Have you started planning your new year? I’ve got some big goals for the new year!
After everything this year brought, I’m not sure how much of this list I will be able to do. My main goal is to focus on remaining positive throughout the year. So I wanted to make a list of goals to achieve throughout 2021.
Now I’m gonna be honest, I suck at sticking to goals. I spent years setting new year’s resolutions for myself, only to forget about them by February. I’m determined that this year will be different. I’m ok with not reaching some of my goals as long as I attempted to get them done.
I know that creating goals gives you something to strive for and challenges you to be your best. Instead of making outrageous goals that I know I wouldn’t probably achieve, I decided to focus on goals that I know are more realistic.
I decided to set goals that are more about WHO I want to be. I want to be a happier and more confident version of myself. I want to focus on what I need to do to be that person.
My boyfriend will actually be creating his list later today, and when he gets back, I hope to get together to create our 2021 list.
Some of these goals are carryovers from last year, while some are brand new.
1. GET MY DRIVERS LICENSE.
I was supposed to do this, but due to COVID, my behind-the-wheel test was canceled. So the first available appointment of the new year I’m going to take.
2. CREATE A MONTHLY BUDGET.
I really need to start saving better. It’s become all too easy in our house to spend it when we have it. While we have some money saved, my issue is moving the money over to my savings account.
3. CREATE A MORNING ROUTINE (And Actually Stick To It!)
My mornings are the messiest part of my day. I do not rise and shine. Instead, I hit snooze on the alarm and throw the covers over my head. I am the person who has five different alarms that go off in the morning. Having that many alarms is chaotic, and I’m giving myself anxiety before I even get out of bed.
4. ELIMINATE ONE BAD HABIT.
I have quite a few bad habits that have repeated themselves for too long. I want to change. I’ve been listening to the self-help book Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book has encouraged me to change my behaviors to build good habits and get rid of bad ones.
5. COMMIT TO (ALMOST) DAILY WRITING.
My goal is to have a very successful blog that can inspire others to live their best lives and remind them they are important. To do this, I need to write more. For the entire time I’ve been blogging, I have never had a backlog of more than one or two posts. I want that to change. Sticking to my weekly schedule is important to me, but it’s also the part of blogging I find the most stressful.
6. SPEND MORE QUALITY TIME WITH HECTOR.
With all the other crazy things life throws at us, it can be challenging to get that time in. Quality, alone time is definitely needed, whether it’s a romantic dinner, a board game, cuddle on the couch for a movie, or even an engaging conversation.
7. PAY OFF ALL CREDIT CARDS.
Honestly, I just need to take two paychecks and pay them off already. And for someone in their early twenties, owing less than $1,000, it’s not that bad.
8. BUY A JOURNAL AND COMMIT TO 5 MINUTES A DAY OF WRITING.
I’m not great at journaling, but I want to get better. I want to really evaluate each day and try expressing my thoughts and feelings in writing.
9. MAKE SELF CARE A PRIORITY.
I can not stress how important self-care is! I was taught that self-care was a luxury and was being selfish- it’s not, it’s a must! I struggled with this in the past, but I realized that it is a necessity. Even now, I still have to ask myself, If I don’t take care of my physical, emotional, and mental well-being, who will?
10. KEEP A REGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULE.
I’m an insomniac who has to take melatonin to get some sleep, but I don’t do that consistently. If I take melatonin too late, it leaves me feeling groggy the next day. I would like to get into the habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
11. DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE.
I’m a creature of habit; I don’t like changing things. But I love learning things, and learning requires trying new things and exposing yourself to new and potentially uncomfortable situations. I genuinely believe that outside of our comfort zones is a beautiful journey of growth. Being pushed out of my comfort zone allowed me to find my passion.
12. DO MORE FOR MY COMMUNITY:
I do not have a good history of volunteering. I find it much easier to open my wallet for charity instead of giving my time. It’s the whole social thing; I often have a hard time putting myself out there. This year though, I want to find an organization I support and put in the hours.
13. MEDITATE AND PRACTICE MINDFULNESS EVERY DAY.
Meditation helps to clear the brain, aid anxiety, reduce stress. Want to be more mindful of my words and actions. I am not saying that I am not mindful right now, but there is always room for improvement.
14. SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
I know the phone works both ways, but why wait on them. I really want to be better about staying in touch with friends who aren’t in California.
15. STOP BEING LATE TO EVERYTHING.
This is my mentality when it comes to time: if it takes 15 minutes to get somewhere, I leave 15 minutes before I need to be there. So basically, I’m always late, OR I’m always in a rush. I’m working hard to shift my time mentality and start getting ready to go earlier and then leave at least 5 minutes earlier than I would have in the past.
16. BE MORE FOCUSED.
I’m bad for doing ten things at once and not doing a good job on any of them. This is especially true when it comes to blogging. I’ll be writing a post, checking Twitter, watching Grey’s Anatomy, and have a cat sitting on my lap. That’s not the set-up for good work. This year I want to commit to focusing. If I’m writing, then I’m writing; if I’m watching TV, then I’m watching TV. It’s so frustrating (to me and the bf) when we get three episodes into a new show, and I have no clue what’s happening because I’ve been more plugged into my phone.
17. GET IN BETTER SHAPE.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with exercise. It’s not that I don’t like it; I don’t like having to wait for results. Or I had a workout regimen, but once I reach my goals, I stop and then gain all the weight back.
18. DRINK MORE WATER.
I have a tough time drinking water, especially the amount that is recommended daily! I’m not even one of those “I don’t like the taste of water” people. I actually like water, but I don’t ever feel thirsty, so it is easy for me to forget to drink water. This goal is major for me.
19. MORE PHOTOS OF MYSELF.
I realized my low self-esteem has been stopping me from enjoying life. I’ve always looked down on myself. I’ve always felt less than. And in today’s society, it is very easy to feel less than, especially with the impact of social media. We often compare ourselves to what we see. And because my weight is always fluctuating, I stopped taking photos of myself when I feel I look fat. Instead of being down and out about myself, I want to create a positive outlook and believe that I AM ENOUGH and that I am a total BADASS!
20. RESTART MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
Not only do I want to restart my channel, but I’m also forcing myself to post 6 videos. I think Vlogging is something I won’t be comfortable doing as long as I don’t like myself. Before, I was scared that my voice was way too high and irritating to listen to. I worry about being judged and criticized with vlogging because it means you don’t like me for my physical features. I think making videos will help me with my lack of confidence.
21. FINISH MY BOOK
In 2018, I started working on my novel. I hoped to finish in 2019, but that just didn’t happen. The last three months have been quiet as far as personal progress, but I’m back to regularly working on Sundays with my girlfriends!
What do you want to tackle this new year?
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