Looking back on the last decade, it is really hard to compare where I was to where I am now. I was still in high school, I had totally different career aspirations and was in a completely different phase of life… I didn’t even have a driver’s license. I am 25 now, I know what I want and I know where I want to go in the next 10 years. While time does fly, you have to take success and goals one year, even one day, at a time. The little things you do daily determine where you end up.
This year there are several things I want to focus on in my personal life and in my professional life. These are the things I am going to rock this year:
Be Deliberate With My Time – So much of my time is wasted procrastinating, if I just do the job or chore and get it over with I will have more time to myself for other things. Constantly, I feel like I run out of time for me, friends and family. I want to be deliberate in my actions and get sh*t done! I bought a note pad that helps me plan out my day, aside from my planner. This will help me to assign a time schedule to tasks that need to get done. It will push me to complete things timely instead of wasting time procrastinating.
Be Present – I am always looking forward to something, which is not a bad thing, but I want to enjoy the little moments I will look back on and miss. I want to not be so focused on planning ahead that I forget to enjoy where I am currently. This is really hard to set a standard for how I will complete this, other than make a conscious effort when I am with friends to disconnect from the outside world a little more.
Maintain Friendships – Since I moved to Chicago, I feel like I am not as close with my family and friends from back home. I miss being able to just hang out and watch movies or spend time with them. This is one of those little moments I was talking about in my previous goal. I took these little hangouts and meet ups for granted because I was so focused on moving to Chicago and what was next. I am planning on calling one friend each week even if it’s for 10 minutes, I want to make the effort to stay in touch with the people I love.
Network, Network, Network – This is a professional goal of mine. I feel like I attend so many events with work, blogger events, and even personally I meet amazing people. However, I am terrible about following up with them and keeping contact. I am so busy with work, George, friends, the blog, and now school… it is difficult to keep track of EVERYTHING I have going on. I will be accomplishing this by being more deliberate with my time. (going back to my first goal) I genuinely think if I schedule my time out and I don’t doddle or be lazy I can succeed.
Selfcare – Sometimes I get so caught up in the craziness of everyday life I forget about taking care of myself. Yes, I do my skin care and shower on a regular basis, but I want to take it a lot further than the basics. I know everyone talks about taking care of themselves, but its so true. This is the only body you are going to get, so take care of it! Physical and mental health are essential to a happy lifestyle. In an effort to lead a lifestyle I can be proud of, I am trying to learn to let the opinions of others not bother me so much. I tend to care about pleasing everyone, making sure everyone is happy and then I find myself unhappy. I want to do the things I love and enjoy regardless of the opinions of others. I love to think of and help out others, but this year I am planning on focusing a little more on me and what makes me happy. I also want to keep an exercise schedule and actually stick to it. I am also planning on eating more of the foods that fuel my body not just foods that meet my craving needs (candy lol). I will achieve this by setting attainable standards for myself. I will be okay with the balance of occasionally missing a workout or eating ice cream. As long as I don’t make the choice to skip an entire week/month of my goals, I will be okay and the world isn’t going to end. It is all about a healthy balance.
GRAD SCHOOL – This is something I have known I want to do for a while. If you have been following me on Instagram, you know that I have been studying for the GMAT like a maniac for months. I am honestly exhausted and I already want it to be over. I am trying to push through and set deadlines to keep myself accountable. It is really difficult but hopefully by 2021 I can say I am a grad student!
Create More – I want to be better about putting out more valuable content instead of fashion or clothes you should buy. While I love creating those posts, I want to provide more value to you, my readers. I want to learn about new ways to make life easier, more fun, more glam… you name it! With that being said, I also want to connect more with my followers, I want to build out this little community and make it exactly that, a community. I want my page and my blog to be full of things I love, but I also want it be relatable. I am by no means perfect and I want my platforms to reflect the imperfections, the reality of life, while being fun and engaging!
Spend Less, Reuse More – 2020 is going to be the year of balling on a budget. I want to shop less, find amazing ways to reuse/sell the clothing I have to be more sustainable. I hadn’t realized until this last year how wasteful the fashion industry is… don’t get me wrong I love fashion but I think about all of the pieces I buy and only wear a few times, to then donate it…. Such a waste! I am trying to incorporate the thought of NEED vs WANT. It is okay to buy something simply because I want it, but it’s not practical with a small Chicago apartment for me to spend my entire paycheck on things that aren’t necessary, I don’t have the space or the extra cash flow for that kind of lifestyle. I want to live more minimalistic this next year and get rid of the excess clogging up my life and my closet.
What are you goals this year? How are you achieving them?
