Setting Goals for 2018

Well hello stranger!  We are going to talk about setting goals in one quick sec but first let me tell you how much I’ve missed you over the past few years.  I’ve been in a giant hole filled with distraction, complacency, coffee and red wine.  It was not entirely unpleasant 🙂

2018 is here and it’s time for me to pull up my multicoloured socks and my big girl panties and jump back in.

If you remember way back in 2015, I was blogging and sending out a newsletter regularly with great content about health, wellness, food and fitness.  It was going well and then it wasn’t. 

I began to resist the process in part because of the toxic negativity that I started to encounter in many online spaces.  I’m not sure if you know this about me but I’m a bit sensitive and I found the divisive, internet troll infested world to be rather soul sucking.

So why am I back?  I missed you.  For realz.  I feel like I have something to say and I feel like I can help you to negotiate your way through some of life’s challenges that I have already navigated and as a result be happier, healthier, more productive, more creative and more successful!

Would you like that?

So let’s get back after it!

Some things to consider if you are intrigued enough to keep reading and participating:

-Negativity and Complaining are not welcome here.  Nobody’s got time for that yo!

-My writing style is basically a stream of consciousness that comes straight outta my brain with no consideration for grammar or spelling or appropriate paragraph and sentence structure.  If this will be a problem for you, consider yourself informed.

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-Catch me on the socials to see what I’m up to in the in betweens:  Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

Ok, housekeeping tasks are out of the way. 

Setting Goals for 2018

Let’s get re-started by starting at the start of this year.  It’s 2018!!!  Can you believe it?  Wasn’t it 1990 only five minutes ago?

This year at the beginning of the year, instead of making New Year’s resolutions I was inspired by my internet spirit animal Gretchen Rubin (Author of the Happiness Project and Co-host of the podcast Happier) to make a list of 18 goals for 2018.

It’s essentially a list of things that you want to accomplish this year.  Some of them are epic (at least for me!) and some of them are pretty simple.

You might be wondering why I’m talking about goal setting for the year when we are almost 2 months in.  Real talk people…..sometimes I don’t do things on schedule and I get behind.  Sometimes I need to just do it when I’ve got the motivation and the minutes.  I would guess that you might have bits of your life that fall into this category as well.  Guess what?  It’s not too late to set goals for this year!    

In fact, this may be well timed for you as right around now is the time when many people have given up on any new years resolutions that were made at the beginning of January.  If you are in the camp where you’ve let things slide, don’t give up.  There’s still time to create an amazing list of things that you want to accomplish this year!!

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 2018 and making your list!

Here’s my list of 18 goals for 2018:

1) Start blogging again, communicating with my online peeps and sending out a weekly newsletter.   

Check this one off the list…woo hoo!!!  Only 17 to go….

2) Learn to drink black coffee. 

This one is going to be a challenge for me.  I looooovvvveeee cream in my coffee.  It’s what makes my love affair with the caffeinated gold in a cup so intense and dramatic.  My gastrointestinal system is not so enamoured with the whole dairy relationship… which leads me to this goal.

3) Photo wall of fame in front and bedroom hallway.

John and I have been living in our house since July of 2010.  If you’ve done the rapid mental calculation, we are approaching 8 years in the place.  There is not one single photo on any wall anywhere.  Blank walls greet everyone all the time.  It’s time to get some pictures up on the wall!

4) Take better care of my hair, skin and nails.

I have had the tendency over the past few years to be as low maintenance as possible with the way I look.  I rarely (gasp!) wash my face, I wear almost no makeup, My hair is in a messy bun 99% of the time is almost never styled and gets washed maybe 2-3 times per week.  The wisdom that grows out of my skull gets coloured only when my nieces start to tell me I have white hair.  I’m also an anxious nail biter and cuticle picker which is a) not the most hygienic and b) not hot. 

I feel as though 2018 is the year where I need to step up my game in these areas.

5) Finish decorating our bedroom.

We got new bedroom furniture and a new mattress last summer which are ah-mazing!  It’s the first furniture that I’ve ever purchased brand new which makes me feel like a real adult.  The bed is king size which is sooooo awesome and the mattress is an Endy which I picked and purchased after much debate and research.  We both love it so far.

Now…that said, the walls have been mostly bare since the new acquisition of furniture.  They are in need of some artwork, some hooks…just finishing touches.  This goal goes along with #3 in that I want to calm the chaos in my physical space so it takes up less room in my brain.  A big theme for me for 2018 is: ‘Outer Order Equals Inner Calm’.

6) Figure out a better filing and storage system for photos.

This goal fits into ‘Outer Order Equals Inner Calm’ as well.  I have boxes of photo albums and photos taking up huge real estate in my basement (and my brain for that matter)  I also have more than 15000 photos on my computer all willy nilly.  The idea of dealing with the monumental task of organizing either of these masses of pictures feels extremely overwhelming.  I will take baby steps toward sorting this out in 2018!

7) Get our will done.

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.

8) Monthly date night with John.

John and I are lucky in that we get to spend a lot of time together already but it’s often socializing with friends, family and neighbours or it’s unstructured time together.  I want to be more intentional about making time to connect when it’s just the 2 of us and we have a plan to go out and do something fun or share good conversation over a meal.

9) Learn how to take better pictures and videos with my iPhone. 

Since I’m going to be spending more time connecting with you online and probably sharing some of what’s happening in my day to day life, I want to be able to improve my photo and video game.  In 2018 I will look to take a course that will help me with this task.

10) Read 2 books per month.

I tend to scroll through social media too much which feels a bit like a life waster.  Instead, I want to be intentional about feeding my brain in a more constructive way by reading more.  I started off the year well with 2 books in January:  1) The 4 Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin 2) Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss.

I’m well into February and I’ve already fallen off this one.  Please send me your suggestions for books that you love that I can add to my reading list for this year!

11) Connect with fellow women in business and host a mastermind.

I know for sure that when you get a group of motivated women together, great things happen.  I want to be able to share and connect with a small group in person that will help the businesses of everyone in attendance to grow!

12) Work on Improving my handstands

This one seems a bit random but I’ve been less than consistent with exercise and setting goals like this one will get me back on track.

13) Clean out all cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and bathrooms. Purge and re-organize.

My spice drawer is a disaster.  That’s just the tip of this iceberg 🙂  This one brings me back into my theme of ‘Outer Order Equals Inner Calm’

14) Hire a cleaner for the house 1-2 times per month

This seems like a luxury but I really feel as though outsourcing this task will help clear up space in my brain for all the other things I want to accomplish.  Again….Outer Order Equals Inner Calm.

15) Take a First Aid course recertification.

This is a required by my chiropractic regulatory body for continuing education before June of this year so it was a no brainer when setting goals for the year. 

16) Finish and take action on the lessons in the online marketing course I’m taking.

I tend to be a great starter and a mediocre (at best) finisher.  It’s time to start finishing things instead of getting distracted by shiny objects and moving on to something else instead of following through.

17) Get new quotes for Auto and Home Insurance

This is another one of those requirements for being an adult and fits right in when I’m setting goals for 2018.  Just do it Peggy!

18) Get my treadmill desk up and running! (pun is absolutely intended)

I have a treadmill, that tends to be a laundry holder more than a piece of exercise equipment.  I also have a super handy husband.   I will put these 2 things to good use in 2018 by having my handy husband make me a contraption that will allow me to transform the treadmill into a desk where I can work and walk.

Ok!  Those are my 18 goals for 2018!

Now it’s your turn!!  I want to know what 18 things you’ve got planned for 2018 and I want to help you with setting goals for the coming year!

In the comments below, share your 18 goals for 18 or find me on the socials at Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and use the hashtag #18goalsfor18 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!!

Peggy