Happy Monday, everyone! I can’t believe this is the last day of January. I feel like this is the time of the year when a lot of us start to struggle with our resolutions and goals. I don’t know about you, but I’m always full steam ahead at the beginning of the year and it becomes more and more challenging to stay focused on hitting my goals as the year goes on and obstacles come up.
But this year, I’ve really tried to tap into a few things that help me stay on track with my resolutions throughout the year — and so far I’ve had a lot of success! (I know, we’re only at the end of January but we’ve gotta celebrate the little victories, right!? lol)
So before I get into how I’m staying on track, I wanted to share a bit more about what my goals are for this year because I haven’t really done that officially on the blog yet.
My Personal & Business Goals for 2022
Get to Know My Finances Better
I talked a bit about this on my Instagram stories over the weekend, but one of my big goals is to get to know my finances so that I can budget better and ultimately can give more. I want to start defining what my “enough” looks like so that I can be more cognizant of my spending and really know where my money is going. It’s my hope that this will allow me to set stricter boundaries for myself and my business and allow me to meet my savings goals with my family.
Prioritize My Marriage
Okay so this is pretty much always a goal of mine but I just never put it on paper. I’ve only been married for a few years, and we got pregnant pretty quickly, so things in our marriage have been a bit of a whirlwind the past few years. This year, I’m hoping things will normalize some and we can really focus on each other. For me, this looks like regular dates (even if it’s just eating dinner together at the table during the week) and setting time aside where we can be alone. With a toddler, it’s easy to let our priorities shift to who’s taking care of Four while the other is trying to juggle work or home responsibilities. But by carving out time for just us, when we don’t necessarily have to worry about those things, we can be intentional with our conversation and just have fun together.
Care for My Body Better
This is another goal that’s pretty much always on my mind, but this year I’m really trying to do more cardio and work out regularly with a trainer. I knew I needed accountability, so I dragged my friend Ashley into training with me and it’s helped me to show up on the days when I might not feel like it. I always preach progress over perfection, so I’m not giving myself hard and fast rules like working out with my trainer 5 days a week. My main goal here is just to move more and find things I enjoy doing (okay in full disclosure I don’t *enjoy* doing burpees with my trainer but you know what I mean).
Improve My Prayer Life
Another big goal of mine this year is to increase how much I spend praying. For me to do this, I really have to set time aside. My hope is that one day I don’t have to be quite so intentional with my prayer (and it just becomes a part of my everyday life) but for now, it’s something I need to prioritize on my calendar. I mentioned a few things have that have helped me do this in my recent blog post on how I manage my time and calendar if you’re looking to do the same thing this year!
Push Myself to Keep Learning
I have always been a podcast junkie. I just love finding podcasts (and people) that teach me something I didn’t know before I started listening. I’ve also always been an avid reader, but somehow I’ve gotten away from both things over the past year or so. I set a goal for myself this year to read 3 books a month (I actually read 4 this month!) and start listening to podcasts again.
Be More Intentional With My Time
My last goal for the year to is be more intentional with my time. This is such an important one for me, and so far, it’s been incredible how much it’s helped my mental health. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve started taking a Sabbath on Saturday and making sure I follow my Sunday routine to get ready for the week ahead. I also do my best to sleep with my phone in the other room so I’m not tempted to scroll until all hours of the night. And when I’m spending time with my family, I make an effort to stay off my phone (which means less sharing in real-time on social media). This has been a learning experience for sure but I’ve absolutely loved the results I’ve experienced so far!
How I’m Staying on Track
Write Them Down
This may sound silly but writing down my goals makes me 100% more likely to actually reach them. You guys know I’m a bit traditionalist when it comes to pen and paper. I love writing down notes, to-do lists, brain dumps, etc. It just helps me stay stane! So you know I’ve got an entire notebook dedicated to my 2022 goals. I like to do regular check-ins to see where I’m at and if I need to reevaluate or even push myself harder.
Stay Organized
Honestly, a lot of what has helped me has to do with my calendar and the way I’m prioritizing my time in 2022. When I can be intentional with my time (work and play), I find that I’m able to get so much more done and I don’t feel like I’m too stretched thin.
Y’all know I live and breathe by my Cultivate What Matters planner too. Unlike normal planners, this one is focused on goals and the progress you’re making throughout the year. I love that it has sections for you to answer questions about yourself, what your challenges are, and what motivates you. I feel like it really helps me understand what I need to do to achieve my goals.
Find Accountability
I also need accountability to reach my goals. Whether it’s just writing them down, sharing them with friends and then checking in every so often, or putting them out here for the whole world to see, I am always motivated by being held accountable for my actions.
Don’t Get Discouraged
There are many days when I don’t do what I need to get closer to my goals, and it’s easy to get discouraged when this happens. But when I realize that small changes make big goals, it’s a great reminder that getting back in the saddle the next day is what’s important. If I quit on my goals every time I failed, I’d be back at square one constantly. But by giving myself some grace, I’m able to stay focused and move closer to my goal.
What tips do you have for reaching your goals? I’m always looking for motivation and inspiration!
