Here are my first set of monthly goals for the year! I am choosing one goal for each of six categories that I want to make progress in. As I wrote about in my personal planning post, these do not include big, serious subjects (like health, spirituality, finances, etc.) but are nonessential tweaks I want to make to add happiness to my life. I think they will also help me on my journey to feeling light.
Nagging task: Clean the car
I keep my car fairly uncluttered and don’t leave trash in there, but I’m not the only one who drives it and lugging around two kids just begs for crumbs and random toys to be left in there.
Purchase: Running gear
I have one half marathon this month and one next month. After that I am going to continue running 5k’s and 10k’s. My plan is to run about three times per week: 3-4 miles twice on weekdays, and 6-7 miles on the weekend. Then I want to cross train at least once a week at my work gym.
Basically, I want running to be a regular part of my life and having the right gear will make it a lot easier. I got a pair of Lululemon running pants for Christmas and they are amazing. I have good shoes, socks, and headbands. What I would like to add is a long-sleeved shirt and possibly a hydration belt. (In the future I also want to get a good jacket and tank tops for summer, but I can’t do that all at once.)
Style & Beauty: Make a list of items needed for cold-weather wardrobe
This winter I’ve been wearing what I already own, with no new purchases. I’m not calling it a real “capsule wardrobe” because there are for sure holes in it, but I’ve been making do in order to save money and know what I really need. I want to have a solid list so that I can pick up things when there are sales. (Also, my goal is to only buy ethically-made clothing from here on out, so if you know of any great companies let me know.)
Leisure: Read three books
I would love to read more this year. Currently I’m nearing the end of The Magicians by Lev Grossman. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is on deck because I have it from the library. I’m listening to Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Our January book club pick is The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I’m hoping that at least three of these will get finished this month.
Also, I’m going to participate in Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2015 reading challenge. It looks like just the kind of fun, low-stress thing I’ll enjoy!
Memory-keeping: Complete Monday in Week in the Life album
This is such a small goal for all the memory-keeping I want to do, but I’m hoping if I can complete Monday in this project I’ll get on a roll and keep going. I’m also hoping to finish up our 2014 Project Life album and keep up to date with 2015, do a first birthday scrapbook for Liam, and begin my One Little Word album.
Blogging: Choose fonts
I have decided some things about blogging: I want it to be a regular part of my life, I want to do it as well as possible for this time of my life, and I want it to remain a hobby. There are some things that I want to update and tweak and nail down, one of those being the graphics for posts. I keep using different fonts because I can’t ever decide what I really like, so I want to choose 3 fonts that I will use regularly and that will make it much easier for me.
I’m having fun with this kinds of goals already! Look for an update on how I did when I introduce February’s goals. Have an awesome week!
From Jennifer Worrell:
I’m so glad you’ve been posting so regularly for a while, and that blogging is here to stay for you! You’ve been one of my favorite bloggers from the beginning of my blog-reading time, and you always inspire me! Have a happy day, lady! :)
From Kathleen:
Well you just made my day! Thanks for the sweet words! :)
From Kessi:
Have you printed out your fontbook? Printing out all of my fonts and juxtaposing them really helps me when I am designing typography.
I can help you with this if you have no clue what I’m talking about. :)
From rachieannie:
Love this idea of attainable goals! Luke and I were talking about what our intentions for this year are, and it’s so hard to spout off all this big ideas without becoming overwhelmed!
From Sarah @ Beauty School Dropout:
My disastrous car has become a bit of a joke between my friends and I! I cleaned most of it our this weekend and I’m going to try really hard to keep it that way.
I’m interested in Everlane for ethically sourced clothing, but I haven’t tried it yet.
From Holly:
We only have one vehicle and it’s a complete disaster, what with two kids, a dog, and all the horsey items I store in the trunk or the backseat. It’s on my list to clean out once/month but it never happens because it’s just too disgusting. I guess that means I should get on it, eh?
From Nora:
Anyone who can make/design with their own fonts is a winner in my book! I’m with you on reading more, so that’s a big goal for me. Otherwise, i have some intentions that I hope will be come habits. I plan to talk about them later this week on the blog (which needs a serious dusting off, it’s been too long!)
From Melissa:
I’m so glad you’ve been able to keep up with running and that you got a nice pair of runni g pants. I think having quality gear is always motivating for some reason :) I’m hoping to join in on your habit soon! It’s been so cold here (in the 20’s!) that running outside is daunting. But my real excuse is finding the time. E is still nursing quite a bit at night & my days are so jam packed these days.
Also GREAT idea on picking three fonts to stick with for the blog. I think I’m going to follow suit to make the whole process more streamlined. Plus it’ll keep the look of things more consistent!
From Amanda:
I love this approach to looking at your month ahead – especially starting with the “nagging task.” Last year for a month I had the challenge of “making good choices” which turned into 3 things each week: do something I’ve been avoiding, do something that brings me joy, and spend quality time with someone. It was such a great mindset. Happy 2015!