I have been struggling with what goals I want to accomplish this year. I didn't accomplish any of my goals last year. The only I goal I executed were my blogging goals. I worked with more brands and gained my social media following on Instagram and Twitter. So when I sat down and started thinking about the goals I wanted to focus on for 2019, it was very hard for me.
You would think that since I help my youth create goals every year that it would be easier for me to do it. Wrong! I tried the whole resolution thing but I fail every single time. Which is why I decided to focus on setting little goals that connect with a bigger and better goal.
For 2019, my four goals are 1) Do more for me. 2) Focus on me mental and physical health. 3) Launch my blog on a new platform and reach a bigger social media audience. 4) Finish writing the first draft of my book for my mentee's.
Do more for me...
As a mother, I give my all to my children. I put my wants, needs, and deepest desires aside to fulfill those needs for my kids. I have realized that I matter and have been losing sight of who I was outside of my role as a mother. I have canceled dates with my friends. I have stopped taking care of my body because I felt like I need to be at home with my kids instead of going to the gym. Its come to the point that I don't know who I am anymore outside of my role as a mom which is very disheartening to me.
Going into the new year, the four smaller goals that I plan to execute are to start writing in the journal more often. This will allow me to get my thoughts out onto paper. Writing has always allowed me to process.
I will get massage and chiropractic care more frequent. I have never been to a spa and would love to treat myself. I'm thinking Mother's Day or my birthday. I'm also going to start getting my nails done or doing them myself every week. I need to pamper myself more.
And last but not least, I am going to challenge myself to read a book a month. I know that sounds super easy but it is hard. I work 40+ hours a week for my career and then come home to tend to the children after a long day. I am going to be very intentional about carving out time to relax at home with a cup of tea so I can get some reading in. My brain craves academic enrichment and I have been neglecting it.
My health matters!
I have gained a lot of weight and I am not happy with how my body looks and feels because of it. I don't eat as healthy as I should. I plan to do some meal prep and start making my lunch and two snacks for when I am at the office. No more eating fast food for me. I haven't been as active as I would like to be either. Mentally, I have overcome my postpartum depression. and have been medication free since last July! I still experience moments of anxiousness though. I started using essential oils and hemp oil when needed. It's been helpful to me.
This goal, if anything, will be the most challenging out of all my goals. They say it takes 6 weeks to make something a habit. I have set many small goals like drink 10 glasses of water every day and limit my soda intake to one a week. I am going to walk 2 miles a day, for a total of 14 miles a week. I am not going to weigh myself for the first 6 weeks. I am going to gauge my progress on how my clothing fits and how my body feels. I have learned that the weight on the scale often leaves me feeling discouraged. When I would weigh myself I have a tendency to body shame so I refuse to use it.
Write, write, write!
I am writing a teen fiction book. Only a few people know about it. When it comes to creative writing I am very secretive. Its very different compared to academic or writing for a blog. The only reason I even started writing a book was that some of my mentee's that I worked with encouraged me to write it. Currently, I have the first 15 chapters written but have content for a second and third book. My goal for 2019 is to solely focus on the first book and knock out the first draft by the end of the year.
I am focusing on writing 30 minutes a day. I am also going to edit a chapter or two a day and create a storyboard or log (not sure if that's what its called!) with everything I need for the book.
My blogging goals.
The 2018 year was the first year since I started blogging that I set small monthly goals. I want to grow my social media following and I plan on focusing on doing exactly this for 2019. I want to hit 3K on Instagram as well as start utilizing stories to engage my audience more. I also want to hit 10K on Twitter and 1K on Pinterest.
I will be honest with you. I am horrible at maintaining a content calendar. and I am challenging myself this year to sit down and plot out 1 month of content in advance. I am currently finishing up January and gradually moving on to February content ideas.
I will also be launching SDB on a new platform. I have been utilizing the same free platform since I began my blogging journey back in December of 2010. I hoped to launch it on January 1st, however, the platform I was utilizing was stressing me out. It was way too confusing, the layout and theme were not working out and the last week of December I was just done. So, I deleted it and went back to the drawing board and decided to use Wordpress instead. I have a launch date of February 1st. So stay tuned.
How I set my goals.
So those are my four main goals for the 2019 year. I encourage you to break down some of your bigger goals into smaller ones. Figure out what is your "why." Once you know your "why," nothing can stop you. Here is an example: you're halfway through the year and questioning why you picked this goal. Maybe your goal was to lose 20 pounds. Your "why" allows you to reflect back on your goal. My why is to feel healthier, to feel better in my own skin. Make sure you write your goals down! Keep them where you will see them every day. My goals are written in my planner. So every day when I open it, I get to see my four main goals and the smaller ones. This keeps me accountable and motivates me to continue doing what I am doing. So I encourage you to do exactly that.
I wish you a peaceful, prosperous, and wonderful new year. Until next time my friends. Have a pleasant Sunday.
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