A 2018 Recap

2018 was a BUSY year for me – I moved into a new home, got engaged, traveled the world (Nathan had 140 shows this year alone!) and then ended it all with a wedding with all our closest family and friends.  While 2018 had a lot of blessings it also came with all sorts of STRESS; the planning, the traveling, so much CHANGE – I felt like I couldn’t keep up.  

In the past my health has been one of my top priorities but this year it had to take a back seat to all of the events of 2018 so that’s why 2019 is going to be the year of SELF CARE for me.  

How I Am Going To Make It All Happen

I made a list of 7 very attainable goals for myself in 2019, I am a big believer in making goals SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely) so that you are set up for success.  I am going to break down my 7 goals for you guys and how I made them SMART – I hope this inspires you to set your own resolutions (even if it’s a few days past the 1st it’s never too late to start!)

1.  Be less defensive. 

I have found one of my biggest faults is my defensive nature – I believe I do almost all things from a good place so hearing someone’s critiques of me can make me immediately put up my guard.  I want to work on being more confident in 2019, being able to hear someone’s critiques openly without feeling hurt or misunderstood.  So how do I plan on making this goal SMART?

• Specific: I plan on telling the people around me my goal  and to make sure to practice complete honesty with myself of when I am being defensive. 
• Measurable: I plan on measuring my growth by keeping a “defensive jar” for every time I find myself being defensive.  From there I am going to add $5 to the jar each time I slip up and donate it to a good cause at the end of each month. 
• Attainable: I believe this goal is attainable because I am not trying to change my entire personality, I am focusing on one negative trait that I would like to improve on. 
• Realistic: I believe this goal is realistic, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. 
• Timely: I plan on practicing this goal for the rest of 2019. 

2.  Collect less clutter. 

I am a 1 on the enneagram (the perfectionist) so clutter and mess stresses me out in an UNHEALTHY way.  When I am surrounded by mess I find it hard for me to focus so I want to create a better environment for myself in 2019.  No more junk drawers, messy bathroom cabinets, and clothing items collecting dust in my closet. 

How I am making it SMART:

• If something doesn’t have a home I am going to get rid of it. 
• I am not allowed to buy more vitamins or skincare products until I get through the ones I currently own.
• For every new clothing item I purchase I need to get rid of an old one that is not longer being worn by me.
• In January I plan on cleaning out two parts of my home a week until all the cabinets and drawers are clutter free.

3.  Workout 3-4 days a week. 

This used to be an easy goal for me, working out was just a part of my schedule.  First thing in the morning I would workout for 4-5 days a week, but now with all the traveling and lack of routine it’s been hard to stay consistent.  In 2019 I plan on keeping a more consistent schedule.

How I am making it SMART:

• I will be planning out my workout routines on Sunday.  I will sign up for all classes that I plan on attending (right now I am LOVING Barre3) and then for days I want to workout on my own I will pick out a specific time i’ll be hitting the gym (and I might even hit up a friend to join me so I have an accountability partner). 
• To keep myself motivated I plan on rewarding myself with something at the end of each month if I consistently meet my goal (this month will be these FABULOUS shoes) 

4.  Write at least 1 blog post a week. 

This has been a hard one for me in the past – I am a perfectionist so at times I feel stumped by my own inner critic.  I feel like if I can’t get it done perfect than why even start it?  This year I am going to set aside my fears and just put it all out there, flawed and all. 

How I am making it SMART: 

• To give myself more structure I plan on making a schedule on the first of each month of what sort of blog topics I intend to write on.  I will from there set “writing days” where I will put all my energy into cultivating my posts. 
• To keep myself productive I am going to look to the “Pomodoro” method – set a timer for 25 minute increments, during those 25 minutes I have to work completely undistracted (no social media, no tv, just dedicated work.) 

5. Be consistent with my vitamins. 

This has been a struggle for me for YEARS.   I get all my vitamins together for the morning and night weekly but for some reason it is SO HARD for me to remember to take them. 

How I am making it SMART: 

• I plan on keeping myself consistent this year by setting 3 daily alarms on my phone to remind me to take them PLUS I plan on putting them somewhere where I can visually be reminded of them on a daily basis instead of sitting inside of a cupboard. 
• I plan on setting a self care reward for completing this goal monthly, I am thinking about a trip to the sauna to get a good sweat in! 

6. Meditate for at least 3 min a day. 

I recently listened to a podcast on self care and the host talked about how hard it was for her to dedicate the time towards mediation but then she said she started focusing on giving it just 3 minutes a day and it made a world of difference!  In the beginning because many of us feel we don’t have an extra 5 min in a day to dedicate to mediation but EVERYONE has an extra 3 minutes in their day! 

How I am making it SMART: 

• I plan on setting a timer each morning after drinking my celery juice to sit down and mediate.  During that time I plan on focusing on meditating either on a positive word I feel like I need that day or sitting down and listening to a worship song that allows me to clear my thoughts and just BREATHE. 
• If I can do 30 days of meditation straight I plan on rewarding myself with a facial.

7. Limit eating out to 1 day a week.

After traveling on and off the road for a year I got in a BAD habit of eating out.  It was hard for me to keep up with the constant change of routine or to stay motivated to make a home cooked meal.  This year I plan on making my diet a priority once again by getting back in the kitchen more regularly.

How I am making it SMART: 

• From past experience I know that healthy eating is hard to stick by on a whim; pre-planning is KEY to success.  This is why I plan on making a meal plan and grocery shopping on Saturday so I can cook on Sunday.
• I plan on posting my meal plan in my kitchen so I am reminded of what is available and ready for me to eat in the fridge (letting food go bad is a pet peeve of mine).
• I plan on rewarding myself after two weeks of consistent good eating to treat myself to a night out with friends! (laser tag anyone?!)

I hope that these goals motivated you to work on your own list!  I would love to see what you guys plan on doing in 2019 so don’t be shy, comment your resolutions below!