My Five Goals for the New Year

We’re eight days into the new year and I’m just getting to my resolutions — let’s call them “goals” instead. Better late than never, right, y’all? Truthfully, I’ve been reflecting on the past year and what I want to accomplish this year for the past week or so. Launching Magnolia Stripes in September was, of course, a highlight. Celebrating one year of marriage, a new place,… there’s so much to be thankful for! I think I’ve narrowed down a pretty good list to hold myself accountable to. So, here goes nothing, 2018!

Making health and wellness a priority

It’s so bad, but the instant my schedule gets busy, a good workout is often the first thing to go. My friend Lindsay inspired me the other day. She was completely slammed at work and, to make matters worse, was living out of their second floor while the first and third were being renovated. Still, she left our get-together a few minutes early for a SoulCycle class before heading back to the office. Total inspiration, right?

My goal here is to get eight hours of sleep each night because we all know by now how important a good night’s sleep is for our bodies. I’m also aiming to work out 3-4 times a week. After a new day job and a move just months apart, my workout schedule has been a bit here and there. It’s tough to decide when you’re going to work out, much less where. This is my project for the next two weeks! I’m also planning on making those annual doctor’s appointments, including a dermatologist since I’ve practically lived in the sun for the last several years.

We are pretty healthy eaters as it is – cooking together is one of the things we really enjoy doing. It’s such a stress-reliever and we’re able to spend true quality time together. We’ve been trying more and more to cut our sugar and preservatives and it makes a real difference.

Getting into a routine – and sticking with it

This probably should have come first in the list. I’m a huge routine person when it comes to day-to-day life. We travel and entertain so much that a good routine really is critical to keep the less glamorous things moving, like laundry, dishes, groceries, etc.

My biggest goal here is to take back my mornings. I am not a morning person, but I love mornings. Whenever I throw myself out of bed at 5:30 a.m. or 6:00 a.m., I’m ecstatic (once the coffee sets in). I accomplish so much when everyone on Instagram is asleep, no one is emailing me yet (aside from a news update or two), and the house is quiet and dark. This goes hand-in-hand with getting to bed early to get those eight hours.

Improving Magnolia Stripes

It’s so hard to believe that it’s almost been four months since I launched Magnolia Stripes! The time seems to be flying by. I always love hearing from y’all and am so thankful for every one of my readers. Creating fun, helpful content for y’all is so important to me. My blogging goals are to get out there and learn more. I also want to improve my photography and write more. Hopefully I’ll start writing in the mornings.

Harnessing my time

This is probably right up there with becoming a morning person, though it all fits in together. I’m going to make a better effort to be present, both in person and in my thoughts. It’s so easy to sit down during a coffee meeting and run through your to-do list in your head during a break in the conversation. I’m guilty of doing it, and it is so bad! One of my goals is to be mindful and present and also to take time to unplug.

I’m also going to do a better job of making time to pray and read. A few friends and I just started up a Bible study with a group of absolutely fabulous women and I couldn’t be more thankful for them. We finished up our first book, the She Reads Truth Romans study, and loved it.

I used to devour books and I’d like to get back to that point. I’m starting with this book by Bill Bryson, this gorgeous book by one of my favorites, Mark D. Sikes, and this book after one of my favorite restaurants (stateside). I also picked up this book written by two former White House Social Secretaries that’s released tomorrow (January, 9th, 2018).

Learning new things

I’m also opening myself up to learn new things this year, like how to arrange flowers like a pro, keep a fiddle leaf fig tree alive, tackle home projects, and so much more. I’ll keep you guys posted along the way!

What are some of your 2018 goals and resolutions? I’d love to hear about them! Let me know in the comments below.