February 2021 Goals

At the start of each new year, I set a few goals, and a word of the year. This year, my word was togetherness, and that continues to be my focus. I also set some goals that matter to me, and tweak them with each passing month.

I'm not a resolution person. They just seem so harsh and final, and let's face it - the majority of people end up breaking their resolutions and giving up! With goals, I can reassess at the end of each month to see what works and what doesn't, then adjust the goals for the month ahead. 

January is the official month to start resolutions and goals, but it's such a tough month. We're coming down from the holiday season high, we're trying to find places for all those new gifts, and we're trying to reorganize our homes for the upcoming year. There isn't much time to focus on "new year, new me" or anything of the sort. I tried in January, and did well for about a week, then life took over, and most of my goals got pushed aside! That's exactly why I look at each month as a new start! So why am I sharing all of this? Accountability, and so I can look back on my progress!

My Goals For 2021

I shared before that my word of the year is togetherness, and that remains my focus. Family and friends are the most important thing in my life, and even if we can't all be together, we can still connect! Over the past few years, I realized how much I was pushing family and friends aside, just to get things done, instead of focusing on the NOW. I vowed to change that, and I have!

I do try to set a few personal goals each year, too. This year, I picked a few areas in my life that could use some improvement, and decided to make some changes. Here's what I'm working on in 2021: 

Exercise

I want to try to exercise 5 days a week. I have done well with this goal in the past, but I needed to up my game this year.  I plan to work toward the goal of 3-5 miles a day, with some weights, yoga, barre, and pilates mixed in. And maybe, just maybe, get an exercise bike for rainy days.

Reading

I love to read, and used to be able to read a book a day. Not so much since I became a mom! There isn't much extra time for reading, but I plan to read at least a chapter a day/1 book a month. Ideally, more, but I have to keep it real!

Self-care

I NEED to make self-care a priority. I ALWAYS come last, and tend to skimp or ignore some things, so I need to take better care of myself and allow myself to relax.

Organization

It is definitely true that staying organized helps my days run more smoothly, but sometimes I get lazy with keeping up with my calendars, planners, and lists. I'm going to do my best to stay organized by regularly using my planner, digital calendar, menu board, to do lists, budget planner, and grocery list.

Home

One of my goals each year seems to be to make the most of the space we have in our home. With 7 people in a 4 bedroom home, it can get crowded and cluttered FAST! I try to organize, decorate, and choose furniture that makes each room as functional - and cozy - as it can possibly be. It's always a work in progress, and we have some big updates planned!

Prioritize

I have the tendency to put tasks off due the "I'll do it later" mindset. My goal is to take care of it NOW more often instead of putting it off. 

Cleaning

I'm able to keep our home tidy, but have a hard time keeping up with the deep cleaning. I'm working on coming up with a good schedule of just a few daily cleaning tasks, so I can easily keep up. 

Sleep

I need to sleep better, and get more sleep, because I'm truly lacking in the sleep department! I can tell it's getting to me, because my mind often feels like it's in a fog, and I have a difficult time focusing. 

Relationships

Relationships are what makes life worth living. This year, I want more. More date nights, more time spent with friends (when possible), more individual day dates with my kids, more family dinners, and more time connecting through texts and snail mail. 

Work

Finding balance between blogging/social media and everything else has always been a struggle, especially since Coen was born. Having a big family takes up a LOT of time, but I truly enjoy writing and connecting with others on social media, and the small income that it brings in. Over the years, I have transitioned more social media content instead of blogging as often, but I miss the blogging aspect. This year, I want to find a way to balance work, family, and everything else so I can find time to produce more content on my blog and social media.  

January Recap

Before moving on to my February goals, I'm going to share how everything went in January. I managed to meet all of my goals the first week, then January became way too busy. Reclaiming my house from Christmas, Liam's surgery and recovery, and waiting for biopsy results quickly took over my life. 

Exercise - I did well with this goal! I always make exercise a regular part of my routine, so it wasn't a stretch. By the second week, I was logging in 3+ miles a day, 5 days a week. I took a week of for Liam's surgery and recovery, but jumped back into it the following week. 

Reading - I tried to read a chapter each day, but it did get pushed to the bottom of my list. In all fairness, I am reading a really long book right now. I didn't finish it by the end of the month, but I am close!

Self-care - I did REALLY well with this goal. I wanted to make time to relax in the tub once a week, and use a face mask and hair mask. I managed to do this all but one week, when the littles ran in and jumped in the tub with me. I also vowed to take better care of my skin. I hardly ever washed my makeup off at the end of the day, and it was catching up with me. Even when I was too tired, I managed a nighttime skincare routine every single night in January! I also managed to take my vitamins and supplements most days.

Organization - I managed to stay organized 3 out of the 4 weeks in January. And, honestly, it really helped!

Home - This is a work in progress! January is pretty much devoted to finding home for Christmas gifts and reorganizing the house after taking down all the Christmas decor. I managed to check that off of my to do list before the end of the month, and we're slowly getting there! I bought a bigger garbage can for the kitchen, we added another toy storage shelf and bookshelves to the living room, the kids switched rooms again, and we upgraded our smart home system to make everything run more efficiently. We added smart lightbulbs and plugs, and got the echo show so we could video call with my parents. 

Prioritize - I don't have much to say about this, other than I had about a 50% success rate!

Cleaning - Oh, we'll just call this one a fail. It's time consuming enough to clean up the daily messes and keep the house tidy, so deep cleaning was barely on my radar. I managed to deep clean the bathroom a few times, and scrub and wax my floors a few times, but there is definitely room for improvement!

Sleep - Can we just call this one a fail, too? Coen still nursed once or twice a night most nights. I can't fall asleep before midnight, melatonin doesn't work for me, and I have to be up at 6 AM. Sleep is a thing of the past, I fear. Although Coen has slept through the night a few times this past week!

Relationships - It's still hard to really do anything or go anywhere during a pandemic, but we have cautiously visited with a few family members, and we regularly see my parents and a few close friends who are working from home. We started making Saturday night themed dinners with our "quarantine crew" a thing, and we all look forward to them! In January, we had an appetizer night, Chili night, Chinese Food night, and a birthday night. I do rely on texting a lot more than I used to, and have a few cards ready to go out in snail mail! The closest we came to date night was shopping for appliances!

Work - I'm clearly still working on this one! I didn't get many posts up on the blog, but I did produce more social media content, and posted more product reviews. I have a few fun projects lined up, and I'm really looking forward to them!

February Goals

So here we are! One month down in 2021, and another just began. I sat down on the first of February to update my calendars, planners, and lists, and to reassess my goals. Here's what I have planned:

Exercise

• 3 1/2 miles per day, 5 days per week
• Add in weights twice a week
• Start shopping for an exercise bike

Reading

• Finish the book I started in January
• Choose a shorter book for February 

Self-care

• Continue the routine I started in January
• Consider adding manicures and pedicures

Organization

• Continue using my planners, calendars, menu board, and lists each week

Home

• Finish organizing the kids' bedrooms
• Finish organizing the toy closet in the living room
• Buy the new fridge and stove that we picked out
• Add a few more smart bulbs or plugs
• Start the bathroom remodel

Prioritize

• Do things immediately instead of pushing tasks aside to do later

Cleaning

• Come up with a schedule of daily cleaning tasks, and involve the kids more
• Buy a roomba

Sleep

• Continue to wean Coen
• Get the kids to bed earlier so there isn't as much to do late at night
• Limit caffeine after 6

Relationships

• Surprise a few people with snail mail and random gifts
• Respond to text messages immediately, and check in with family and friends more often
• A date night for Valentine's Day
• Possibly a family hotel stay for birthdays

Work

• Start a new Saturday feature
• Set up a monthly giveaway
• Possibly set a time away from the littles so I can have a few hours to write

Coming up in February:

There are things to look forward to each month! In February...

💓 Our puppy comes home!

💓 Valentine's Day!

💓 Lexie's 14th Birthday!

Tell me about some of your goals this year!