Goal setting has always been something I do. I am always goal-setting and figuring out what’s the best way for me to set and accomplish goals. In the past, I have done 101 goals in 1001 days but some of the goals were things that I didn’t really want to accomplish. They weren’t my goals, but more goals that I would see on other people’s to-do lists, and thought it would be a good idea. I made a lot of things on my there that would be good, but NOT MY GOOD. This is also the first year in a long time I;m excited to write and create my goals for 2024.
Then I did The 12 Week Year. The idea behind it is that you view 3 months as a year and not a quarter of the year. For example, I want to hit 20 pounds. So if this was my yearly goal, I would have 12 months to hit this goal. I would mostly like to wait until the end of the year, or not get defeated if I missed a month because I had 11 more to go. In the 12-week year model, you hit your goals in 12 weeks. There is more urgency to hit my goals because I only had 12 weeks. I like the thought behind this way of goal setting but it also created a lot of stress for me.
This year I started my goals for 2024 in September of the previous year. I wanted time to think and set tangible goals for myself. The goals I set for this year are to be intentional and focused. I had my personal goals which were broken down by financial, hobbies, health/fitness, personal growth, community, recreation, and full-time job. I had my big goals for each topic written out, but then I cut those numbers in half. The reason I cut my numbers in half was because I have been working with a therapist, and she is constantly telling me I set too hard of goals. I have too high expectations of myself. Then I set goals for my blog, freelance opportunities, and content creation.
Personal Goals
Health/Fitness
This area is continuously changing because the numbers could change monthly. One of the things I would like to start doing more of is running, but I need to start off slowly. (More slowly than I would care to admit because I always get injured or shin splits.) Also, I am starting out with working out 3x/week and increasing to 5-7x/week. I’m allowing myself to be flexible in this area based on how I feel at that moment.
I do have a goal weight that I want to be at but it is also in a range. It’s more about feeling comfortable and confident in my body. I have a number that I would like to be at but I’m not set on that number. I am also excited because I am starting to work with a dietician. That will be a big factor in helping me hit my goals.
Drinking more water is always on my to-do list. Getting my daily water intake has never been something that I am good at. I am really picky about my water and it has to be freezing – ICE COLD WATE, or else it takes me forever to drink. I’m also slowly increasing my water intake to get to the “ideal” amount I should be drinking daily.
Personal Growth
Personal Growth is self-care, routines, goals, therapy, reading, and journaling. Anything that is working to make me a better person. Any goal that I set has to follow the SMART method. (Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Realistic. Time Bound.) Plus is has to pass my word of the year – Simple. Does all of these align together?
Self-Care is my spa days. I love doing spa days for myself and each time is different. Depends on how much time I give myself or how I am feeling. Sometimes I’ll do a total body spa treatment, and sometimes I might only do a facemask. I also have quite a collection of spa tools, and love learning about how to use them.
Routine is an ongoing process. I’m trying to find a routine that is consistent enough to wear I feel productive but still gives me flexibility. My big focus is creating a morning routine that sets up my day in the best way. Journaling falls under routine for me. I want to get into a better habit of journaling every day. The 5 year journal has always interested me. I have done it in the past and only last a year.
Goals are pretty much set, but checking in with myself either weekly, biweekly, or monthly is what I am working on right now. I created a google sheet that has most of my goals listed in there so I can keep track. I’m also using this sheet to see what I thought was important to me, and if I’m not making consistent progress then I have to rethink if it’s a goal.
Therapy is something that I am working on right now but in terms of what I want to get out of it. When I initially started therapy I was in the middle of the worst panic attack and depression state of my life. I literally couldn’t get out of bed. A lot of it during that time was I just needed someone to talk to. I had so much bottled up that it was literally eating at me. Now I am in a much better spot thanks to redoing my medication (ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression. I joke with my doctors that I’m a special mess.) I’m wanting to get more focused towards my goals and have them more specific. I have very general goals because when she asks what does that mean I don’t have the best answers.
Reading is something that I am pretty consistent with doing because I love to read. This year my goal is to keep better track of the books. I created a reading bingo and I hope to create a blackout. My goal is to read 10 pages of personal book, and 10 pages of professional book. I easily get my 10 pages of personal book because I read every night before bed, and I almost always read more than 10 pages. My professional book is anything mindset, goals, time management, etc.
Community
For so long, I was pretty private person. I cut off communication with a lot people because of my mindset. I was just in a really tough place, and I thought I was alone. It wasn’t until I started actually talking bout things, and people reaching out saying they feel the same way. I had one friend also tell me that I might be a highly sensitive person, and I have never heard that term before. I read a book about HSP, and felt so understood.
Community is important to me both online and in person. I want to also find a community where I live. I want to find more people that I can connect with. Doing things alone sometimes is fine but being able to connect with others is important to me this year. I am making a more intentional effort to reach out to people.
Finances
I am not going to talk much about this because I think it’s too personal. But the goals I have set are in regards to how much is my banking account, paying off credit cards, sticking to a budget, credit score, adding to retirement fund. The biggest thing I want to focus on is sticking to a budget. I have been really bad about sticking to a budget lately, and want to be better in this area.
Recreation
My goal is to get out at least one weekend a month. Getting out can be anything from exploring a new area near me, traveling over night or getting away for the weekend. I have so many trips planned, and it will be interesting if I can do all of them. I’m looking forward to do more hiking and car camping around Illinois. There are so many trails on my list. Also, this year is an eclipse and looking to find somewhere to see it again. I don’t know where I am going to go yet, but I’m debating either camping or kayaking.
Blogging Goals
Fit Traveler Blog
I have been blogging on and off since 2011. It initially started as journal and then turned into blog about travels. The times that I was “off” is when I was moving. I would tell myself I will take a 2 week break then get back into it. Then I would get distracted by being in a new area. I would miss writing and blogging then create a new blog. I stopped for a few years but never stopped my social media channels. Writing has always been something that I am passionate about, but I haven’t been in the right head space.
This is MY YEAR! This is the year that I am putting all my doubts and fears aside. I am focusing on writing and putting on content about traveling, wellness, lifestyle, and the outdoors. My passions have also been to travel, explore, and experience new things, BUT this year I am pushing myself outside my comfort zone. I am putting myself out there and hoping to work with brands that I LOVE! I am posting more on social media and creating more content for social media.
Freelance
I have always loved to write. Growing up, I first wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic. Then I wanted to be a photojournalist. One of the few things that I liked about high school was our school had a photography studio where we could develop and make our own photos. It was super cool, and I loved it all! Some of my pictures were in the yearbook.
I love to write and always have, but there was a period of time I didn’t want to do any writing. I was afraid to write because there were a group of guys who wanted to tear my writing apart. They would go out of their way to make my life miserable. So I just stopped in hopes that it would stop. (spoiler alert: it didn’t) But I have decided not to care what other people think. There is always going to be a negative opinion of me. So I’m putting myself out there and I’m going to start reaching out to write more.
Recap
This is my year! This is the year where everything makes sense. All the struggles. The trauma. The lessons. I am so excited for this year and I can’t remember a year that I was actually looking forward to. I was able to set my goals before the end of year. I’m confident and slightly nervous for all my goals.
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