I’ve shared this a bit before, but I’m not usually one to make new years resolutions. I must prefer to think of them as 2019 goals or intentions. For some reason or another, none of the resolutions I’ve made have ever really stuck. It also just feels so… overwhelming. Last week, I was scrolling through Instagram and seeing everyone’s goals and intentions… and I just felt so exhausted by it all. It felt like I wasn’t doing enough, that I could never do enough. The comparison game was killing me and I felt powerless to fight it.
That’s when I realized that all I really wanted to focus on this year is survival. I want to finish 2019 with my cup full (or somewhere near it) instead of utterly depleted like it is now. And that can mean anything, but at my core, it feels like I am on the cusp of either really big things or the whole house of cards crashing down. Truth be told, I am flat out exhausted and things just need to change.
My List of Actually Attainable, Authentic Goals and Intentions for 2019
Reducing waste in our home.
As we talked about yesterday, my 2018 intention was to focus on buying fewer pieces of clothing and gaining awareness of my spending habits. Armed with those learnings, I’m ready to face the new year. For 2019, I would like to expand this challenge and consider it in a more holistic way. My goal is to focus on our home and the amount of waste that it generates. I know I’ve shared tons of posts on how to reduce waste here on the blog, so it will be even more of a focus in 2019.
Tied to this intention is my goal of primarily shopping secondhand as much as possible. That means if the house needs anything, my first stop will be a thrift store to see if I can find a gently used version of whatever we need. This will take a bit more time, but given the environmental impact and cost savings, I am open to the challenge!
Diversifying my bonds.
A huge part of why I am constantly so overwhelmed is because I want to do so many more things. A lot of this stems from my need to make money. It feels like if I could do all the things that other bloggers do (product lines, authoring a book, workshops, online courses, etc), I’d be able to have a more diverse source of income. I find it incredibly terrifying that most of our household’s income is based on the success of this blog. The real catch though is freeing up time to actually START those things. I get caught in this cycle of knowing I need to crank out content to keep the blog and my social channels fresh, but then where do I find the time to actually do something new??
So, just like Wu Tang, I call this intention ‘diversifying my bonds.’ What if this blogging thing ends tomorrow? What will I do for work? How will I make money? I want 2019 to be the year that I build a stronger back up plan and fortify my empire. That way if one facet of my business doesn’t work out, I have others to rely upon.
Squirrel away money.
This one sort of builds on the last, but I want 2019 to be the year we save as much money as possible. Whether that means reducing the size of our wedding, skipping a vacation, or giving up my studio, I want to actually have some money saved and keep it that way. Life right now feels like this perpetual dumpster fire of emergencies that need money. Like my broken leg? That cost me about $18,000 and, yes, I have insurance. Of course, there is no way to avoid those freak accidents, but my intention is to examine what else we can do to minimize our expenses and gain more flexibility.
No more fluff.
I think by now we all know just how saturated the blogosphere (ugh, I hate that word) actually is. It is such an honor and privilege that readers like you visit my site and engage in what’s going on in my life, but I want the site to feel like even more of a resource for YOU. That means even more behind-the-scenes peeks, more video, more authenticity. I want each blog post to feel like there is something meaty to inspire you — and not just be fluff. So another of my 2019 goals is to prioritize really incredible content above anything else.
And the most important goal… actually take care of myself.
Part of why I didn’t post last week even though everrryone else was, is because I was so damn burnt out. I needed more time to just… sleep, loaf, lounge, wallow. I’d try write a new post and instead just stare at the cursor. Yesterday, Studio DIY shared her post and divulged that she had considered going back to a 9 to 5… and I’m right there with her. This massive change is something I’ve been thinking of more and more. There are so many times where it feels like I’d be so much happier in a job where someone else is telling me what to do, when to do it, and that I can leave behind at the end of the day. After so much floor crying over it (literally, for the entire day of January 3, I did not stop crying on the couch), I realized that I still want to remain dedicated to running my own business. It was just a matter of reshaping how I do that in 2019. The core of making this change is that I need to take better care of myself and actually put myself and my health first above all.
I am very curious to see how this one goes, to be honest. This goal is my largest ‘stretch.’ I’m just really, really shitty at taking care of myself. It has definitely improved as I share more and more in the Weekend Wellness series, but I still have so far to go. I ended 2018 totally depleted, unrested, uncomfortable in my own body, and just deeply dissatisfied with how I let this all happen. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be making more adjustments in my work environment (potentially letting go of my studio), our home (working from the bungalow more), my diet, and my personal fitness. There’s this newfound hopefulness that I feel when I start to think about making those changes.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on my list + what you are focusing on for your 2019 goals and intentions. Let me know in the comments!
xo, Joanna
