Here Comes 2019!

I discussed in my post how 2018 shaped up and how I think my one word went.  This time I wanted to discuss my one word and my other goals for 2019.

I really enjoyed having one word to focus on during the course of 2018.  It was almost like a mantra that I was able to keep repeating or framing my activities for the year: “Is this propelling me FORWARD in my life?”  Since that was the first year I had tried the “one word” and I enjoyed it I decided I’m going to do it again this year.

The word I chose this year is: consistency.  From the Oxford Dictionary:

I am really working on the 1.1 definition (I am always amused at all the different definitions words can have…no wonder we have trouble communicating!).  I am hoping to build some habits that help my life “not vary greatly in quality over time” mostly from a physical, financial and social wellness perspective.  I have a lot of great ideas and a lot of great information but it’s the process of putting it into action on a regular basis that has the most trouble.  For instance I end up with great routines during the school year when it comes to exercise but as soon as summer vacation hits my habits go out the window and I don’t make a plan to have them be part of my summer schedule.  I make great plans or routines when it comes to the financial well being of the house and then something happens when I swipe a credit card too often and I feel a little panic set in until the bill comes.

My goal with 2019 is to really work on the habits that I’ve started, the ideas that I have and bring them to an 80% follow-through rate.  I may track some of these habits I may not.  Tracking things and I have a love-hate relationship but “if you can’t measure it you can’t improve it” so I’m trying to see how tracking will play into my consistency plan, stay tuned.

But I also really liked the idea from Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Craft’s Happier Podcast (various episodes) where they talk about the 18 for 2018 and subsequently 19 for 2019 idea and I think I’m finally in a place where I can make New Year’s Resolutions and not feel trapped or disappointed by myself when I can’t live up to them.  I am at a place in my life where I feel more inner strength but also grace for who I am and what I am realistically capable of instead of making some lofty or completely superficial goals (because I’m “shoulding” all over myself).  Resolutions in the past used to be a exercise in futility where I would make them but never had any follow through and was never honestly tied to the goals in a meaningful way.  Ever since I determined my core values I’ve been able to really make decisions that are more in line with my core values making the New Year’s resolutions mean more and also be things I’m more willing to execute some follow through.

I divided my 19 for 2019 into three different areas I want to focus on: Health, Family, Self & Social

Health – I put this category first because without my health I can accomplish nothing else.  Being a 37 year old mom of a toddler I’m realizing every day how my age is creeping up on me and if I’m not careful I’m going to be physically “too old” before I realize it.

1.  Complete 3 5Ks – I was never a very fast runner but I enjoyed running.  I’ve “run” 2 half marathons at this point (probably never doing anything over a 10K again) and I’ve always enjoyed the moving meditative feeling running gives you.  Enter a child and running with a stroller is way more difficult.  But I miss it so I’m going to work on finding a way to run again with or without the stroller and if my pace is 15:00/mile I don’t really care.  I’m out there moving.
2. Take stairs – This is something little that at the end of the day probably means nothing but it’ll make me feel better to take the stairs whenever possible.  It’ll be a simple way to add more movement into my day and at church the Munchkin and I can race if she takes the elevator and I take the stairs.
3. Three Fast Balanced Breakfasts – Work breakfasts are my nemesis when it comes to fruit/vegetable intake.  I’m hoping to create a few easy morning breakfasts that are more balanced than just protein or grains.  I just feel better when I eat a good breakfast.
4. Get Outside – With the change in time/seasons it’s been a lot harder for me to get outside with the Munchkin and a lot harder to take advantage of my local Hike It Baby group.  I love the people I’m getting to know through that group and I love spending time in the great outdoors with the Munchkin.  I want to make the time to get back outside even while it’s still winter and daylight is fleeting after work.
5. Three times per week movement – I have really struggled with movement regularly.  I love the way I feel post workout (don’t we all?) but getting to the workout is the trouble.  Coupled with number 1 on this list I’m hoping that I can workout at least three times a week by running and some weight lifting or other exercise.
6. Plant a Garden – With moving into the new house this year during May we didn’t really plant anything and we barely cleaned up the stuff that was here.  My goal this year is to at least plant a 4 foot square garden and follow some of the square foot gardening techniques that my father used to use to start small and grow some fresh veggies for the house during the summer.

Family – This is the second category of my 19 for 2019 so I can take some steps to increase the environmental (our new house) and financial stability/security which will allow us to continue to enjoy life together instead of always worrying about what next week or next month might bring us.

1. Plan a Camping Trip – The Mr. and I used to enjoy camping pre-Munchkin.  I would like to start camping again with the Munchkin plus camping is an inexpensive way to take a family vacation.  We’re going to start small, only a few nights somewhere relatively close by just in case it goes terribly but I want to try and get that first trip under our belt.
2. Finish Great Room – We have a few more rooms that need to be de-wallpapered and painted, the “great room” (AKA formal living room) is one of them and that’s become a multipurpose/storage room.  There’s a lot of things still in boxes because that room hasn’t been done yet and it would go a long way to our home being “finished” (even though it never truly will be) if that room is completed.
3. Start 529 – My student loans have finally been paid off so I want to start a 529 plan for the Munchkin.  Don’t worry I’m not planning on neglecting my own retirement for the sake of her education but I’d like to start putting some money away and then linking my UPromise account to continue small contributions.  I’d like her to have SOME money from us when it comes time for her to go to college because college is either going to be free (so computer/room and board) or cost a few million dollars in the next 15 years, I don’t see any in between.
4. Save Holiday Cash – This year, with the new house, my holiday shopping budget got all out of whack.  Two years ago however I had saved enough money to pay for all the presents with cash and then have some left over for gifts for Mom and Dad.  This year it didn’t go as well and the paying holiday bills was definitely a little more stressful than usual especially because we had a car repair that cost about $1,000 in there as well.  I get a medical insurance reimbursement since I don’t take the health benefits where I work and waiting on that check (came December 14) made me a little antsy.  I much prefer having it all taken care of earlier and paid in cash.  So I wrapped a box that we can unwrap to pay for gifts for 2019:  
5. Start Cruise Fund – The Mr. and I want to go on a cruise for my 40th birthday which is approximately 2.5 years away at this point.  I want to start saving the money for it so we can go on vacation without too much financial stress.
6. Finish Powder Room – Along with number 2 on this list, the downstairs powder room is in need of some TLC.  It’s also a very small/easy room to deal with.  That would leave the kitchen and dining room left on our list of remodels to do and would make me very happy.

Self and Social – I have found some areas of my life are distinctly lacking when it comes to things I want to do just for me.  I haven’t been able to integrate my old self and my new self into one person yet so I was looking for ways to make me happy and especially work on my social circle.  It has shrunk over the years for various reasons and now as a mom the friends I hold dearly (namely the BFF and Uncle Toodles) try to be a part of our lives whenever they can but our schedules don’t match up anymore so I’m looking for ways to cultivate relationships with myself and others to create an updated circle.  This section could have also been called “miscellaneous” but I think it sounded better LOL.

1.  Read 19 books – I always set a goal of how many books I’m going to read/listen to in a year.  In 2018 I had set my goal at 15 and I rocketed through that number pretty easily so I’m going to aim for 19.
2. Work on TpT store – I have a Teachers Pay Teachers store and it’s actually produced a small bit on income for relatively little work.  I am going to work on adding/editing products to my store that will help bring in extra money both for some of the frivolous expenditures of mine and to help save money for the cruise.  I also struggle finding high quality science education materials, especially for the high school level because we’re one of the “scary” subject areas and are often left to our own devices so I’m all about creating resources.
3. Hang Pictures – We have family pictures that are currently sitting in a box and I hate it.  I want them up on the wall, I want this house to be our home and part of that is having photos up so I’m going to work on hanging pictures some where in this house.  This is also an easy one to accomplish, I need the materials (debating whether I want to go all command hooks) and a nap time.  So this will also give me an easy/early win on my list.  Sometimes those are important!
4. NaNoWriMo – I really enjoyed the month I spent working on NaNoWriMo.  I didn’t have a purpose or a plan other than to just write.  I’m hoping, now that I ate the frog the first time I’ll be doing more thinking about it and maybe have a plan this time around but it was still great as a writing boot camp to foster the habit.
5. Moms’ Night Out – A friend of mine hosts monthly moms’ night out and I want to go to them on a regular basis.  I went to one and it was fun but I wasn’t able to go back for a variety of reasons so I’m going to make an effort to go in 2019 to work on cultivating more social relationships.
6. One Sentence Journals – I have a Mom’s One Line a Day journal and a Mini Happy Planner that I use to record a little note about the day.  I fell off the bandwagon a little at the beginning of the school year and since I am not doing a “baby book” for the Munchkin I want to make sure I keep up to date on these.  Even if I fill them out every other day or even weekly I want to make sure I put down a sentence.  So many things will get forgotten (and probably already have) if I don’t use them.
7. Host Red Tent – This is a woman only group that was started by my church and has since moved off-site for a variety of reasons but I miss the friendship, camaraderie and support of these women from all different walks of life.  Sometimes we have a plan and sometimes we sit around and just talk.  I want to be a regular part of this group again because it is easy to feel at home with these women.

I even made a pretty little drawing a put it on my fridge for easy reference during the year: