Year Goal Update: Where I Am At

I wanted to check in with everyone to see where they are at in terms of their goals that  they set for themselves at the onset of  2021.  I like to have check-ins with myself every four or so months.  Its nice to see if I am making progress and reevaluate where I am in terms of those goals and also if the goals are still relevant to me.   If we've learned anything in the last year and a half is that we can and must pivot our paths when life  throws us curve balls.  So let's get right to it!

My word  for the year was CONNECTION.  I really needed that word to get me through the depths of this past winter that also coincided with that third pandemic wave.  There were a few times in February and even March where life just felt so hard and I felt very much alone.   My word of the year helped me by reminding me to focus on Connecting with Friends and finding ways to stay grounded.  So goal my first goal was...l.

#1 Relationships.  I've been able to connect with friends by getting outdoors either for walks, cross country skiing, running and now patio visits.  One of my closest friends and I run 2x a week so that always fills my cup, plus helps me reach goal #2.   I've also been making a conscious effort once a month  to set up a walking date with a friend that  I don't get to connect with on a regular basis.  Another relationship that I feel has grown  is my time with my teenager.  We've been spending a lot more time together in the car as I am trying to drive her a couple of times a month to her riding lesson which is 30 min. out of the city.  The roundtrip there, back and actually watching her ride is approximately  3 hours and since it's her passion, the focus of our time is strictly on her.  I try to mostly let her talk so I can get all the gossip that she is immersed in and it's a great way to check how things are going in her world.                        

#2 Run 1000km in a year.  I am on target for the most part.  At the end of April I had ran 344 km which averages around 80km/month.  I have also continued to include 1 or 2 beach body workouts/week to keep working on strength and switch things up.

#3 Read 12 books.  I am doing really well and have read 6 and listened to 2 audio books.  I am going to write a book review and update next month, for June 4th.

#4 Blogging.  I have not made headway in terms of getting a concrete working schedule that's predictable and untouchable.  Sigh.  This is something I know I have to figure out.  I am working at taking photos for several posts at one time so that I have a bigger bank to work from and don't have to do the photos weekly.  I have connected with a few people but would love to collaborate more!!!!  

#5 Finances.  We are still doing pretty well and actually reached the  goal I had in mind,  but then we bought a hot tub.  Hahaha.  We got a crazy great deal on a second hand hot tub from people my parents knew, and we just couldn't pass it up!!!!!    I don't know about where you live, but the price of wood here has gone up 300% so building a deck for the hot tub was costly.  We also want to build a gazebo type structure but  that's on pause.  All in all I haven't been buying much but at the same time I feel like I am spending more.  I think I need a finical one month check-in to see what I am actually doing with money.  I think I will do that in June, to check -in on my habits.  

#6 Photography.  I did my first lifestyle newborn shoot for a couple of friends and that was fun!!!!  It was  laid back and in their home.  I also took dance photos of my daughter and her friend  in our home and I think they turned out nicely. I am hoping to get back to shooting families in the summer when we can do work outdoors.  Please check out my page at A & H Snapshots.

                     

                         

                        

                     

That's a wrap for me!  Although my word seems less needed at this very minute, as things are started to change and hopefully will begin to open up over the next month, I still feel like its there in the background , for when I need to remember what I am striving for.  So although it's not at the forefront as much as it was in the first few months, I think that's what I needed in that moment.

Did you set goals?  Where are you now?  Do you check-in and reevaluate?  

Year Long Goals for 2021

Hello 2021.  So far I am a big fan so don't screw it up.  Hahaha.  The past two years upon entering the New Year my word had already chosen me.  The first year the words came to me while I was outdoors.  I paused and took in my surroundings and just like that my word became PAUSE.  Last year I knew I was going to practice GRATITUDE and I even hoped to get my children on board.  I didn't succeed with that, but I continued to work on it myself and it was honestly the exercise I needed in my life to get through 2020.  As of last night, Jan. 2nd, no word had come to me.  I was going to go without a word and then a friend said hers hadn't appeared yet either and she was going to just give it time.  I decided that I didn't have to have it all figured out at the beginning of the year, but type A me really likes solid plans, and that I had let it come to me and practice a little patients.  Well, guess what?!?  This morning while I was on the toilet (maybe too much info) but it came to me!  CONNECTION.  That's my word for 2021.  Connection, or re-connection, with family and friends is going to be huge for me this year.  I mentioned this in another post, but I miss getting a solid hug from the people that I love and love me back.  Here are a few year long goals for 2021 and how this idea of CONNECTION will hopefully serve me.

Photo by Pexels

1. Relationships.  Over the last few weeks of 2020 I have really been thinking about the friendships that I have and which ones I want to nourish for the future.  With social media it's easy to get caught up and want it all but, what I really crave is authentic relationships.  So as, fingers crossed, restrictions lift over the year,  I want to host friends over consistently, schedule a walking date or a zoom date with a friend on a weekly basis.  I've been jotting down a list of people that I really want to invest more time into.  In the same breath thanks to 2020 my relationship with my family is stronger than ever.  We have been doing a lot more outdoor activities as a family, even as simple as taking the dogs for a walk, or choosing a show to watch all together.  I want to continue that in 2021, especially as my girls are getting older being intentional to create opportunities to spend time together is critical.

 

2.  Run 1000km in a year.  This is going to be an interesting goal because I don't want to get hung up on the number especially if at some point that isn't serving my body.  This is where "CONNECTION" is going to be helpful.  I need to be able to connect to my body, it's needs, and what it's telling me, in order to keep it healthy and strong, and not bulldoze to that goal at any  cost.  

3.  Read 12 books.  I love reading and this is a great goal to ensure that I create time to do an activity I love.  Connecting with my brain and learning new things.  

4.  Blogging.  This year there are a couple of mini-goals that I want to work towards.  First one that I need to figure out  a routine and schedule for taking photos, creating content, writing posts and reading other blogs.  At the same time, I need to create a balanced schedule between IG and blogging, because doing both on the same days just ends up with me spending a LOT of my time in the virtual world and not my real world and I don't wan that.  The other goal for myself is that I would like to collaborate with other bloggers more this year.  Growing my relationships with others virtually and also growing my connection to others.   If you have any advice please share away.

5.  Finances.  We were very lucky in 2020 that our jobs were secured but it really got me thinking about our finances. We have great money management skills and have made huge gains in working towards paying  off our home before our children enter college, and we have decent  retirement plans through our jobs and we never have credit cards debt, rather always pay for our "wants" in cash or save up over time.  But   what we didn't have is 3 months worth of savings in our bank account in case one of us lost our jobs.  Because our trips were cancelled in 2020 we were able to put that money into a savings and also do some projects around the house.  Now that we are building that cushion, one of my goals is to work towards adding a significant amount to that pile each month.  I am not sure to be honest what that number is yet but we would like to go through out finances thoroughly and decide what's reasonable, while also allowing ourselves to save and dream of taking a family trip.  Balance is key.

Photo by Pexels

6.  Photography.  Okay, so I took my learning that I've done over the past few years and finally started doing some family photography sessions this past summer.  Nothing major, just for learning opportunity and to CONNECT with my creative side.  It's been going really well and I am finally taking the risk to say it out loud to people without feeling embarrassed or insecure of what people will think.  You can find my work at A & H Snapshots on Facebook.  I wan to continue to learn and grow this small venture in 2021 and not be so shy about it.  

7.  Continue to reflect and work on my attitude of gratitude.  There is no better way to connect to yourself than to reflect.

These are my long term goals that I will need to come back to over and over and over again.  Usually I like very quick, easy to check off goals, but this year I am going with a balance of specific and more board goals that I want to consider.  

What is your practice at the start of the year?

Do you set goals?  

Do you make resolutions?

Do you choose a word?

Do you take the year as in comes?