Happy New Years, fellow readers! Bringing in this 2017 new year was the first time I felt a bit of sadness saying goodbye to a year. 2016 was seriously the best year of my life bringing me a new baby, a new house, a new business, and new challenges. But with all the challenges it brought, it has taught me so much. It's taught me not to be so hard on myself, to let things go, and to push myself just a bit further than I thought possible. As I laid Oliver down one last time in the year he was born, I got a little bit emotional and held him just a little bit longer.
Then I started thinking about all the great things that are to come in 2017. I will get to watch Ollie grow into a little toddler, grow our business even more, and strive to make 2017 better than 2016. So in an effort to kick off the new year on the right foot, I am starting with a blog post of my top 10 new years goals. I say goals and not resolutions because, in my mind, resolutions are intentions with no accountability, no laid out plan, and nothing to really check off. I like the term "goals" because it feels more tangible to me. I know I can write down a stretch goal (bigger goals) for the day and the year along with smaller goals to get there. So here we go. Top ten goals:
1. Blog more.
I have seriously been slacking with my blog. This blog has brought me so much joy this year and I need to take more advantage of it. I need to post as many personal blogs as I do "how-to" blogs and keep it as a sort of journal. My goal is to blog at least once a week with an additional two through out the month on family updates.
2. Read more.
When I was younger I used to read a ton. But for some reason I haven't been able to get into my reading groove again. Then I discovered audiobooks and I think that I can change the way I read. I have an hour commute to and from work each day and at that rate I could bust out books so quickly. I set my goal at 20 books for this year. That doesn't seem like a lot to most people, but its a lot for me. And if I can meet my goal of 20 books this year, next year I will double it. Finding time to read is so dang hard sometimes, right?! But lets all set reading goals together here at Good Reads! Add me and lets keep each other accountable! -- and also, share your favorite books with me!
3. Stress less.
I stress. A lot. I stress about my house not being clean all at once (like that will ever happen again) and I stress about work. I am learning to not get so worked up and to not let the things I can't control get to me. Breathing more before reacting is something I have always struggled with and I need to step back and realize somethings are out of my control. Stress causes frustration. And frustration ruins relationships and causes everyone around you extra stress. I've gotta stop and appreciate what is good. Always.
4. Learn Spanish.
I started this goal last year but stopped. This is a goal that everyone in the house needs to do at the same time otherwise it's ridiculously hard, and Andrew and I were never doing it at the same time. So this year, we are all doing this together. Oliver, Andrew, and myself will finish all of Spanish Michel Thomas (which I highly recommend) and then start Rosetta Stone.
5. Count Macros.
I am generally pretty good at eating healthy, but sometimes I lose track of what my body needs. Counting macros helps me reach weight and health goals by remembering for me. This is something I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in eating better. :)
6. Exercise.
I don't exercise. Like, at all. I have a huge space in my home for work out equipment, yoga, and free weights. But once it turned into sweater weather, I didn't seem to care more. And somehow sweater weather happened the same week as Thanksgiving ;). But this year I am setting the goal to work out 4 times a week including yoga twice a week. I need yoga for my mind and body, who doesn't?
7. Meditate.
As stated above, I stress a lot. I also need a space to work on myself without disruptions. Your mind is a muscle and needs exercising, too! Mediation can be used for calming, setting goals, sleep aid, you name it. All you need is 10 minutes a day. The best place to get started is an app called Headspace. Thanks, Tanner, for the recommendation. I love this app!
8. Play more games.
I love games. For those of you who follow me on Instagram and ever watch my stories will know that me and my family are avid gamers. Everything from Magic the Gathering to Resistance. The best thing about games is that it brings me closer with the people I play them with. Andrew and I bond so much when we play Magic together, it's the best game I have ever played, and I want Ollie to grow up playing. I need to prioritize spending time with my family in this manner instead of doing meaningless tasks around the house. I should really add "clean less" to my new years goals.. :/
9. Grow our business.
For those of you who don't know, Andrew and I started a social media company. That is part of the reason I haven't blogged much or posted on my insta too much. All of that effort is going to a few companies we are helping grow and it is taking up so much of our time. Its so fun and rewarding, though. But most importantly, it gives us the ability to keep Ollie at home and not in a daycare. We want to double or triple our business this year and become a stay-at-home family. We love everything about our business and what we are able to do for other companies. But it's time we step up our game to the next level.
10. Cook with new ingredients.
If you remember correctly, this time last year I didn't really know how to cook. I was learning and learning slowly. So I decided to set a goal for 2016 to learn to cook. And guess what? I knocked this one out of the park. I am now getting compliments along the level of, "You could be on Master Chef." That is amazing, right? So this year, along with working on becoming an even better cook, I am going to really step out of my comfort zone and cook with a new ingredient every month. Now, I may cook with more than one new one a month, but at least one is what I am shooting for. I will document my adventure here (I need to post my recipes more on my blog) and maybe you all can help by recommending new fruits and veggies!
I hope these new years goals gave you ideas for a couple new ones for yourself. Tell me what your goals are and lets help each other in 2017!
Happy Goaling!
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