New Years for many is the time to reflect on what the past year has been and hope for what the new year will be. I have never been a real big fan of the ‘resolutions’ idea, but love the idea of goals. I have a handful of goals that I definitely want to work on this year and in the years to come. Goals that improve physical, mental, and spiritual health and overall well-being. Here is a look at some of them:
FINANCIAL – the whole reason we are doing the glamp life!
1. Establish and follow a zero-balance budget – This is the hardest part of budgeting! Being consistent and tracking… EVERYTHING. I am hoping that 2018 gets us on track and come next year, it will have just become second nature. We are currently using the app EVERY DOLLAR to help us tell our money where to go each month instead of wondering where it all went at the end of the month. A balanced budget also helps take away some of the guilt I feel when spending! Hopefully being consistent with our monthly budget will help me to have a better relationship with money overall and feel like I am in control.
2. Follow our snowball debt payoff plan – seems simple enough, right?
I took the time to gather and place all of our debt information into the debt snowball pay off calculator. The app allows you to export all the info into a spreadsheet, which now has a new home on our refrigerator so that we are reminded of monthly and yearly payoff goals. It is motivating to have a visual of the amounts handy and cross off the payments each month. I know I was amazed at how quickly our snowball amount can grow and how quickly we can pay off our debt! If we stay on track we should pay off around $80K in less than 3 years, without changing the way we live now!
Here is a link to another free resource that will calculate your debt payoffs for you! This will help to keep you motivated about continuing with your plan. UNDEBT IT
PHYSICAL
1. Drink more water – like all the time. Your body needs it. My body NEEDS it. I could tell around the holiday season I was not getting enough water in and was struggling in the afternoons with headaches. No Bueno.
2. Embrace green tea – because why not?
3. Sit less – I did the standing desk thing a while back and it seemed to help improve my focus and lower back issues from poor posture, but at about 6 months into a rough pregnancy, I abandoned standing altogether. However, the standing desk is back up and while the past few days have been a little rough with soreness in my legs from working out, I am managing and know I will be adjusted soon enough.
4. Start taking care of my skin – I will be turning 30 in about 6 months, and it is about time I start washing my face every night and keeping up with a skincare routine before I regret it!
MENTAL
1. Read more – Anything, get lost in a book. Currently reading through Live. Save. Spend. Repeat.: The Life You Want with the Money You Have by Kim Anderson. I highly recommend it! Here is a little peek at what it’s all about, maybe you can relate?
Are You Tired of the Cycle of “Work… Spend… Worry… Repeat”? When life feels like a perpetual treadmill rather than a grand adventure, you know something is off. As bills increase, income decreases, and the stock market wavers unreliably, you have to figure out how to live with the money you have rather than wish you had. Kim Anderson whose blog, Thrifty Little Mom, has been featured on Time.com, Money.com, and GoodHousekeeping.com offers a simple-to-implement plan that merges your unique life goals with your money. Using scientific research, personal stories, and Scripture, Kim helps you make strategic money moves that will build your confidence in your current financial standing and pave the way to achieving your most meaningful dreams. Move beyond the last-minute scramble and the daily grind. Instead, embrace life’s adventure and spend without regrets as you learn how to manage your money starting today.”
2. Learn & embrace self-care – This has always been a struggle for me. It is about time I learned how to care for… myself. Of course, I want to take off some weight and be healthier, but most of that is truly mental. I need to work out because I want to care for my body instead of hating it. I need to be proactive internally instead of making decisions based on self-hate. Here are some resources to help you find ways to take care of yourself in the year to come. 45 SIMPLE SELF CARE PRACTICES
3. Travel – Disconnect and be present! Looking VERY forward to our trip to Mexico in March and small trips throughout the year with our little Tman.
PERSONAL
1. Blog more.
2. Finish and publish my book. I am sure you may hear more about this endeavor later.
I want to be able to look back at 2018 and see progress, financially and personally.
What do you want to embrace over the next year/years?