I’ve always been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I think making goals for the year is a great way to prioritize the things in life you want to do. I also think taking time to reflect on the year prior is important as well. What went well? What would you do differently? Planning ahead and reflecting back are powerful tools to help put yourself on the track you want to be on in life.

New-Years-Resolutions

However, less than 25% of people actually stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them. I’ll be the first to admit that I have yet to come across a year where I’ve kept ALL of my resolutions. For 2019, I really wanted to take the time to not only think about my resolutions, but the actionable steps I need to take to accomplish them. (Hence why this post is coming out just a fewww days behind schedule lol).

In my last blog post, I mentioned that my “theme word” for 2018 was ‘change’. For 2019, I foresee two words summing up the year: FOCUS and GROWTH 🙌🏼

With that, here are my four New Year’s resolutions for 2019 and the steps I plan on taking to achieve my goals:

Focus on mental and physical health (get fit!)

For the last few years, my mental health was a big priority. I started to meditate, I stopped eating/drinking certain foods that seemed to trigger my anxiety, and I tried to be mindful about the people and energy I was allowing into my life.

Going into 2019, my goals regarding my mental health largely remain. However, in the midst of my focus on my mental health, I let my physical health slide to the back burner. I have a very difficult time getting into a regular routine of working out and staying fit. I’m what I like to call “skinny fat”. I’m naturally thin and have a great metabolism, but being thin in no way means you are healthy. I want to be fit and lean and confident! I definitely feel the most confident when I look and feel healthy on both the inside and the outside.

So, here’s what I plan to do:

  1. Workout regularly & consistently. Meaning at least 3-4x per week – I have absolutely no excuse not to. I think the key here is to find a workout that I love. I really enjoy yoga and barre, but I want to try boxing, cycling, and just regular old weight training. If you don’t enjoy working out, I suggest doing the same! It could even be something like taking a dance class. Anything to get your body moving!
  2. Walk more, take the stairs, etc. Walking is a super underrated exercise, but is incredibly effective. When going somewhere, if it’s under 1 mile and I have the time, I’ll walk. Simple enough! Small things definitely add up.
  3. Pay attention to what you put into your body. I know I need to drink more water and I plan on eating more plant based & whole foods. I’ve learned that I feel better when I fuel my body with things that are better for me.
  4. Meditate and stretch on a daily basis. This will likely be the hardest step for me as I tend to talk myself out of doing things on a regular, consistent basis. I know if I can get into a habit for at least 30 days, I’ll be able to maintain it. So really, the goal here is to shoot for that 30 day mark and go from there! I love using the app Headspace for guided meditations.

Work on my blog consistently

I started my blog almost one year ago for one simple reason: a creative outlet. At the time, I felt very stuck in life and I needed/wanted to create something that was my own. Over the last year, I went through a lot of big life changes and I would let my blog fall to the wayside. For 2019, I’m coming in with a plan to ensure this doesn’t happen:

  1. Blog consistently. My goal for 2019 is to put out at least 3 blogs per month – 4 would be ideal
  2. Work on my blog every day! I know I gotta put in the work if I want to see results – and I’m so ready! I plan to spend at least 30 minutes on my blog every single day.
  3. Create content months ahead of time. Some of you might think this blog stuff happens on the fly (which some of it does!), but there’s SO much planning that goes into having a blog. One thing that got me stuck was not having a plan in place at least 2-3 months ahead of schedule. As of now, I have an editorial calendar set for the first few months. This should help!

Save money and stop overspending

I’ve mentioned before that living in LA was difficult for many reasons, one being I felt like I could never get ahead financially. Now that I’m in Chicago, things are MUCH better and I finally feel like I can save some money.

I also have to admit that I’m an overspender (I’m sure I’m not alone here!). I’ve been trying to learn more about living minimally and the importance between having things vs. having/creating experiences. This year, I’m going to try my best to only buy the things I feel are necessary. Do I need another plaid shirt? No. Do I need another pair of jeans? No. Do I need another sweater? YES! (Haha the downside of moving back to the Midwest is that I practically have no winter clothes 😏). But you get my point! Here are my tips/strategies to saving money & not overspending:

  1. Don’t just make a budget – stick to it! I’ve made a budget every month for at least the last 5 years. That does not mean, however, that I have stuck to it 🙈 Typically I’ll create the budget and then enter in my spending at the end of the month. Doing this doesn’t allow me to know how much I’m spending on a regular basis. My plan is to review my spending/budget on a weekly basis so I know where I’m at in alignment with my spending goals. I also really like to use the app Mint. You can easily keep track of your spending, insert budgets, and it will notify you when you’re getting close to a budget amount.
  2. 48 hour rule: I read about this rule likely in another blog and I thought it was a great idea! If you find something you want to purchase, wait 48 hours before buying. If after 48 hours you still want the item – go ahead and purchase. Most of the time you’ll forget about the item later that day.
  3. Utilize automatic transfers. I set up an automatic transfer from my checking to my savings account AND from my checking account to a Roth IRA. If you set up these types of transfers, you’ll likely never even know the money is missing. You can do something as small as $5 on up. And trust me – every little bit adds up!

Read two books per month

Last-BookstoreI have always had a book goal of one book per month, but I really want to step it up this year! Reading is something I love to do – fiction, nonfiction, personal/professional development, autobiographies, etc. Here’s the plan:

  1. Substitute TV for reading. I tend to binge a little too often, when I could be spending my time reading! I’m going to try and have a “rule” to turn off all screens by 10pm and read until bedtime.
  2. Keep a book in my purse. I have a 40 minute bus ride to and from work every day… what better time to read?!
  3. Plan ahead. I have a Pinterest board for all of the books I want to read which really helps. My plan is to have ordered the books ahead of time so when I finish one book I can dive right into the next! In case you’re curious, I also keep a Pinterest board for book I have read and recommend 😊

There you have it! After taking time to think about how I plan to follow through on my own resolutions, I wanted to share some tips that have worked for me in the past and some of the ways I plan to accomplish these goals.

  1. Keep it simple! Stick to 2-3 specific resolutions or 3-4 more simple resolutions
  2. Stuck on coming up with resolutions? Choose a word that you want to describe your year and make resolutions around that.
  3. Come up with a plan! What do you plan to do on a daily basis that will help you achieve your goals?
  4. Write them down! I love making lists and I truly think writing down you goals & resolutions helps you stay motivated.
  5. Make & celebrate milestones. Did you lose 2 lbs towards your goal weight? Celebrate! Did you go 1 week without biting your nails? Celebrate! Every little milestone adds up to you reaching your goals and you deserve a pat on your back for each accomplishment!
  6. Tell someone! Hence this blog post 🙂

Keep in mind that you can really set goals and resolutions for yourself at any time during the year. Do it whenever you feel ready and confident to do so. I hope mine sparked some inspiration for you and you found these tips to be helpful! I am honestly SO excited for 2019 – I think it’s going to be an amazing year full of beautiful growth! 🎉

What are your 2019 resolutions? What are your tips for achieving them?

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