A New Thing I'm Trying for My 2021 Goals

Did you make New Year's goals for 2021? I know a lot of people didn't this year, and, trust me, I get it. Making it through this pandemic is certainly a worthy goal without adding any extras on top.

Personally, goals are my teeny, positive distractions from covid. Since there's little I can control about these circumstances, I've kept my annual tradition of setting goals with Austin as a reminder that I can still set a hopeful trajectory for my life.

And I'm trying a new thing with my goals this year! Which may be pretty obvious to anyone who's better than me at goal-setting, ha. But this year, I'm committing to revisiting them monthly. Too often in the past, I've written my goals on or around the New Year, and then reviewed them in December like I was opening up a fortune cookie to see what it said.

By reviewing them more frequently, I can even decide monthly if a goal is still worth pursuing or not. No shame in changing your mind about what you want to work toward!

By looking over my January 1st goals at the beginning of February, I've already noticed I'm baaaaarely succeeding at my 2021 goals of having better morning and nighttime routines, which is something I still want to work toward. On the flip-side, I did a good job of decluttering in January, and we're almost completely finished with our front living room. (hooray!)

I don't know if I'll share monthly updates on my personal goals, but I'm excited to review them and see how far I've come throughout the year. Sending you all the warm, hot chocolate, hot soup, hot-anything-vibes as it is COLD out there. xo!

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What 2020 Taught Me

Hiiii, remember me?! 

I went into 2020 expecting a very normal year where I was going to bake bread, just for fun. Then the world closed down, everyone learned to bake bread, and I didn’t even have the energy to do that. For all of us, 2020 was heavy and disorienting. But I’m thankful for a new year, a clean slate, and the promise of a hopeful tomorrow.

The number one lesson 2020 taught me is to appreciate the little things. Of course, I’m thankful for HUGE things in my life, like health, family, a job I love, etc. But when a year like this removes a lot of the small, everyday routines in life, I’ve learned to chase the tiny joys harder and appreciate the new:

• the satisfaction from placing the final piece of a puzzle
• challenging how many times I can flip the same vinyl without feeling sick of it
• walks around my neighborhood have become an anchor I didn’t know I needed
• the happy + sad feeling from finishing an addictive tv series
• sitting around a fire during a snowfall was just as magical as it sounds
• the shared intimacy of facing a tough year with people I love

Ironically, the one project I did keep up with in 2020 was recording 1 second of (nearly) every day of the year. I went into 2020 thinking this would be a fun hobby, without having any clue that it would become my personal time capsule for a year the world was turned upside-down.

 

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Some days from 2020 feel bigger than others — the day we left the office to work from home, knowing barely anything about what a pandemic was. Easter at home. My best friend’s wedding. Biden winning the election. Thanksgiving and Christmas, to name a few.

But recording 1 second a day gave equal time and priority to every day of 2020, and it’s a good reminder that the bulk of our lives happen in the small moments between each big event.

Sending you so much love + well wishes for 2021, savoring the little things, especially as we face the (hopefully!) final days of this pandemic.

xoxo

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My Goals for 2020

Feels like 2020 is getting off to a slow start—do you feel that way, too? It's January 23, and I'm just now finishing up some little New Year's notes and really digging into what I want out of 2020. And the first month is already almost over!

I went easy on myself with my goals for the first week of the year, and I think that was the right choice for me. The holiday season was so busy this year (and we don't even have kids!!), and I needed some time to rest + recoup. But goal setting (and sharing my goals!) is one of the things that brings me joy, and I like putting them out there, so there's a little built-in accountability. Here are some of the things I'm putting my mind to in 2020.

Move my body 3 times/week
I know this probably sounds crazy to some, but I've never really had a good routine around exercising! I'm hoping to develop this habit now, as I know it's something I want to carry with me as I get older. I'm not making too many rules around how I should be exercising, though, which seems like the right choice for me. The second week of January, I did yoga, and last week, I walked a BUNCH on a fun trip to Atlanta to purchase new items for my shop.

Learn to bake a loaf of bread
I'm not sure if I'll turn into a lifelong baker from this (probably not, tbh), but I love the idea of knowing exactly what went into my food—especially bread. I think bread can tend to carry a lot of preservatives, and I'm interested in knowing how to make my own.

Sew an outfit
I learned to sew from my grandma when I was young, and I always love doing it when I make the time. I'm hoping to devote a little more time to that hobby this year, and hopefully I'll have some cute outfit to show for it!


Read 12 books this year
Reading is something I always want to do, but I don't always plan to do. This is the year I'm planning to do it.

Finish our bedroom
We have several years worth of house projects in the pipeline, and I'm honestly looking forward to them! I'm hoping to feel like our bedroom is in a good place by the end of 2020, so we can have a little retreat away from any other renovation areas. Having one space "done" will feel so good!


And the reality is, I g2g now because I haven't exercised yet this week, and it's Thursday. Gotta kick it in gear to meet my quota. Ha! Did you make any goals this year? I'd love to hear them if so!!

p.s. all the photos in this post are by my dear friend Beth Solano, who recently launched a beautiful new website. You should look it up, and follow her on Instagram! xo.

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My Favorite Date of the Year

Austin and I tend to eat out pretty often in this stage of life, and—this might surprise you—we're not big movie-goers. A lot of our date nights are pretty simple, with a dinner we'd enjoy, or a little time downtown. Since we both work downtown, too, there isn't always a huge difference between our "date" nights and our day-to-day. For an anniversary or special occasion, we may do something a little larger, but for the most part we're pretty predictable. We like sharing cubicles at J.O.B. or a cheese board at Scotch & Soda.

But, there is one day of the year that we make an exception to our basic date, and I look forward to it more than anything else. Since Austin and I have been married, we've started a New Year's Eve tradition of setting goals together and making a date out of it.

We'll call it the "let's do this" date, because we like writing our goals on this notepad in particular. Cherry Picker is another favorite of ours, and that's where we like going for this date. It's the best place in town to focus on contentment, cherishing the past, and considering what we want for the future. And I really can't explain why, but the vibe is there. We like taking it slow on this day with our tasty drinks and aspirations for the next year.

If you want to try your own "let's do this" date, here are some things we like to focus in on.

• We both write out individual goals on our own papers—we take some time to consider where we're interested in improving on our own first.
• Then, we trade papers and see what each other wrote. This is one of my favorite parts of our little tradition because it's a special way to connect, and I think it's extra important to share your goals with people who can root you on.
• Some of our goals are bigger, and some are small. For example, I wrote "bake a loaf of bread" on my list this year. That, theoretically, could just take a day, but it's something I know I want to do in 2020, so it went on the list.
• Finally, we sync up and write a list together. Some of the items are copied from one or both of our lists, but the focus here is that we both have individual goals, and then we have our goals as a couple.

The most important part of goal-setting is mindset. I try to never set goals from a place of negativity or beating myself up for things I haven't done yet. I love to think of a new year as full of potential, with endless possibility, especially as I go into it welcoming expansion. Wishing you all a 2020 full of both growth + peace. ❤️

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My 2019 Goals

Well, it's the 10th and I'm just now getting around to sharing some of my 2019 goals, but hey — every day is a chance for a fresh start, right?!

I love the opportunity that presents itself during the New Year season to celebrate the past and set high hopes for the future. This year, more than any singular BIG goal, I'm hoping to focus my energy on smaller lifestyle habits that I hopefully will adopt for the long haul. I read The Power of Habit last year, and I've become convinced that all BIG goals are achieved by pursuing small, attainable actions.

So, here are some of my (hopefully!) attainable action steps for 2019:

Make time for breakfast
I'm the type of person who genuinely forgets about breakfast a lot. (Unless it's a weekend and "breakfast" means "brunch" — in which case, I never forget). But during the week, I tend to get ready for the day and then just... start working. Sometimes I have a latte for "breakfast" and sometimes I don't eat at all until later in the afternoon. Breakfast sounds like a peaceful meal if I'd make time for it, so I think I'll try that this year.

Try four new recipes each month
I love learning more about food, and the CSA Austin and I joined last year was so good for us. This year, I want to expand on the types of food we make at home. There's nothing wrong with having good standby meals, but I really enjoy following creative recipes and experiencing new flavors together. So, more of that in 2019!

Make $$$ in a garage sale/Insta sale/DePop sale?
Purging some unwanted items has been on my goal list for a while, but I haven't been prioritizing it. When I have free time with opportunities to purge, I tend to decide that time is more worthwhile spent having coffee with a friend or running errands. Maybe this is the year I actually take Marie Kondo's advice rather than just bingeing her show on Netflix. 😆

Less screen time/more time for what matters
A funny fact about me: I am kiiiiinda behind in iPhone technology. By that I mean, I have a 6S that I got a couple years ago, and I haven't updated it for fear the operating system will freak out on me. (It's happened before). I'm planning to upgrade my phone soon and take full advantage of the screen time controls.

In addition to that, Austin and I are aiming to instill "no media Monday" at home this year. Instead of being on our phones or watching TV, the plan is to do literally anything else — go on a date, have a dance party, clean the house, read a book...  You get it! This is the goal I'm most excited about and that I think will make the biggest impact. I'm excited to see how this unfolds!

Do you have any goals for 2019? I'd love to hear 'em. 💕

P.S. Outfit details! I'm obsessed with Everlane right now, so... here ya go: Sweater // Pants // Hat (this is the same one in beige, but I got mine locally from The Market)

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