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Happy new year, ladies (and three dudes)! What do you think the statute of limitations is on wishing people “happy new year” by the way? I think that I’m within the acceptable range (it’s only January 6th!) but I’m cutting it close…also are we still talking about our resolutions? Or have we forgotten all about them already? I prefer to think in terms of goals and themes rather than “resolutions”.
Also I have also learned that I am most successful when I limit said goals and themes to under five things. Really, three or fewer. Okay so last year I only had one theme. I’m not saying that I only have 3 goals for the year (gasp!) I actually have a long list of to-do items, but when it comes to creating new habits or completing big projects, I need to be realistic and keep the list manageable. Today I’m sharing my short list of goals and themes for 2017 so you guys can hold me to these and hopefully I can provide some inspiration if you’re still thinking about what to tackle this year.
Photo by Meredith Hanafi
Finish decorating my house. The living and dining rooms, Bea’s room, and my bedroom are all not quite done. All the “big” things have been completed in these spaces but I have been stuck on all the finishing touches and it’s slowly driving me insane and it’s also getting kind of embarrassing. Look at the boringness of my bedroom! It’s fine, but it’s not “finished” and it’s not a room where we want to hang out and spend lots of extra time. It’s been this way for years now and I absolutely need to finish it so that we can actually love and enjoy our home.
Photo by Jamal Harris
Start an herb and veggie garden. And by “veggie garden” I mean a tomato plant and maybe one other veggie plant. I don’t want it to be a massacre if I can’t keep these things alive. My “herb garden” is slightly more ambitious. I already have (as of one week ago) Thai basil, chives, and rosemary so I’m hoping to keep these plants alive and add basil, mint, and sage. My plan is to start small, but add to the garden year over year so that we can grow more and more of our own food. I am hoping to start new family traditions with my daughter and I think this is something fun that we can do together and that can grow along with her. And if you have been following along on the blog, you might remember my patio makeover post where I talk about my goals for softening the hardscape of our patio with more greenery so I figured why not make it greenery that we can eat:)
Double my blog traffic by the end of 2017. There are A LOT of things that I know I can do better on the blog and many of them are boring administrative things, but I also want to post more frequently (my goal is twice a week but I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to do that just yet) and include more beautiful, inspiring photographs for you guys. I have some other potential changes on the horizon that I’m also considering and I will be seeking input from you so stay tuned! (hint: should I change the name?). I’m still working out the “how” for this goal so that part is a little vague but basically I’m planning to make the blog a focus for 2017.
Run the New York City Marathon. What I’m really getting at here is that I need to reconnect with my love for running and having a goal – like having a marathon to run come November – will give a much-needed push. I fell off the wagon big time when I was pregnant (not an excuse but it’s the truth). This would be my fourth marathon, but it’s been 5 years since I ran my last one and I had a kid in between and also I will turn 40 this year (YIKES!) so lord knows that this might be an epic fail. But i’m keeping it on the list for now. Also I just noticed that “Capitol Hill” is spelled wrong on our race bibs in that photo, which is from the Capital [sic] Hill Classic a couple of years ago…doh!
Better self care. This is my overarching theme for 2017. It’s my guiding principle for making choices throughout the year rather than a specific set of goals although I think it dovetails nicely with my more specific goals. For me, better self care means getting more sleep, giving myself an occasional sheet mask, making more time for friends and family, preparing healthier meals, and generally giving myself a break when needed. I’ve been focusing on this over the last few months, but now I’m writing it down and sharing it and therefore making it official, which means that you guys can hold me to it.
I’d love to hear what some of your goals are for 2017! Any big house projects? Life goals? Please share in the comments if you are so inclined:) I wish all of you the very best for the year ahead and thank you so very much for reading and being a part of this little community!! xx