Hey there, lovelies! With a new year comes new revelations on how you want this year to be different than the last. It’s important to take some time out to really think about these revelations and set goals on how to make this year the year you dreamed for yourself. Historically, I’m not great at this. I have always been a very ‘busy’ person, a bit scatterbrained sometimes, and so making myself sit down and make a list of goals or revelations for the year was never something you would see me do. I thought I would do something different last year by choosing a focus word, which I think was a good first step at being more intentional about maintaining focus on my resolution for the year – which was, essentially, to nurture other areas in my life outside of work. This year, I have a few words that I’d like to focus on but I’d also like to write out some goals / resolutions so I can really get on board with the whole setting new year’s resolution thing, ha! Putting your list of goals out there helps you maintain focus and also creates an opportunity for accountability. The more you put your goals out there, the more people may follow up and ask you how it’s going.
Don’t let that scare you! All of us can and will lose focus on our goals.
We need accountability so that we can get back on track!
Here are my resolutions / goals:
• Get organized! London was an absolutely amazing 5-month long adventure but, if it’s taught me anything about myself, it’s just how much I love to be organized. While I was there, there were things I couldn’t print and file, donate, find a place for, etc. There were tasks I couldn’t achieve because I needed to physically GO to a business location to get the task done but those businesses didn’t exist in London. There were bills I didn’t know I had received and was late paying [#transparent] because they weren’t monthly bills. So, needless to say, since I’ve been back, catching up on the organization game has been my number 1 priority. Something I need to continue to tell myself is that it’s a process. It’s not all going to get done overnight. Exciting things are happening behind the scenes of S&T, as I’ve hinted at on Snapchat, that will really help me achieve these organization goals. My sweet roommate and one of my best friends, Kristan, will be moving out of our 2-bedroom apartment tomorrow. It’s a very bittersweet situation. I love her dearly and we get along so well as roommates but it’s clear that it’s time we go our separate ways. Thankfully, she’s just moving in to another building in our apartment complex so we won’t be far from each other, ha! Anyway, I’ll be staying in our 2-bedroom apartment, moving my bedroom into her room and making the room I’m in now my office. I’m so excited to have a little more space to work with, but goodness gracious … I had forgotten how challenging furniture finding can be! But, it’s all a part of making this goal a reality so I’ll be sure to share more as time goes on!
• Seek more adventure! Although I want to get my home and life organized, I also want to seek out more adventures! I absolutely love traveling and, since being abroad, my travel lust list is a mile long! I definitely won’t be doing a 5-month stay anywhere but I want to visit at least 10 new cities this year that I’ve never been to! I feel like that’s totally do-able and I already have a list in the works! Where are your favorite destinations? I’m open to suggestions!
• Push myself creatively! Blogging is a blast but, with so many bloggers out there, it can be challenging to feel like you stand out from the rest. I really want to push myself to do different things while also keeping you guys in mind. With that said ….
• Ask for feedback! I want Sequins & Things to be useful for its readers, to meet your needs. In order to do that better this year, I will be putting together quarterly surveys that I’d love for y’all to fill out. It will help me get to know you guys a little bit better. I want to know what you want to see from me, what your expectations are from me, what you prefer to not see from me, etc. It’s hard to receive criticism but, at the same time, I want S&T to grow and meet your needs and the needs of other people who haven’t discovered this space yet, so it’s important for me to receive that feedback.
• Plan for and maintain a structured editorial calendar! This kind of piggy-back’s off of the previous goal but I want to take your feedback and intentionally plan for posts that I put on my editorial calendar to create for you guys and only post those! I think it’s a way that I can also achieve organization goal, as well. If I know what posts are going up in the weeks to come, then I know exactly what I need to buy and plan for. Fingers crossed! This is a goal I have attempted in the past and haven’t done a good job at keeping it.
• Make my health a priority. Last year, I definitely made my health a priority in some ways, as I mentioned previously. I want to continue that this year but in a different way. I really need to be more active. When I was in London, I would walk MILES a day but here in Jacksonville is a different story. I want to work with a trainer to help me get started on a fitness and nutrition plan. Thankfully, I have someone I know through friends in mind to reach out to so that’s on my list to start this month – like everyone else, ha!
• Grow in faith. Y’all know I love me some Jesus but, just like so many, I fall short of nurturing my relationship with Him sometimes. I want to be better about putting him FIRST. I want to get back to my church on Sundays after being gone for awhile, listening to podcasts during the week, putting verses to focus on up around the apartment and just spending more time in the word and in prayer.
• Read more. I absolutely love to read. My Kindle was my best friend in London. I read on the tube all the time. Since I’ve been back, I have barely picked her up because I’ve been in GSD mode between getting organized after being gone for so long, unpacking, and getting ready for Christmas! I want to be better about ending my day or taking a moment in the middle of the day to just sit and read a few chapters to let my brain just breathe for a little bit. It makes such a difference!
• Maintain a good sleep / wake cycle. Working for yourself can be challenging. No one is waiting for you to clock in and get to your desk in the morning. It’s just you. You have to have the self-discipline to get up and get to work. My problem has always been staying up too late – often working – and then waking up either too early or too late and being so tired during the day. I’m a napper, as well, and I end up getting mad at myself because I feel like I could have made better use of that time. Lately, I have been really good about going to bed at a decent time, between 10:00 and 10:30, and waking up early, between 5:30 and 6:30. I don’t love mornings but I do feel like I make better use of my day because I’m rested and motivated to get stuff done! The TODAY Show is my big motivator in the morning. I love getting my coffee from Starbucks, taking Fish out and then getting to work in time for the beginning of the TODAY Show at 7:00. It’s my favorite routine and I’m determined to keep it!
I’m so excited about all of these and this new year! I think 2017 is going to be a great one for a lot of us! Now it’s your turn ….
What are your resolutions? What are you hoping to achieve in 2017?
