This year I’m ditching my past as a goal-quitter and going for it full on. If you haven’t visited YouTube in a while, I’ve been posting a series of videos about my goals for this year and how I plan to accomplish them. I’ll leave the videos linked at the end of this post if you fancy a watch.
Ok, admin things out of the way, let’s get into goals. They’re like doing the dishes or laundry in my mind. Something I definitely should do, but have really no motivation most of the time to do them. Or I’ll begrudgingly get it done but moan as I do it. I’m by no means a “goal getter” and cringe at the saying. Yet here I am, trying to grow as a person, moan a little less, and reach my goals that I’ve set out for myself. Even if I have to call them something other than “goals” to trick myself into thinking they’re just part of a bigger to do list.
Save Money
I can’t speak on how it’s like to save money for regularly employed people, but as a self-employed human it’s downright rigorous. Money stress is a daily occurrence in our household and I refuse to let the fear raise my anxiety any longer. So the plan is to set up a direct deposit monthly into our savings account. A small amount at first, but I want to continue to increase it as the months go on in hopes to have a decent nest egg in a year or so. Plus we have accounts scattered every which way so getting them all in one place will be nice, neat, and help us know exactly where we’re at rather than guessing.
Get Healthier
It’s not about losing weight or inches for me, but feeling healthier and stronger in my body. Working out hasn’t been something I’ve been able to stick with since high school, but I recently got a membership at a rock climbing gym and it seems promising. Right now I go with my husband Alex three times a week for a couple of hours. I even got my best friend Taylor and her son into it and they’ll be joining us some days. I think the key to sticking with healthier habits is to mix things up as much as possible. Rock climbing, workout videos, and yoga are on my list of currently viable options.
Focus on Crafts and Hobbies
I have a bad habit of turning my hobbies into jobbies and I would really like to have a few things that I do just for me. So I want to set time apart every night or a few times a week to work on my embroidery, read, and explore other interests.They may eventually turn into jobbies, I can’t make any promises, but for now I’m enjoying them just for me.
Reduce Comparison and Doubt
This definitely wouldn’t fall under the required S.M.A.R.T. goal definition, but is still a somewhat unmeasurable goal for me. This year I want to focus on my self worth, spend less time online, and work on self-development. I want to read more books, take more baths, and unfollow anyone that makes me feel bad about myself.
Grow the Wholesale Side of My Business
Not going to lie, I really haven’t a clue how I’m going to manage this. The stationery side of our business has fizzled out over the past couple of years so I rather not put too much money towards this goal. So I’m not quite sure what to do. I have a newsletter list, a collection of cute as hell cards, and focus. Let’s hope that’s enough to get a few wholesale clients this year.
Get My Blog and YouTube to Generate Revenue
Another one of those goals that if I knew what I was doing, I would have done it already. I make VERY little money on my YouTube and this blog and I’d love to have it generate some revenue so I don’t feel bad spending time working on it when I could be working on something else. I’m going to do research, maybe sign up for an online class, and learn what I need to do to generate some revenue on this passion of mine.
Boom. Goals. I much rather have a to-do list than a list of goals, but here’s to growth right?
I just wanted to provide some of the things I’ve done to take the steps towards my goals, which are similar to yours! Last year, I started eating “clean” and stopped eating preservatives and things with ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. I discovered Instant Loss and bought book 2 and started making the recipes. We also took about 2 hours a week to meal prep grilled chicken and steamed broccoli for lunches every in 2 cup increments so it was easier to eat healthy than not. Then after we made dinner, we would automatically portion it so we couldn’t over eat. Over the last year I’ve felt so much better and also lost 50 lbs, it was crazy! I didn’t realize how bad I felt until I started feeling better!
For savings, I started using the budgeting app “You Need A Budget” (YNAB), and it is so nice knowing where all of my accounts are and that I have money set aside for all of my bills, etc. When you have a subscription for YNAB, you can set up multiple budgets, so you could have a personal one and one for your business! They have a huge following with lots of groups, and have a free trial you can try, which would be cool!