Looking Ahead to the New Year

It’s hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone.  No matter how much I tell myself I’m going to slow down and enjoy the season, it always seems to fly by in the blink of an eye.  Is it just me, or does it just never seem long enough?  This year felt a little different from years past – mostly because of Ivy.  While she’s still not at the age to really understand how fun Christmas can be, I’m definitely getting into it more for her.  I was so excited to bring her to meet Santa, have her around while making Christmas cookies, dance to Christmas songs together and, of course, see her face while opening presents (even if I had to be the one to rip off all the paper).  I know each year will continue to bring more fun, which probably means it’ll fly by even faster.

Anyhow, with the passing of Christmas comes thoughts around the coming new year.  2017 was definitely one of my favorite years; being a mom has been better than I could have ever imagined. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what 2018 brings – and so I’ve begun to string together thoughts of what I want to accomplish over the next 365 days.  Goal setting feels like it needs to be more intentional these days because my “me-time” is more limited with having a 1-year old.  I also remind myself that I want to set examples for Ivy as she gets older so she sees she can strive for things that may feel a little out of her reach and do things that scare her.

I won’t bore you with all of my goals, but in hopes of staying accountable I’m going to share a few here.  I’ll post my progress and what I’m doing to achieve them with you over the next year.  I have goals that fit within different sectors of my life – personal, my marriage, family and home life – to help create balance.

1. Maintain a consistent blogging schedules (2-3x per week).  This is a big one for me.  I’ve started blogs in the past and kept up with them for a while before my attention was focused elsewhere.  The difference between this blog and my past blogs is that I’m living what I’m writing now, so while my time is more limited, my experiences make writing posts easier.  With a very analytical full-time job, having a space to be a little more creative is definitely important for my sanity.
2. Begin and maintain a weekly workout routine.  Ah yes, the standard “I’m going to get in shape this next year” goal.  I’d be lying if this wasn’t a goal for me most years, but this year I feel like it’s needed more than before.  My motivation for working out has pretty much been non-existent since having Ivy.  Besides being exhausted, I was always a little scared that I would hurt my supply while breastfeeding so I haven’t done much in the weight lifting department in quite some time.  Now that I’m done nursing, I really have no excuse.  Couple that with creating a mini at-home gym over the summer, I should easily be able to carve out 20-30 minutes a few days a week to get sweaty.
3. Develop a weekly meal plan to limit eating out for lunch to only 1x per week.  My work schedule has been crazy these past few months, which has really impacted the energy I have to make myself lunch and dinner during the week.  I’ve bought an Instant Pot and have been pinning recipes like crazy that can help me achieve this one.
4. Develop a weekly cleaning schedule.  I can spend too much time on my weekends cleaning, which is what I’m hoping to avoid by creating a weekly schedule.  I’d like to focus on one or two areas of the house each day instead of having to clean most of it on my weekends – this momma doesn’t have time for that.
5. Have at least one date night a month with my hubby.  My husband owns his own gym, which means he has unique hours so we don’t get a lot of time together during the week.  When he is home, we’re often focused on entertaining Ivy, which means our time together takes a hit.  It’s so easy to get into a routine of taking care of baby girl that we don’t focus on taking care of each other, which is not good for the longterm.  Because of that, we’ve agreed to making it a priority to get out just the two of us at least once a month over the next year.
6. Do at least one thing for myself (i.e. by myself) every month.  Right before the holidays, I spent three days up north with some of the women in my family for a spa retreat.  After coming home I realized that getting away for a few days was super important for not only me, but for Ivy and my hubs.  While I missed my little family, it was nice to get away and focus on recharging myself.  I also think it helped strengthen Ivy and her daddy’s relationship a bit, which I love.
7. Do more activities with Ivy.  As Ivy gets older, I want to get her out of the house more, trying new activities.  I’m excited to take her to the Children’s Museum, check out more parks, splash pads and swimming pools and maybe meet some new mom’s and friends to play with.  Piggybacking of this goal is to TAKE MORE PHOTOS and actually develop them.  I’ve been so bad about taking and developing pics so that’s a high priority on my list for the next year.
8. Continue to decorate and update our house.  We moved into our house 10 days before I had Ivy (that’s a post for another day), so we haven’t had a chance to fully get it in the shape we want to.  There’s painting to be done, some furniture I’d still like to buy and decorating the do.  This will continue to be a work in progress because I don’t think we have the time or the money to get this place to where I would love it to be in just one year.

So there you have it – a glimpse into what I’m hoping to achieve in 2018.  Some of them feel a little lofty and some are pretty safe because, well, a girl needs balance.

What goals or resolutions do you have on your list for the next year?

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