Today is my 30th birthday! I’m actually pretty excited for my 30’s. “Thirty, flirty, and thriving,” right?? Having a January birthday, I always tend to think of the new year beginning on my birthday, rather than January 1st. This gives me a little extra time after the whirlwind of the holidays to really think about what my goals are for the upcoming year. Some of them are always the same, but it’s helpful to write it down to refer back to and check-in with myself. So here are just a few goals I have for myself as I turn the monumental age of 30:
- Read at least 2 new books a month. I say new because I have quite a few favorite books that I read over and over, so I’m not going to count those. Listening to audiobooks last year on my commute to and from work was a huge game changer for me, so I was almost always listening to a book and reading a different book. I got through so many more books that way, and I have quite a hefty list, so I’m excited to get through more of them this year!
- Move my body everyday and track it. I’m not so much focused on weight loss (though that would be nice haha) but more on feeling strong again. I’m restarting with this tracker again, it’s super helpful! Even if it is something simple like stretching, anything is better than nothing. And now that I’m not pregnant, I’m excited to get back into running! I absolutely wish I were in good enough shape to have run throughout my pregnancy, but with my swollen feet and shoes not fitting, on top of being super sore everywhere, it just didn’t happen. So now I plan to slowly work up to it again and I’m going to train for a half marathon!
- Be more consistent with posting on Lane and Pearl. I started this blog as a way to motivate myself and be a creative outlet, so making time in my schedule for it will actually be a huge stress reliever for me. I’m sure I’ll need it!
- Along with posting more, I naturally want to get better with my photography skills. Anyone have any favorite camera recommendations? I really want to get a real camera and make this a more prominent part of my life. I think I have a good eye for it; I just need to work on the technical skills. (I’m kicking myself for not taking Digital Photography more seriously in college!)
- Meal Prep. I know, I know- everyone says that. But specifically, I just want to cut my veggies for the week ahead of time. I’ve also been really into overnight oats, and those are easy to prep for a whole week. And for lunches, I’ve been eating a huge bowl of veggies with chicken sausage or eggs. Simply cutting the veggies ahead of time makes it so simple and easy (and healthy!).
- Drink 90 oz. of water every day. I’m already pretty close to this, but some days are better than others, and I want to make it a priority. I’ve noticed a huge change when I drink from large water bottles and fill it up several times a day. I feel so much better just by drinking more water.
- Work towards becoming a doula! After my first baby, I felt so passionate about helping other women feel empowered with their birthing experience if they choose to forego pain medicine and/ or limited interventions. After my second baby, I feel even more called to do so. We had private birth classes during my first pregnancy with a wonderful woman who happens to be a doula, and she does trainings all over the country. She holds one locally once a year, but it was a little too close to my due date last year, so I’m hoping I can do the initial training with her this year. Side note: I will need to complete a number of hours before I’m officially DONA certified, so to all my pregnant friends and friends of friends: let me help you!
- Update my planner and my journal every morning. I’ll be going back to work soon, so whether I am at home or in the office that day, I want to start off the morning by planning out my day. These are the best planner ever!
- Have intentional date nights once a week. Even if we can’t actually leave the house (babysitters are expensive!), I want to play more games, cook a nice dinner together, and not just sit in front of the tv. It’s so easy to find things to clean or just turn on a show or a movie, but I think this is important.
- Last but not least: Make my bed every day. I really really want to be that person that makes their bed every morning. I’m currently not that person, but it does give me such a sense of accomplishment and productivity when I do it right when I wake up. I’m not quite as motivated to do this as I am the others, but I do know this is something that would be a great start to every day. My lovely sweet husband can also help with this too (wink wink).
I narrowed my goals down to my top priorities, but certainly there are other things I might add throughout the year. I think these are reasonable, attainable, and things I want to focus on. What are your goals? Please share! Let’s keep each other accountable!
