My 19 For 2019 List
Setting Goals for 2019
As 2018 draws to a close, I am feeling nostalgic as I look back at what I accomplished in 2018 and I am excited for the year to come!
Just like last year, instead of making New Year’s resolutions I am once again inspired by my online pretend best friend Gretchen Rubin (Author of the Happiness Project and Co-host of the podcast Happier) to make a list of 19 goals for 2019.
It’s essentially a list of things that you want to accomplish this year. They can be big or small, something just on the outskirts of your comfort zone or something that is pretty easy that you know you just want to accomplish this year.
If you check back to my list of 18 for 2018, you can see the updates that I’ve added to that post that will let you know where I accomplished the stated goal, or where I sort of did or where I outright failed. My friend and podcast co-host Jenny and I have discussed both our 18 for 2018 and now our 19 for 2019 on The Improvement Project Podcast. If you haven’t heard those episodes, you can check them out here and here.
I hope that you can find some inspiration in the list I’ve put together for myself for this year and if you haven’t already….you should start setting goals for 2019 and making your list!
Here’s my list of 19 goals for 2019:
1) Continue with our weekly podcast The Improvement Project through 2019.
Jenny and I have been super consistent through 27 weeks of this project since the beginning of July of 2018 and we hope that you have been listening along. Here are some of our most popular episodes from the last 6 months if you want to give it a listen!
2) Get skincare help and then consistently take better care of my skin.
I have been ignoring my skin with my low maintenance approach to beauty rituals and it’s starting to let me know. It was one of my goals last year to take better care of my skin and I didn’t really do it so this is the year!! If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear how you take care of your skin in the comments below!
3) Digitize all photos of hardcopies that are in albums. Then organize them!
I’m sure this one resonates with some of you. I have a huge box of photo albums from as long as 30 years ago in my basement gathering dust. It’s time to decide what I really want to keep and then get those photos online and organize them. I really resist this one so if you have some suggestions as to how to best organize photos online, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.
4) Finish online course called Virtual Business Academy
I purchased this course a couple of years ago and I have completed some of it. It’s time to get after it and just power through to the end. This course is key to improving both online organization, productivity and security and will help me to better communicate with, and serve you (my readers and listeners).
5) Get Our Will Done.
This is what I wrote last year when I made my 18 for 2018 list with this exact goal on it: How is it possible that this is not done? Some days I think I’m doing this adult-ing thing well and then I run into this task that is still on the ‘To Do’ list. Just get this done Peggy….for realz this year. Get after it!!
6) Read one non-fiction and one fiction (or fun) book per month.
This seems totally doable since we are reading one book a month already anyway for the podcast (which is usually non-fiction) so I just have to pick some fun fiction books each month. I’m open to suggestions!!
7) Treadmill Desk up and running.
This was on my 18 for 2018 and it never happened. I’ve got a handy man in my house who can build some sort of contraption to go on top of my treadmill. This will hopefully make it easy for me to put my computer on it and then I can go for a stroll and still stay connected to the interwebs and do my work instead of being a sitting creature all the time. This year it’s happening!
8) Email Inbox zero. Get a better system and stick to it!
I’m embarrassed to admit that my email inbox has over 2000 messages in it. I’ve seen them all but I haven’t organized them or filed them or deleted them as is appropriate. This one goes along with my lean in to the Outer Order equals inner Calm mantra once again this year. It’s time to get a system and get to inbox zero. Again, any helpful suggestions are welcome.
9) Monitor spending and saving more closely with budget app.
My podcast partner in crime, Jenny has got me hyped up about an app called Mint that I’m going to test drive for this task. I’ll let you know how it goes.
10) Photo wall of fame in front hall and hallway
This is another goal that was on my 18 for 2018 and it didn’t get finished. It’s not difficult. I just have to gather some photos, get some frames and get them up. Let’s get after it!!
11) Organize spices and spice drawer
Jenny is so excited to help me with this. She is a total weirdo but I like her and I do appreciate her zest for a good clean, organized drawer so I’m happy to accept her help and her minimalist ways to get this task accomplished. She’s already been sending me Pinterest pictures of beautifully organized spice drawers as inspiration.
12) Plans for renovation to our house in 2020 (architect, engineer, subs, materials)
John and I have a big plan to renovate our Kitchen and dining room in 2010 and one of this years goals is to get going on all the details that will make the process go smoother. We are going to work at it a little at a time over the next year and make sure we’ve got all the details sorted.
13) Complete handstand course. Move closer to my goal of a press handstand.
Again, this is sort of like a goal I had for 2018. I’ve made it more specific and measurable here by making the goal completing a course so that I’ll actually have something to measure at the end of the year. It is my hope that this inspires me to get after this and work on my handstands!
14) Opt-in for website. Free Online course about habits. This will go along with the official relaunch of my website.
I have been resisting this for awhile. I feel like I’m not 100% ready to put myself out there for real. What if people don’t like me or what I have to say? (That’s my self talk) . It’s time to put it out there. If you don’t like it….you aren’t my people. (I know that YOU are my people….you are still reading….thank you for being my people xo)
15) Create and launch an online paid course about habits.
Ok this is huge. This is a way that I can use the knowledge that I’ve gathered through my own experiments in self improvement and pass them on to others. At the same time, I can put some eggs in other baskets by creating an opportunity for income outside my day to day job. This is an exciting entrepreneurial endeavour and I’m pumped!
16) Learn to speak Spanish. Use app Duolingo daily. Be able to have a simple conversation by November of 2019 (when we will likely go back to Mexico for a vacation)
John and I went with my sister and brother-in-law on a beautiful vacation to Huatulco, Mexico in November of 2018 and I really wanted to be able to communicate and I was useless. Learning another language has always been an interest of mine and now I’m excited to add that goal to this year’s list so that I can try to join in on the conversation when we head back to Mexico in November of 2019!
17) Get a better handle on Instagram and post daily
I’m hit or miss when it comes to social media in general and I’d like to get a better grasp of Instagram and post more regularly to communicate more with readers of the website and listeners of the podcast!
18) Outer Order = Inner Calm: All drawers, cupboards, closets and dressers need to be MinsGamed.
I’ve caught the decluttering bug! I did some of this in 2018 but I’d definitely like to do more in 2019!! In March of 2019, Jenny and I will be discussing decluttering and playing the MinsGame again. (I played this in the spring of 2018 and it was therapeutic to get rid of so many things. Outer order really does contribute to inner calm)
19) Monthly: hang out with one of our 8 nieces and nephews one on one to increase connection with our little people.
John and I weren’t lucky enough to have children of our own but we do have 8 nieces and nephews that we love up whenever we can. It is always a goal for me to do the best I can to inject myself into their memories by spending more time with them and doing fun Aunt and Uncle stuff. This year, I want to be more intentional about the process by picking a kid a month (for at least 8 out of 12 months) and doing something fun with them one on one (or 2 in this case because it’ll be one niece or nephew with John and I)
Ok! Those are my 19 goals for 2019!
Now it’s your turn!! I want to know what 19 things you’ve got planned for 2019 and I want to help you with setting goals for the coming year!
In the comments below, share your 19 goals for 19 or find me on the socials at Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and use the hashtag #19goalsfor19 and #theimprovementproject with your list. Once you write it down and share it….you will be waaaaayyy more likely to follow through. Not only that, we can support each other and provide some accountability for these goals.
Let’s get after it and start setting goals for 2019!!
Peggy
