My 2018 Goals

Photo by Caitie of @ktnewsms

Though I've always made New Year's goals and resolutions privately, surprisingly, I don't think I've ever actually shared them here in this space. Well, this year, I feel like I need the kick in the pants that comes with accountability, so here I am putting them out into the world. They're not revolutionary resolutions or groundbreaking goals, but they're mine. Read, enjoy, and please...help me stick to them!

1. Read more books. I talked about this in my Instagram Stories recently, but though I consider myself someone who loves to read, I don't actually read that many books anymore. I've really gotten into podcasts, and those have kind of replaced books for me in many situations where I used to read them (I.e. during a commute). I also spend a ton of my free time on my computer--on social media, reading political articles (ugh), etc. No more! I'm going to make reading books a priority, and my aim is two each month. (That's not a ton, I know--and I do hope to exceed that--but I need a doable goal to start with.) I recently started This Is How it Always Is, because it was on so many best-of-2017 lists, and so far it's great! And as soon as I finish it, I'm diving into The Bright Hour. It had already been on my Amazon wishlist for months, but then I read this amazing, beautiful story yesterday and realized I had to read it asap. (BTW, I had already read--and sobbed through, and adored--When Breath Becomes Air, but if you haven't read it, you need to do so immediately. It's incredible!)

2. Drink more water. This is a lame one, I know, but it's necessary. I'm so bad at drinking water and am pretty sure I have to be constantly dehydrated. And honestly, I feel like I'm starting to see my dehydration in my face! And the worst part is that I'm not one of those people who doesn't like drinking plain water. I love a glass of ice cold water! My issue is that I just never think to drink it.(Except at meals when I only ever have water. I don't drink soda, juice, etc.) If anyone has tips on how to make yourself drink more water (and how to track your ounces), I would love to hear them! In the meantime, I think I'm going to buy this cool water bottle, which helps track how much you drink.) I'm aiming for half my body weight in ounces each day, which seems reasonable. 

3. Put my phone away when I'm with my kids. Yes, sometimes it's necessary to be on it, but usually it's just not. Yet, I constantly find myself mindlessly scrolling through Twitter when I should be snuggling and engaging. This especially happens when I'm eating a meal with my kids or putting them to bed, and I've thought about it/felt guilty about it for some time now. But what really inspired me to put this on my list is this: Last night, while my son was brushing his teeth, I had my head down focused on my phone per usual when he suddenly said, "I don't like it when I try to tell you something and you are on your phone and are not listening." Heart. Broken. I shouldn't even have it with me during moments like that, I know, so going forward, I won't. (BTW, I need to get my husband on board with this goal, too!)

4. Eat for health. This is a bit vague, I know, but I'm not trying to adopt some crazy diet here. I just need to eat in a more health-focused way. I'm not looking to lose a ton of weight or become a vegan or anything dramatic. But I do need to do a few key things. I need to eat fewer carbs (sadly, they make up the bulk of my diet right now. Me love carbs.), I need to eat more protein, and perhaps the biggest one: I need to eat more veggies. Above all, with every meal, I need to remember to eat to nourish my body, not just to fill it with stuff. That means meals with veggies and fiber and protein--and not just a bowl of cereal or pasta because it's easy. 

5. Spin at least twice a week. I do private Pilates sessions twice a week, religiously, so I'm really good about getting in my core work/stretching. But I'm abysmal at cardio, these days. And worst of all, I have no excuse for this one considering we have a damn Peloton bike in our bedroom!!! So I'm setting a very reasonable, very doable goal of two Peloton sessions a week. And then hopefully I'll become hooked again and will do it a lot more!

6. Blog three times each week. Or, okay, maybe twice a week. But more than now! You guys, I'm sorry. I've never been the type of person who blogs every day, but yikes--my blogging schedule this past year was, shall we say...irregular. I'd like to make three times a week my goal, but I also want to make sure I'm not bringing you crap, so let's say two to three times a week. One things for sure: I'm going to be here for you more this year. Promise.

7. Do a blog re-design. Another huge goal that I have for this space is a re-design. My site has actually never been redesigned. And I've had this blog for almost seven years now. It's gotten embarrassing...and it's beyond time. (If you know a great blog designer, let me know! I have started looking into this a bit, but I'd definitely like to get more suggstions.)

8. Start an email newsletter. Here's something else I've been meaning to do forever. But I never wanted to do a newsletter just for the sake of doing one. I only want to do it if it's going to provide new info, cool recommendations, exclusive giveaways--basically fun stuff you haven't seen or read before. I can't stand newsletters that exist solely to regurgiate what you've already read on someone's blog. But I feel like I've got a good plan for a cool newsletter now, so this is my year. If you are interested in being one of the first people to read it when it (hopefully!) launches, you can sign up for it here. Note: I will NEVER sell your email or use it to spam you. I will also send my newsletter very rarely--once a week max, probably even less. (I mean, you know me...!) Basically, I promise to never, ever clog up your inbox.

9. Get rid of clutter. I have so much stuff, you guys. I buy too much stuff, I get too much stuff for free thanks to my job, and I am bad (like really, epically bad) at getting rid of stuff. As a result, my house is in a constant state of clutter. And while I'm not one of those people who needs no clutter in order to function happily, the amount I have is just too much, even for me. I didn't connect with the Marie Kondo method, and I'm not even sure if I need a method, but I do need to get rid of stuff. So, I'm going to set aside two half days each week to go through all of my crap and get rid of it. (Salvation Army, get ready!) P.S.: If you guys have any pieces of advice for sorting through stuff--or any favorite books, articles, or organizing doodads--please send them my way!

So that's it. I have a few additional personal and professional goals, of course, but these are some key ones. And the ones I really want accountability on! Would love to hear if any of my 2018 goals coincide with yours. What are we all aiming for this year? Tell me below!