2020 Goals

To be honest, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to this year. The end of 2019 was particularly stressful for me personally, and I went into the holiday season a bit jaded. After talking to my husband, we decided the best thing would be for me to completely unplug for from social media during the holidays.  Let me tell you, I feel like a NEW woman. I am definitely ready for a fresh start and I developed a fresh new perspective during my time ‘off’ social media. 

Instead of generic resolutions, I try to set specific goals with the start of a new year.  I feel that this brings me more focus and they are more intentional then the generic ‘eat healthier’ resolution that I used to set (and fail) in my early twenties. I think I was OKAY, not great, with completing my 2019 goals.  I got a little ahead of myself by giving myself NINETEEN goals to complete for the year. I am not sure what I was thinking, but I think I made it through about half, which isn’t too bad. Some of the items that I didn’t complete, like meeting with a financial planner, figuring out an organizational system for our important home/financial documents, and FINALLY planning a honeymoon are still at the forefront of my mind as I start this new year. 

However, I did achieve a lot of goals on my list.  I paid off a student loan (one more to go!), crushed several personal goals for my blog and instagram (thank you!), refreshed my closet, made it to the Mackenzie Childs Barn sale, and revamped a ton of our outdoor landscaping. 

As we move into a new year, I am feeling pretty good about the goals I have set for myself.  I know that this feeling can be fleeting, but I am hoping that focusing on my intention for the upcoming year will help me be successful in completing most, if not all, of my goals in 2020.

So, here is what I am hoping to achieve this year.

READ MORE // Last year I set a reading goal of 19 books.  While I didn’t meet that goal, I know I could have if I integrated reading into my daily schedule. Toward the end of 2019, I decided I would spend 30-60 minutes before I went to bed reading. I have a terrible habit of spending this time on my phone, and I know I sleep better at night if I read beforehand.  So, I set my phone to automatically turn on ‘do not disturb’ the hour before I intend to go to bed. It has been a game changer. I have soared through so many books the past couple of months as a result of this new habit (nothing like getting started early with your yearly intention!). In 2020, I have set a reading goal of 20 books, which I realize may seem confusing since I didn’t do this last year, but I am staying optimistic. 

PLAN A TRIP ABROAD // As I mentioned earlier in the post, JD and I never went on a honeymoon.  My husband works for a politically appointed office, and we got married right before election season. We weren’t entirely sure if he was going to have a job, so we opted to save his vacation time just in case.  Luckily, he was able to keep his job, but planning a honeymoon was not at the top of our priority list this past year. We have mastered the art of the long weekend vacation, but in the almost 10 years we have been together we have NEVER taken a week long vacation. Neither one of us has been to Europe, so we would love at least have a trip planned by the end of 2020, even if it means we push it to the following year. 

PAY OFF DEBT // I am insanely motivated to pay off my student loans.  I do consider myself fortunate in this area, because my student loan debt could be MUCH worse. Nursing was not my first college degree, and as a result, I obtained 3 college degrees instead of the one I had planned. Thankfully, my current employer provided tuition assistance for my masters degree, but I still am chipping away at the loan from my first bachelor’s degree. I have paid off 2 out of my 3 student loans, which I am incredibly proud of, and I dream of reaching more financial freedom by getting rid of that final loan. I will admit, it is the largest of the 3, and I am not sure I can pay it off entirely, but I do want to make it a priority to pay more than the minimum payment each month. 

BE A BETTER GIFT GIVER // This goal has two parts.  First, I would like to be more intentional with the gifts I give to my family and friends.  I feel like I always think of good ideas, and forget about them when it comes time to actually give said gift.  I started keeping notes on my phone with names of all of my loved ones. This way, when I think of something I can add it to my list right away and refer back when I need to. Secondly, I would like to make charitable gifts more of a priority. This past holiday season, I really felt called to give back to others more than I have in the past. I would like to carry this on throughout the year, not just during the holidays. 

USE TECHNOLOGY TO MY ADVANTAGE // If the past decade is any indication, technology has proven it’s only going to get bigger and better.  Instead of being resistant to change, I want to integrate technology into my everyday life in a way that helps me achieve my goals. Right now, I pretty much exclusively use social media. This year, I want to discover other ways that I can use technology efficiently. I got a head start on this by purchasing an iPad this week with some Christmas money that was burning a hole in my pocket.  My plan is to use this to track my daily habits, write down to-do lists, track my budget/finances, etc. I also got a Kindle for Christmas as a gift and have already read two books. Perhaps, I will do a full blog post in a month or two about ways I have (healthily) integrated technology into my everyday life! 

I think that 2020 is going to be the best year yet.  I would love to hear your 2020 goals! 

xo, Kristen