Catch up with past 2014 goal setting posts by clicking these links –

• Making things happen in 2014

• Lessons learned in 2013

• A Vision for 2014

And so it continues – the next steps in this 2014 making things happen journey. Check out Lara’s take by clicking here.

The idea of legacy has really been floating around in my life lately. It’s one of those words I keep seeing everywhere, you know what I mean?

It’s also something – up until recently anyway – I have never thought about. Even though I am a planner by nature, I typically didn’t plan much beyond a month or two. But now that we are moving into what feels like a new phase of our lives, and especially because we are now parents, the idea of establishing a legacy feels really… well… real.

So, how am I going to work on planting seeds and creating a legacy in 2014?

One word – tradition.

It’s time to start telling stories. And writing things down. I have a few journals I’ve received as gifts this past year that are for the specific purpose of writing down family memories – legacies! – to pass on to your children. So I’m going to do that, but I’m also going to tell those stories out loud. And I’m going to pry some stories out of Alex, too, though that won’t be hard because he is a good storyteller.

And around those old stories we’ll start telling new ones. And those new stories will be the foundation of our traditions. And our traditions are what Ezra will carry with him. I want our traditions to be as familiar to him as his own name – a name that’s even steeped in tradition in our families and beyond.

But taking the idea of legacy a step further, I also can’t help but think about the physical legacy Alex and I are leaving for Ezra and any future children. The new house plays a part in that, but so does the way we make that house a home, the way we chose to spend our money, how we plan for the future. I want Ezra to see responsible examples in us – that it’s easy to budget and taking the time to do that frees you to be generous with your time and what you’re blessed with.

Basically, I think what it boils down to is talking about our past and our future so that we can make our present as lovely as it should be.

I had a hard time coming up with an answer for this question because the concept of “radical” to me means something drastic. But then I read this on Lara’s blog –

Radical literally means very new and different from what is traditional or ordinary.   ‘If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. ‘ – Tony Robbins   Do something different this year, something that feels bigger than you.

Something different? I can do that.

So, for 2014, my radical is to write more. In 2013, I really lost touch with that side of myself. That’s going to change this year and I’m really excited about it! I have some ideas up my sleeve and one in particular I’m especially looking forward to. On Sundays, I’m going to make it a tradition (*elbow nudge*) to share a fiction snippet right here on the blog. I don’t know yet if these snippets will all come together as a story, or if they are separate things, or if they are characters to look into, or places to explores… I just haven’t decided yet. And that’s totally okay. But definitely check here, this Sunday, for the first one!

The last step of the process – to pick a song for 2014!

This was a no brainer for me. This song has been in my head every day for over a month now. And I’ll just leave it at that.

What’s next? Glad you ask. To complete my little series on Making Things Happen in 2014 I’m going to share my 2014 goals right here! Because what’s the good in making goals if you don’t share them so someone can keep you accountable, amiright?? Of course I’m right. 🙂