happy person. He had a human spirit that could not be shaken. A beautiful gift he left behind for all of us.