In all honesty, I thought 2016 was going to be THE year. However, it really didn’t live up to the internal hype that I put on it at the end of 2015. I also think I’m an optimist who thinks every year can be bigger and better than the last. That’s good and bad, because then when a year sucks or I don’t accomplish everything I wanted: I can get super depressed. BUT, you live and you learn and you do it better the next time. So, today is all about goal setting and how we’re going to forget about the awful things of 2016 and look to the bright things that can help make 2017 the most amazing year yet.
Optimism can really kill somebody, but I think I can channel it in a way that’s productive and relevant. I have some killer goals and memories that I want to make in 2017 and I think that it’s going to be a good year filled with new adventures. In traditional blogger fashion, we have to cement these permanently onto the internet! Hopefully, I will follow up on these in December where we can talk about how I did with my goals and where I probably could have done better. If you’re interested in my “resolutions” for 2017 and maybe want some ideas of areas where you can improve your life as well, then keep reading!
Work hard because you love your body, not because you want to change it.
[ctt template=”7″ link=”ZnDpU” via=”yes” ]Work hard because you love your body, not because you want to change it. via @theswirlblog[/ctt] There is something so perfect about this. The student instructors end every class with this super positive quote which is nice. I love the idea that you want to treat your body right because you genuinely want to love on it and not because you hate it or aren’t happy with it. In a day and age, where self esteem can be pretty non-existent, it’s nice to have that positive reinforcement of love and self care.
How I’m Attacking This Goal
My first set of goals for this year is to gradually make changes that grow a new lifestyle when it comes to health, exercise, and self care. I’m just going to guess that this will make its way onto 75% of the world’s populations resolution list because it is important and people do struggle with it. But, I’m kind of into making things stick now and I try to do everything with purpose. I’m making mini goals that I want to meet each quarter of the year and really try and work it into my schedule so that I am successful.
- January-March: Cook 2-3 healthy meals a week. Workout regularly [3-4 times a week].
- April-June: Cook 3-5 healthy meals a week. Workout 4 times a week.
- July-September: Cook 5 healthy meals a week. Workout 4-5 times a week.
- October-December: Limit eating out to weekends and workout 5 times a week.
I’ve been really interested in learning how to eat low-fat, high protein, and low-carb meals that still taste good. So, reading food blogs is basically integrated into these goals because it’ll be easier for me to achieve this goal if I have an arsenal of variety! I get super bored all the time and it can usually ruin things especially if they are bland and lacking in flavor. So cooking is the name of the game in 2017 and I may even invest in some cooking classes because that could be something cool for a vlog right?
Get Organized, Stay Motivated
I’m super Type A. I love stationary and planners and need everything organized and planned weeks in advance. That can also get exhausting and I can usually fall off the wagon after a month or two of being super organized. I think it’s a little exhausting to have every single point in the timeline scheduled out. It can also make you anxious and slightly uptight. NOW, I think it’s great being organized and have everything pretty much well thought out before hand, but there are some traps that organized, Type A people can fall into that cause burn out and exhaustion.
My goals for being the Type A person I am, but also maintaining my cool and calm personality involve:
- Drinking more tea and less coffee.
- Having a designated planner time that lasts for 10 minutes a day
- Leaving 1-2 hours a day that are completely free
- Buying some cute planner accessories every once in a while to add color
I want to avoid burn out and maintain a pretty put together image. It would also be nice to stop flaking so much on people because honestly, that sucks. I’ve canceled so many coffee and lunch dates because I try and schedule too much of my time up and then become way too tired to be social. I’d also like to become a little better about meeting up with people I haven’t really seen in awhile! I think this is going to be a lot easier when I’m not hopped up on caffeine. p.s. coffee i still love you, but I need some space.
[ctt template=”7″ link=”qaXje” via=”yes” ]P.S. Coffee I still love you, but I need some space. via @theswirlblog[/ctt]
Budgets & Money
I don’t work while I’m at school. I volunteer and study, but nothing that brings in a steady flow of cash. It’s nice to reflect on how blessed I am to have parents who are well off enough to provide for me while I’m kicking school’s butt to have the career that I want. That’s great, but there are some things that I would really like to invest in that I really don’t need. So, I’ve really been wanting to start following my own advice -here- that I wrote in a post all about saving more money.
This will help me save money so that I can use it on travel, my shoe addiction, and blogging stuff. Sure, we make a couple of dollars here and there from the blog, but anything we make, we also like to keep to invest back into the blog whether that’s memory cards, Buffer and Boardbooster, or a new nail polish to rave about on Instagram.
The money we make for the blog technically stays in the blog. I’m a big fan of mani/pedis, but they can get expensive. So, if I stopped going to Chipotle every other week, I could save up enough money to get my nails done every other month, which even I think is excessive. But, I think you can see my point. If I can figure out where I can shave off a couple of dollars from my spending profile, I will be able to spend that money other places. I’m also going to get more into coupons, sales, and Ebates to help save money on things that I’m definitely going to buy anyway!
What are your goals for the year? How are you going to achieve them? If you need a cheerleader, {I’ll definitely need a couple} feel free to reach out! I love connecting with new peeps and as a #goaldigger, I think we can help each other reach some crazy new heights this year. 2017, we’re coming for ya!
xoxo,
