It’s that time again! Time for all the resolutions and goal-setting, because it’s a new year, ladies and gents! Not to mention it’s also the beginning of a new decade. So if you are in the mood for getting after some goals, this post is for you. I’m sharing 20 goals I’m making in the new year to help with personal, health, and spiritual development. If you know me, you know how much I love self-improvement. I never tire of finding new ways to streamline routines and better myself. It’s no wonder I love new years resolutions!
SIDE NOTE: I’ve heard that this is actually NOT the beginning of a new decade. There is a lot of controversy as to when a decade begins and ends. Because technically a decade is 10 years
1. Meditate on God’s word Daily
Right now, I’m in a pretty good routine of reading my bible everyday. The only days I don’t really dig into God’s word are when I’m out of town or traveling. And honestly, I haven’t done a tremendous amount of traveling over the past year. But I typically start each day with a big glass of water, a cup of piping hot coffee, and some QT with Jesus. I just want to continue the practice as best I can in the new year. It grounds me and is a peaceful way to starting my day. Life can be chaotic, but carving out the time to pour into your spiritual life and wellness is monumental to your overall spiritual health. Trust me!
2. Start thankfulness journal
This past year, I really struggled with thankfulness. Amidst the changes and continual blessings of 2019, I chose to focus on the negatives rather than the positives. Moving into this next year and next decade, I want to retool my heart and mind to practice active thankfulness. I recently purchased a “One Line a Day” journal for me to use to document my daily thanks. Gratefulness isn’t something that comes naturally to us, so I’m choosing in the new year to actively practice it on a daily basis.
3. Go outside the country
I LOVE TRAVELING! The only place I traveled to that was out of the country last year was Jamaica for our honeymoon. This year I would love to have the opportunity to travel internationally somewhere I’ve never been. Where? That I don’t know, but the goal is set so now I just gotta find a deal on flights and pull the trigger!
4. Run a 10K or half marathon
This has been a goal in my mind for some time now. I’ve tried to get into running multiple times over the course of my 20s, but would get to 3 or 5 miles and stop. This year, I wanna push myself further both in distance and endurance.
5. Invest in a local church
My husband and I desperately need a community here in our new Myrtle Beach home. I think we took for granted how easy it was for us to make friends in Knoxville. Now that we are in a new state, new city, and in new careers, finding that community of like-minded friends is more challenging. But with time, I know the Lord will help us on this journey to being known and loved by fellow believers in our area.
6. Drink more H2O
Water is the lifeblood of the human body! Why do you think Jesus made so many metaphors about water in the New Testament? Because, WE NEED IT! Water keeps our organs healthy and strong. It helps our integumentary, digestive, cardiac, respiratory, immune, musculoskeletal, and vascular systems perform at their max capacity. AND, drinking moderate amounts of water daily can help with maintaining a healthy metabolism. Talk about an easy (and cheap) way to promote good health! It’s the cheapest drink you’ll find on earth. A good goal for daily water intake is HALF your body weight in pounds in ounces. Example: An 100-lb person should drink 50 ounces daily, while a 200-lb person should drink 100 ounces daily. Most of us don’t drink enough water daily, so being intentional with your intake can be huge for your overall health and wellness. Don’t underestimate the power of getting back to the basics. Sometimes self-care is a lot simpler than we think!
7. Read the Bible in a Year
I want to know the Bible like I know the lyrics to so many of the songs on the radio. I want to dig deeper into the grand story of God’s grace told over centuries of time. I want the Bible, its stories, and its unending hope to be a part of my daily conversation. As a preacher’s daughter and Sunday school junkie, I grew up reading God’s word weekly, if not daily. But it wasn’t until I was in high school and college, that my faith became my own. This year, I want to read the bible in its entirety and dig deeper in my faith walk by learning more of God’s glorious story of love. HERE is the link to the bible-in-a-year that I’m reading from.
8. Revel in rest
This past December, I got sick and stayed sick for longer than I think I ever had. I got the flu on top of a double ear infection on top of allergies. I was taking 8 or 9 medications daily, and it was far from my norm. Then two weeks later, I got a double ear infection AGAIN. I was forced into REST because my body needed it for recovery. But, I learned to embrace it all the more becoming attuned to my body’s queues for r&r. It was a steep learning curve, but I did it. I embraced rest for the first time in a long time. Hopefully the plague doesn’t hit me again in 2020.
9. Send more snail mail
I love sending mail. It feels so nostalgic. Something about putting pen to paper gives me all the feels. Once you write your thoughts and feelings down, it’s irrefutable and can’t be taken back. I love the finality of it. Not to mention, who doesn’t love a piece of mail that isn’t junk?
10. Pick up a new hobby
Still trying to figure out what this hobby is, but I want to do something I’ve never tried before. If you have any ideas for fun hobbies that aren’t terribly expensive, I’ve all ears!
11. Read 12 books
Doesn’t seem like much. Just one book a month, but last year I think I can count on one hand how many books I read. I’m ashamed of that, and I want to change. Right now, I’m reading the book Something Needs to Change (David Platt), but Rhythms of Renewal (Rebekah Lyons) and Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens) are also on my list this year.
12. Become a plant mom
I’ve killed succulents before from over-watering, so this may be a major fail, but I’m game to try. I got inspired by my former RA from college and how savvy she is at taking care of houseplants. It’s very popular right now to have plants, but I also think my allergies and overall health would benefit by having active photosynthesis occurring in our house. If you have any suggestions for houseplants that won’t break the bank and are also VERY low maintenance, feel free to comment below. So far we have a snake plant and some sort of ivy in our kitchen, but I’m really digging the fiddle leaf fig trees and devil’s ivy.
13. Learn more Spanish with DuoLingo
I took Spanish all thru high school and college, but then after college I lost a lot of my basic vocab. I heard about DuoLingo through Carly Heitlinger’s blog and got inspired. It’s an extremely user-friendly app that feels more like a game than a classroom session. A couple minutes a day is all it takes! Looking forward to seeing how far I come in a year.
14. Grow our savings account
Marriage is hard. Finances are even harder. Thankfully the Lord has blessed us exponentially this year. We have never been in want of our basic resources and for that I am very grateful. But, with student loans and dreams of wanting a house with a backyard, a puppy, and gaggle of babies, building a bigger savings account is essential. This year, my husband and I want to be more intentional to start saving for the future.
15. Getaway
The monotony of routine can be hard sometimes. I remember in PA school and college, breaks and vacations were tiny benchmarks for me to look forward to and motivate me throughout the year. As newlyweds, we want to explore more of our new city but also explore more of the south. With the North Carolina border just 30 minutes from us, we have a lot of newness to see and experience. My hope this year is that we carve out time to getaway from work and responsibilities to explore destinations right outside our door.
16. Post more intentionally on blog
The past few years my blogging has been sporadic at best. But it’s become a place I cherish now for almost FIVE years! Hard to believe I’ve been doing this blogging thing for that long. But moving forward I want to talk more about life, relationships, health, and design, a few of my passions I’ve sort of put on the back burner.
17. Mindful, Intentional, Faithful Movement
Here at Kitchy Living, my mantra is “MINDFUL. INTENTIONAL. FAITHFUL.” because my hope is that everything I do and say on this platform fulfills those three things. The same goes for exercise and movement. I want to exercise and move my body purposefully and for the glory of God. That might mean taking a long walk for mental health and quiet time with God or doing yoga because my muscles and mind need it. I don’t want to exercise for the sole purpose of a before-and-after picture, I want to move my body with intentionality and glorify God in the process.
18. Overhaul wardrobe
I’ve had some of the same clothes since high school and college. I don’t know if that should be considered an accomplishment or an embarrassment. I think when people bring to your attention that you’ve had some of the same pieces since yesteryear, it may be time for an overhaul. I want to downsize and retool some of my style inspiration and quit buying the trends and buy what I like on me. I think that’s a very adult move and I wanna make it!
19. Practice body positivity
This is something most women struggle with. Whether it’s being too hippy or not having enough of a booty, we all have areas of our body that we carry insecurities about. Social media doesn’t help this either. But moving forward, I want to practice body positivity, not necessarily for my own benefit but for the benefit of those around me. The sooner I realize that God created me to be fearfully and wonderfully made JUST THE WAY I AM, the sooner I can live in freedom and share that freedom with others.
20. Grace not Perfection
This is a biggie. As an Enneagram ONE, perfection is both a driving force and a stumbling block for me. It’s a futile pursuit I can’t stop pining after. The idea of perfection and the often ridiculous expectations I place on myself and other people is disabling sometimes. This year, my prayer is to find freedom from the grips of perfection and run headlong for more of God’s grace. It won’t be easy, but with God’s gracious help all things are possible.
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