We’re almost a week into 2018 and I’m just now settling on my resolutions for the year. Granted it’s the busy time of year at my work and the juggling long hours with the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays is always a bit of a balancing act but I love setting my goals and resolutions for the year so I wasn’t sure at first why I was struggling with it this year. I realized something this week though as I was jotting down notes about different goals I wanted to accomplish. I realized that my goals for this year were very similar to my goals from last year and the year before.
There’s nothing wrong with the goals I’ve been setting. They encompass financial goals, personal and career goals, and healthy living…. all good things and although I didn’t meet some of my goals last year, which means they were somewhat challenging, somehow I am not feeling challenged in my life. That’s why I’ve decided I need to be more Bold this year. I need to stretch myself more than I have been in the past. I want to take more chances, I want to try things that might scare me, and I want to trust in myself a little more. So without further ado… here are some of my plans for 2018:
Financial
- Double my emergency fund
- reduce credit card balances by 20%
- $6,000 in extra income
This might not sound that ambitious but it is because I have several home projects that are going to cost me some money this year and our healthcare costs will be at least $2,600 more this year.
Personal/Career
- One blog post a week
- 4 pieces of writing submitted (these can include guest posting on other bloggers sites)
- One class taken to aid me in my career progress (probably Excel)
- At least two classes to further my knowledge for my blog and/or writing
- Declutter my home and get it organized-starting this off with a January daily home challenge
- Hang my artwork in my home
- An actual vacation this year with the family
- One getaway for me
- Establish a new steam of income-preferably through my writing in some fashion
- 36 books read
Healthy Living
- 30 minutes of exercise 4 days a week
- Gym twice a week
- Take at least two exercise classes
- Average 7 hours of sleep a night each week
- Explore different relaxation techniques (meditation or yoga perhaps)
So here we go. Let’s see if I can crush these goals this year. Some things I plan on working this year also that I didn’t include since it’s hard to measure like the goals above are to be more present for others I know that need help. I have one project specifically in mind that’s of a personal nature. It’s easy to think, oh I don’t have enough money to help people but writing a check isn’t the only way to help people and I think there are some talents I have that I could use to help others, namely helping people set up budgets or helping out with social media. I also want to spend more time with friends and family.