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?
Happy New Year! Two of my goals this year will be to:
1. Save more, shop less (this is always a tricky one, ha ha)
2. Become more active, I recently traveled to Vegas for the Christmas/New Year holidays and also walked for miles everyday, so I want to incorporate more activity into my daily routine now that I’m back at home.
Number 1 is definitely tricky but you can do it! Save for experiences! 🙂 Good luck with those, Teah! xo.
Happy New Year!! Some of my resolutions are similar. More time memorizing Scripture, staying fit, and expanding my blog!
http://www.stephanieterrone.com
You can do it, Stephanie! xo.
Hey Haley! I was just a casual reader of your blog until you moved abroad and I have been following you religiously since! I lived in London several years ago and watching your life from afar as you explored put some serious ache into my heart. I want to go back so bad now!
As for travel suggestions, I spent some time in Iceland this year and it was absolutely magical and I highly recommend it. They are going through a tourism boom right now, too, so there’s no shortage of things to do but the prices are a bit insane. It’s super cheap to get to Iceland from America, though (I live in Atlanta!), and very easy to get from there to everywhere else in Europe. It’s in the same timezone as London and many British people go there for a weekend jaunt.
Anyway, I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store for both of us! Good luck, lady!
Hi Leigh Ann! You sound like me right now – I follow all the people that I found in London on Instagram religiously and vicariously live through their Instastories. I miss London so much. It’s such a magical city and totally changes a person if you ever have the chance to live there. 🙂 I’m glad it brought you to follow me more closely. Happy to have you along for the ride!
I definitely want to go to Iceland! Looks like such a beautiful place! Thanks for the suggestion!! Hope 2017 is full of fun travels for you, my dear! Get back to London! It misses you! xo.
First off, I want to say I truly love reading your blog. Also, congratulations on your new office space in your own apartment. I think your 2017 resolutions are great and definitely realistic. If I were to comment on what you should add to your blog is how to use a piece of clothing more than once. I find myself shopping and picking up an item I really like and before I make an impulse purchase, I like to analyze how I can use this piece more than once.
There are a lot of fashion bloggers out there, but your blog is definitely my favorite. I feel you are relatable and not snobbish. I like that you are open to share your faith in a proud conservative way. But I may be a little bias because I am a fellow Floridian. 🙂 Happy New Year!
Hey Alexis! That’s a great tip! I think my hesitation to wearing things more than once in blog posts is that when I do, it’s less likely to be in stock and then whoever didn’t get the item the first time I wore it gets angry that I posted something that isn’t readily available to purchase. It’s a tough line to walk but I definitely wear things more than once so maybe I can incorporate this type of thing into Snapchat? Do you follow me on there? Let me know!
Your compliment about why you enjoy following me made my day. Thank you for saying that and for following S&T! Appreciate it so much! xo.
Love this Haley! Happy New Year!!
I know, I am only one person of your thousand followers, but i love reading about your travel trips- where your are going, and then reviews once you do go! As a travel bug myself, it really is helpful to look at for weekend trips or ideas, etc!! I’d love a few casual business outfit looks (similar to the Banana look you did!!) for us worker bee’s that are office bound each day. I’d also love your @shopalysonhaley insta to stay up and going, HA!
Excited to see what S&T has in store this year, i truly love this little blog and pray you have abundant success in 2017. xoxo.
Hey Bailey! I know travel is an area that I struggle to cover for y’all on the blog. There are reasons for that but I won’t go into those specifically. All I will say is that I have already put together a strategy for how to remedy that in the future. I am looking forward to sharing more of my travels with y’all this year. Noted re: workwear and @shopalysonhaley is staying open. I just have Justine doing some other things to help me get organized after getting back from London but we will definitely continue to sell things here and there. Thank you for your continued support! xo.
Like you, I focused on words this year to keep me accountable. I want to work on my communication, simplifying, being thankful, growth and focusing my energy on the positives. I want to add in adventure but I think it will depend a lot on how our sweet baby girl adjusts to life when she’s born in February.
Ashley
http://www.withgraceblog.com
Those are all great focus words! Good luck on adjusting after she’s born! What an exciting year for you! 🙂 xo.
I love your goals/resolutions! I also want to get more organized and make better use of my mornings/evenings. It’s been hard getting up early since having a baby, but I know that if I got up before him, I’d feel so much better the rest of the day and much more productive. The TODAY show has definitely been a love of mine, too. I love that you take Fish out and get Starbucks before it starts! I’m inspired to do the same!! Thanks for sharing! xx
Emily // happilylindsey.com
Hey Emily! That’s always what I think about having my blog post for the day done before the morning. It is SO liberating and I feel so accomplished but … it doesn’t happen often so I hope to be better about that this year after I am done getting the home front organized! Ha! Good luck with your resolutions, as well, girl! xo.
Hi Haley – I love your blog! Though I am not super into fashion, I follow you because of the great pieces you write (like this one) and the scope you give us into your life. I’d love to see more of that in the new year! Your resolutions sound awesome – some of mine include being more intentional about how I spend my free time and keeping in better touch with my friends from college scattered all across the country. You’re so inspiring, and I think it is awesome how you have established such a wonderful, positive brand that young women like myself can look up to and be inspired by!
Hi Alison! Thank you for letting me know why you follow me and what you’d like to see more of! I can tell y’all like when I do more heartfelt posts and am thinking of doing a Dear Diary-esque type of series at some point. I appreciate your kind words so much. You mean so much to me! xo.
Love this post! Thank you for sharing! My absolute favorite cities I’ve ever visited are Santa Barbara, CA and Boston, MA. I’m a California girl so I may be a little biased but Santa Barbara is so breathtakingly beautiful. On the other hand Boston has so much rich culture and history and it’s an absolute blast.
Both of those cities sound amazing! I’ve always wanted to explore Southern California and Boston so that’s encouraging! Thanks, girl! xo.
Love seeing your ideas and what you have in store for us in 2017! My goal is to get more exercise and to work on my blog!
You can do it, girl! xo.
I love love love this post. Thank you for being so honest and candid about your goals – it’s given me some good ideas for my own!!
You are very welcome, Colleen! xo.
Just want to say “Hi” and tell you how much I enjoy following you on social media. I was very proud of you for doing the London stay and seeing it through. I’m sure it wasn’t always easy and fun. I also very much enjoy your Blog posts. I sometimes I feel like I am too old to enjoy you young bloggers but it is fun seeing life through younger eyes…….I don’t feel old and sometimes forget I’m 52 and could be your mothers. Keep up ALL the good work. Just keep sharing your and Fish’s life with us. The rest will find it’s place. ????
Hi Dawn! I almost started crying when I read your comment. It was so sweet and you are right about London. It wasn’t always easy. It wasn’t always fun. And I don’t have my Mom here to see me through those tough times but, even still, it was one of the best experiences of my life. I’m so glad to hear you love my blog. I hope all of my readers get something out of it, including you. Thank you so much for your comment. It brought a smile to my face 🙂 xo.
Hi there!
A bit late now, but happy new year nonetheless! I’ve followed your blog for a while now and love it for how you put outfits together, it inspires me to pair similar things in my wardrobe that I previously hadn’t thought about! I especially loved following whilst you were in London, as I live in the UK, so although some of the US brands are not always so readily available to me, I find your content inspiring and agree with the other comments; I think you stand out because you share your style and your life in a way that is honest and relatable. It would be great to see a mid year post where you check in on your 2017 goals and the progress you’ve made to date ????
Jess x