We made it y’all! 2020! The new year tends to bring about reflection on the past and high hopes for the new year. Resolutions are out and goals are in. It’s easy to say “these are my goals for the year”; the hard part is actually accomplishing them. Most people give up their resolutions by the third week in January. I’m usually one of those people.
Last year, I accomplished a huge goal of mine which was to start this business. I set my intentions for 2019 through Southern Flair’s Goals with Action workshop. I mixed personal goals with financial, health, and business goals. This year I’m doing things a bit differently.
Through the program, Leslie encourages you to reflect on the previous year. I read my reflection from 2018 and damn was I in a bad place! After I left teaching last December, my hopes for the upcoming year were hopeful but full of fear. Today, looking back, I can see that I accomplished what I set out to do in 2019 and then some. But I’m not stopping there. I’ve set 5 personal goals and 5 professional goals for 2020 and I’m creating a plan to go along with it. Goals without a plan are just a wish! And this girl has no time for wishing.
I want to share with you my 2020 goals with ideas on HOW I am going to make them happen.
My personal goals for this year are:
Read 2 books a month
Exercise 4 or more times a week
Drop my screen time
Stick to a consistent bedtime and wake up time
Spend less, save more
Use less plastic and adopt more sustainable practices
Read two books a month
I love to read but feel like I don’t have the time, which we all know is a lie. If I have time to binge-watch the Netflix series YOU in one day, I have time to read 10 pages. To start, I’ve downloaded the GoodReads app to keep track of the books I read and want to read. I also have a daily “Habit Tracker” that helps me keep track of my daily reading. My goal is to read at least 10 pages a day, if not more. Books can get expensive and take up a lot of space (hello professional organizer here), so I utilize our local library to borrow books, ebooks, and audiobooks.I also joined a local wine, I mean, book club to keep me motivated.
Exercise 4 or more times a week
This one is hard. Because exercising IS HARD. I feel like no matter how good of shape I'm in, I am dying at the gym. I have to keep telling myself, “this is good for you” or “this will make you feel better” and it really does but it's just sooooo hard. So how am I going to make myself workout you ask? A gym buddy. When someone wants to workout and basically forces you to go, it makes it so much easier. I have a few friends that workout at the YMCA with me and we hound, *cough*, hold each other accountable. At the beginning of each week, we will message our workout intentions for the week. So if I know Maggie says she wants to workout at lunch on Tuesday, you bet I’m going to be harassing her to meet me there! Because my work schedule is different every week, I have to schedule in my workouts and I keep track of them on my “Habit Tracker”. Sticking to a weekly workout schedule is hard, but much easier than skipping for a while and trying to get back into shape. Plus, these buns have to get ready for Babycake season!
Drop screen time
This one is tough for me because I interact with clients and potential clients through my social media. HOWEVER, that is no reason to spend an hour scrolling through ridiculous memes on Instagram. Have you seen the puppy in a box?!? In order to drop my screen time, I am utilizing an app called Planoly to schedule posts and am trying out the app Space to monitor and reduce my screen time. I’ve also set a time for myself where screens are off in the evenings to add more reading time to my day. My “Habit Tracker” helps me to keep track of the days that I turn off technology on time.
Stick to a consistent bedtime and wake up time
Turning off technology at an earlier time and incorporating reading into my evenings have helped with my insomnia. The bedtime app on my iPhone helps me to know when it’s time to shut everything down. On nights that I have trouble falling asleep, I try a cup of tea, CBD oil, or melatonin. My hope is that with consistency, my body and mind will soon be trained to know when it's time to go to sleep, which will make my wake up time much easier.
Spend less, save more
My husband and I use So You Need a Budget to set monthly spending expectations. Since we are both self employed, our budgets look different each month. We’ve decided to each keep track of our spending weekly on the app and then have a monthly meeting to set our saving and spending goals for the next month. It is truly amazing to see how much money we waste on a monthly basis and has helped us to be more intentional with our spending. By working on our spending, we are able to save for more important things like travel and home projects.
Use less plastic and adopt more sustainable practices
This was a goal of mine last year and I know that it made a huge difference in my life. I set up a compost bin in my backyard and it literally cut my garbage IN HALF. I am a crazy person when someone tries to give me a plastic bag at a store. I have a purse for goodness sakes! I don’t need a plastic bag for this one can of beans! I shop as much as I can at the farmer’s market and choose recyclable containers and wrapping at the grocery store if possible. I’m phasing out my plastic containers by replacing them with glass. I’ve purchased reusable napkins (classy) and I use rags instead of paper towels. No ziplock bags in this household either. If I accidentally get one, I wash that baby and reuse it. This year, my goal is to plant my own herb garden and try out some vegetables as well. My “Habit Tracker” is helping me keep track of my plastic use. I get to mark each day that I don’t use single use plastic. Yay for Earth!
Finally, here are my quick tips for a successful 2020:
~write your goals down
~read them daily
~track them daily
~tell a friend, partner, or spouse what you want this year
~don’t give up (even when you mess up, which we all will)
Let’s slay 2020!