Almost exactly 12 months ago I sat down during Delilah's nap time to quickly review my 2017 and 2018 goals and to reflected and set some goals for 2019.
In my post that day I said, "Maybe I won't get to them all over the next eleven months, but maybe I will."
To my surprise, and for the first time ever, I managed to complete all ten goals that I set!
I did not blog about them each as I completed them, but now that I look back on everything I can confidently say that each item was done! Yay me!
So to recap and add a bit of an explanation (to make up for the fact that I did not blog about them as they happened...) here's a review of my 2019 goals:
1. Blog 100 Times! - DONE
I really enjoyed setting this goal for myself in the past years. Some weeks and months I have lots of things to share, other times a whole week could go by and I barely even have any pictures or memories of the blur of time that just shot by. I found this year that with all the craziness of moving and our schedules getting fuller it was more difficult for me to take the time that I used to to blog. I started doing Weekly Wednesday Wupdates as an incentive for me to just picture dump at least once a week and *so far* I've been able to stick fairly closely to that.
2. De-Clutter the House! - DONE
When I wrote this goal for myself in January of 2019 I was not anticipating moving that summer. But we did! Moving (and then unpacking and setting up a new home) was such an amazing and freeing beginning to encourage both me and Will to get rid of our clutter! So much so that we've actually picked up steam throughout December and have really cut back, and continue to, on unnecessary things. Throwing things away isn't typically something worth blogging about, but I posted something on a Three Things Thursday post a few weeks back and I hope to continue that into the new year too!
3. Do Some Acts of Kindness! - DONE
This isn't something I want to elaborate on too much, just for humility's sake, but one thing is that Will and I delivered some meals to families in need.
I didn't want to label this goal 'random' acts of kindness, because I feel like pre-meditated acts of kindness are often more effective.
4. Dream Big! - DONE
Oh man! We bought a house. Will started a company. We're having another baby. Pick one!
2019 was an insane year where we tried desperately to figure out which way to go and how to keep our heads above water.
We've talked a lot together about surviving verses thriving and concluded that 2018 was a year of surviving, but in 2019 we feel like we really thrived!
5. Meal Plan! - DONE
At the start of 2019 the organizer and planner in me could not stand deciding at 5pm what would be on the menu for dinner that night.
From February through to May I followed an eight week rotation of planned meals. It was lots of fun to set up, I always knew what was coming up for dinner, we tried out lots of new meals, and making a grocery list was really easy. But our lives got busy. Often Will wouldn't be home for dinner so I'd make something simpler, or we'd be out late and then eat out or just have a quick meal. I found we wasted a lot of food because I'd buy one thing for one specific meal that I was going to make that week, and then just not use it again.
I find when I'm faced planning a meal on the spot then I look in the fridge, see that we've got mushrooms and peppers that need to be eaten, and then cook them into a meal.
In conclusion, meal planning was lots of fun and I am glad I gave it a fair trail. But I don't feel as though it fits in with our lives right now.
6. Keep Saving Money! - DONE
We learned a lot financially in 2019.
We took out a loan, got a mortgage, had the largest amount of savings either of us have ever experienced, dipped down into the negatives, opened an investment account, made some really great moves, and some really not-so-great moves.
Buying a house as an investment has been one of the best ideas we've ever had. While we continue to live our ordinary lives over here, our house is over there working away at helping us save for our next home.
Contrary to the end of 2018, as 2019 closed we can now be found putting lots of money into investments and our home. Go us!
7. Read! - DONE
I'm kinda glad I set this goal simply as 'Read' and not 'Read 12 books,' because I completed a whopping three books 😮 and started one other one. A little sad... But at least I did get some reading in! I really hope to push myself a bit more in this new year and be able to report back in 12 months with a higher success rate!
8. Take a Hike! Done
Hiking really is not my thing, and while we went on lots and lots of walks in 2019, I think we only did one hike together. And that would be the hike that we went on while camping and then got lost. Made for a fun adventure though!
9. Volunteer! Done
I don't think I got around to mentioning on here before but in September I began babysitting once a week for a women's Bible study that goes on at church. It's been lots of fun so far, and a great time for Delilah to learn to play with other kids and also to share her mom. 😛 I hope to keep it up until March and then I'll be done for the rest of the study season as I'll be settling in to a new routine with two kiddos!
10. Work Through a Devotional! Done
Attending Bible study and reading through the Bible itself are both important things, and things that I've found easy enough to do. Committing to read a devotional is a bit trickier for me. I tried email subscriptions, I tried a 2 minute book with breakfast, I downloaded several different apps. I couldn't make anything stick. So I enlisted Will work through a devotional with me! We read Night Light by Dr. J. Dobson and really enjoyed it.
In my post that day I said, "Maybe I won't get to them all over the next eleven months, but maybe I will."
To my surprise, and for the first time ever, I managed to complete all ten goals that I set!
I did not blog about them each as I completed them, but now that I look back on everything I can confidently say that each item was done! Yay me!
1. Blog 100 Times! - DONE
I really enjoyed setting this goal for myself in the past years. Some weeks and months I have lots of things to share, other times a whole week could go by and I barely even have any pictures or memories of the blur of time that just shot by. I found this year that with all the craziness of moving and our schedules getting fuller it was more difficult for me to take the time that I used to to blog. I started doing Weekly Wednesday Wupdates as an incentive for me to just picture dump at least once a week and *so far* I've been able to stick fairly closely to that.
2. De-Clutter the House! - DONE
When I wrote this goal for myself in January of 2019 I was not anticipating moving that summer. But we did! Moving (and then unpacking and setting up a new home) was such an amazing and freeing beginning to encourage both me and Will to get rid of our clutter! So much so that we've actually picked up steam throughout December and have really cut back, and continue to, on unnecessary things. Throwing things away isn't typically something worth blogging about, but I posted something on a Three Things Thursday post a few weeks back and I hope to continue that into the new year too!
3. Do Some Acts of Kindness! - DONE
This isn't something I want to elaborate on too much, just for humility's sake, but one thing is that Will and I delivered some meals to families in need.
I didn't want to label this goal 'random' acts of kindness, because I feel like pre-meditated acts of kindness are often more effective.
4. Dream Big! - DONE
Oh man! We bought a house. Will started a company. We're having another baby. Pick one!
2019 was an insane year where we tried desperately to figure out which way to go and how to keep our heads above water.
We've talked a lot together about surviving verses thriving and concluded that 2018 was a year of surviving, but in 2019 we feel like we really thrived!
5. Meal Plan! - DONE
At the start of 2019 the organizer and planner in me could not stand deciding at 5pm what would be on the menu for dinner that night.
From February through to May I followed an eight week rotation of planned meals. It was lots of fun to set up, I always knew what was coming up for dinner, we tried out lots of new meals, and making a grocery list was really easy. But our lives got busy. Often Will wouldn't be home for dinner so I'd make something simpler, or we'd be out late and then eat out or just have a quick meal. I found we wasted a lot of food because I'd buy one thing for one specific meal that I was going to make that week, and then just not use it again.
I find when I'm faced planning a meal on the spot then I look in the fridge, see that we've got mushrooms and peppers that need to be eaten, and then cook them into a meal.
In conclusion, meal planning was lots of fun and I am glad I gave it a fair trail. But I don't feel as though it fits in with our lives right now.
6. Keep Saving Money! - DONE
We learned a lot financially in 2019.
We took out a loan, got a mortgage, had the largest amount of savings either of us have ever experienced, dipped down into the negatives, opened an investment account, made some really great moves, and some really not-so-great moves.
Buying a house as an investment has been one of the best ideas we've ever had. While we continue to live our ordinary lives over here, our house is over there working away at helping us save for our next home.
Contrary to the end of 2018, as 2019 closed we can now be found putting lots of money into investments and our home. Go us!
7. Read! - DONE
I'm kinda glad I set this goal simply as 'Read' and not 'Read 12 books,' because I completed a whopping three books 😮 and started one other one. A little sad... But at least I did get some reading in! I really hope to push myself a bit more in this new year and be able to report back in 12 months with a higher success rate!
8. Take a Hike! Done
Hiking really is not my thing, and while we went on lots and lots of walks in 2019, I think we only did one hike together. And that would be the hike that we went on while camping and then got lost. Made for a fun adventure though!
9. Volunteer! Done
I don't think I got around to mentioning on here before but in September I began babysitting once a week for a women's Bible study that goes on at church. It's been lots of fun so far, and a great time for Delilah to learn to play with other kids and also to share her mom. 😛 I hope to keep it up until March and then I'll be done for the rest of the study season as I'll be settling in to a new routine with two kiddos!
10. Work Through a Devotional! Done
Attending Bible study and reading through the Bible itself are both important things, and things that I've found easy enough to do. Committing to read a devotional is a bit trickier for me. I tried email subscriptions, I tried a 2 minute book with breakfast, I downloaded several different apps. I couldn't make anything stick. So I enlisted Will work through a devotional with me! We read Night Light by Dr. J. Dobson and really enjoyed it.
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