I’ve been busy making goals and plans for the new year. Honestly, I didn’t think I had any goals left to set to set since leaving my job. I’ve suddenly been hit with a lot of inspiration, and even though life looks a bit different in some ways now, I can still dream, strive to hit milestones and do some self-improvement.
Self-Improvement
I signed up for some online seminars on goal-setting and discovering what I genuinely like to do. I’m having to make a life pivot since leaving my job last May, so doing a little self-discovery is something I’ve wanted to do. I usually scoff at these types of things, but the two I will attend this week are free, so why not?
Additionally, I have got to place more focus on getting healthier. I have become very sedentary since leaving my job, so getting moving is a priority. I have followed along with Ilona for a couple of years as she hosts a walking challenge each year on her blog. I’m joining this time, and I’ve downloaded the MapMyWalk app on my phone to track my progress. The goal is 1000 miles this year!
I also realize I need more quality sleep at night and to stay better hydrated by drinking more water. No more staying up until the wee hours, wasting time on social media, iPad games, etc. I can also tell just from the dry condition of my skin that I’m not as hydrated as I should be. Both of these are so important for good health.
Home Improvements
We have a lot of home improvements to make. While I’m pretty sure we won’t get to do everything on our list, my main goal is to get some painting done upstairs, new flooring downstairs, and a tree removed in our backyard.
Writing
After some half-hearted attempts at blogging last year, I’m excited to get back into writing more. I’ve been thinking of starting some memoir writing, reflecting on my childhood and life up to the present. It will be one of those projects that will be a work in progress for as long as I live. Haha! I’m not sure anyone will even care about it when I am no longer here, but I was inspired by one of my great-aunts who kept meticulous family tree records. She also wrote poems, essays, and stories about our family. These are treasures to me, and I want to do this, too.
Reading
Seeing what everyone read last year inspired me to step up my reading game this new year. I’ve had a Goodreads account for a long time but abandoned it years ago. I finally returned and got everything set up for the 2023 Reading Challenge. Are you on Goodreads, too? You can follow me here! I’ve pledged to read 25 books this new year, but I hope I can surpass that. I’m a big reader of non-fiction, but I will try to expand my reading horizons to include some fiction.
Savings Challenges & Debt Elimination
I’ve purchased some envelopes and little pouches for some personal savings challenges. We have some special things coming up in the new year that I would like to get a jump on when it comes to funding them. My son will start his senior year in August, and with that will come pictures, parties, and other occasions. I will also be fully prepared financially for the holidays this year. I’ll probably expound more on this in another post.
And, of course, just like millions of other people, eliminating debt is also a goal. I want to eliminate my student loan and my husband’s credit card. We do have medical debt and probably always will, but getting most of that paid off would also be great.
Making goals and plans for this new year has been very enjoyable, and I am excited to see what I can accomplish. Have you mapped out a plan for 2023? Let me know what you have in mind for the new year!
Photo by Bich Tran
Those are some great goals, Mandy. I have goals to improve my health, become more organized, to declutter, spend less time procrastinating, etc. There are a lot of home improvement projects, too, that need to be done. Need to find a good contractor, first! Hopefully, this is the year when things get done!
Hope you can find a wonderful contractor to work with. They really do make things so easy when they are good at what they do!
Happy New Year!! Every year I tell myself I’m not going to make any lists or goals, but then here I am doing a lot of the same things as you! 😉 I’ve signed up for free seminars, set a bedtime (I’m a night owl) and bought myself a knock off Fitbit so I can prompt myself to move more. I wish you luck with your new goals!! I hope I can stick to mine!! Haha!
We can hold each other accountable and check in on each other now and then. So cool that we have some of the same goals to strive for this year! Good luck to you as well!
My goals are rather vague and general because I know myself well enough to know I won’t follow anything specific. I’m too easily sidetracked. lol Like everyone else, I want to eat healthier and lose some weight. I’ve been doing okay with the diabetes but need to keep a tighter rein on it. I also really reeeeally want to declutter. I keep saying it but don’t do anything about it because there are no donation spots convenient to me. And there are tons of things around out house and property that absolutely need attention.
In more fun areas, I want to be better about blogging, and I want to tackle a big photo organization project. Oh, and get back to reading more.
You have some great goals, Deb! I also really, really need to get better with my food choices to manage my diabetes better as well. I kind of want to tackle our photo collection as well, but that will be a BIG job!
Luckily, I have a lot of the really old family photos scanned and saved already, and the rest are at least in order and in boxes. The thing that keeps me from getting started is that my computer/printer (scanner) setup doesn’t have much room to spread things out or move around. I’ll have to bring a small folding table into the area, which will then box me in and still not be very comfortable. Oh, and then there is the cat, who will no doubt have to be on top of everything. Excuses, I know……lol
Oh, what even IS a good project without a cat “helper”?? LOL!!
Happy new year to you and best of wishes with the goals you set! I’ll share about my own sometime in the next week…I’m so inspired in writing lately that I am having a hard time restraining myself from making bonus posts all week. Ha!
Ha! Bring on the bonus posts! I hope I can get as fired up as you are about blogging this year!
You made me laugh…thanks, though!
Sounds like great goals! Staying healthy, organized and listening more are goals for 2023. Happy New Year!
Listening more…I love that! A great reminder for us all!
All good goals! I am also trying to eat healthier. I had actually started that last Fall and have been doing well – but not so much over Christmas, so I need to restart.
I’m also trying to downsize and get rid of extra stuff in the house. I’ve got a box sitting in the spare room that I’ve been putting things in for the charity store.
Now I have to keep at it!
I have started a bag in my office of things to donate. I hope by the end of this week I can drop it off. And yes, nothing like the holidays to wreck good eating habits. I’ve got to get on that train as well!