My 2019 Goals

I’ve always loved setting new year’s goals and resolutions. I get so motivated by the thought of a fresh start, even if January is just another month on the calendar. In past years, I’ve only put a little thought and effort into the changes I wanted to make for the new year, with very little actual plan to make things happen. The funny thing is that I love planning, so really digging deep into my goals for the next twelve months and coming up with a strategy on how I’m going to accomplish them only seems natural. However, this year is the first year that I’m actually doing it.

I know most people make their goals and resolutions before the start of the new year, but I am always wayyy to busy during the holidays to spend much time thinking about what I want my next year to look like. This year, I took all of January to think about what all I really want to get out of 2019 and wrote everything down – every single wish, no matter how small or insignificant it seemed. It wasn’t super organized, it wasn’t pretty, but it was everything I wanted this year to be about.

I intended to start making headway on my goals at the start of February…but then we got nailed with snow storm after snow storm and I couldn’t even go for a walk in my neighborhood, let alone go to the gym. Now I know I don’t need to wait for Monday — so to speak — to start something new, but I like to do it that way. Hence, why I will be starting my goals for 2019 on March 1st.

I love sharing my goals with my friends and family (that’s you!) because it helps keep me motivated and accountable (Thanks friends!). One overarching goal for this year is to let go of anything that isn’t supporting my goals (i.e. anything that doesn’t fit into one of my six categories).

In no particular order, here are all of my goals for 2019!

Category 1: Blogging

• Write more blog posts and write about what I want to share
  • At least two per month
  • Schedule time to write and take/edit photos
• Plan out month ahead of time
  • Figure out a routine that works for me
  • Plan two posts I intend to write
  • Think about what kind of photos I want for each post, if they will involve anyone besides myself, and where I want to take them
    • Schedule those shoots
• Learn something new every month
  • This can be anything such as a tool related to photography, WordPress, Pinterest, etc.
• Post consistently to Instagram
  • Improve photography
  • Roughly plan out feed to keep my theme consistent
  • Do more stories (talk at least once per week)
• Pin more of my own content

Category 2: Beautycounter

• Get more involved so that it’s something that I actually do
  • Use available resources to better educate myself on the personal care product (PCP) industry
  • Share what I learn with more people
  • Write blog posts featuring products that I use and love

Category 3: Go Greener

• Buy more in bulk using my own containers to cut down on plastic waste
• Continue to use what I have before buying more
• Thrift shop more instead of buying brand new things (I’ll save money and the environment, plus have unique pieces!)
• Explore minimalism more (I’ve read it’s great for helping to reduce anxiety among other benefits)
• Switch to refillable glass bottles for dish soap, laundry soap, hand soap, etc. and either make my own or buy in bulk
• Stop using 2-day shipping and ordering one item at a time on Amazon, and instead fill up a box before placing the order and choosing “no rush shipping”
• Continue to educate myself on environmental issues, vote when I can to make a difference, and use readily available resources (like my “Go Green” and “Zero Waste” boards on Pinterest) to help me transition to a more sustainable way of living

Category 4: Health and Fitness

• Eat more low-carb veggies like broccoli, carrots, cucumber, and zucchini at lunch and dinner daily
• Keep kitchen stocked with pre-cut, frozen, and canned veggies
• Eat veggies/greens at every meal
  • Ex. Spinach in a smoothie for breakfast, a big salad for lunch, and a side of sautéed spinach with dinner
• Improve posture by doing more yoga and remembering to sit up straight
• Schedule standing time at work (I have a sit-stand desk thankfully)
• Make my largest meal lunch
• Stop eating by 7 or 8 PM when possible to give my digestive system plenty of time to process dinner before bed
• Brush teeth after lunch in addition to in the morning and at night
• Sleep better by putting my phone away one hour before I go to bed and using the “bedtime” reminder feature on my phone
• Cook more meals at home and replace unhealthy snacks with more fruits and veggies
• 80% plant-based
• Get more fresh air (walk to store, eat lunch outside etc.)
• Increase gut health by taking pro- and prebiotics, eating live-culture yogurt, and drinking kombucha
• Decrease artificial/added sugar intake
• Stretch everyday
• Pack lunches everyday for work
  • Schedule time to meal prep

Category 5: Happiness

• Schedule at least a little me time everyday
  • workout, cook myself a yummy dinner, read, take a bath, sip some delicious red wine, etc.
• Getting more fresh air fits in this category, too
• Go to bed on time (get those eight hours)
• Spread positive energy by making someone else happy (not in a people-pleasing way)
• Be my own cheerleader and celebrate small victories
• Keep a gratitude journal
• Spend one hour every day without electronics and one day per week without social media
• Stop snoozing my alarm (this will be a hard one)
• Try a meditation app like Headspace or Calm
• Schedule a “date” with a loved one every week
  • a lunch, workout, call, etc.
• Take a five minute break to close my eyes and breath when I start to feel anxious or overwhelmed

Category 6: Random Life Things

• Keep up on emails
• Read one chapter of a book every day
• Automate payments
• Set budget and save more
• Plan some day trips to explore the PNW
• Schedule bi-weekly or monthly dates nights
• Clean whole house and commit to a cleaning schedule
• Develop a specific spot for everything in the house and always put it away
• Listen to podcasts
• And SIMPLIFY life as much as possible

I hope this list of my 2019 goals inspires you to make your own goals, stick with your goals, or get back on track to creating the life you want this year! If we share any of these goals, I would love to connect with you and cheer each other on! Go team!!

XX Frances