2020 Goals

In all the hubbub of 2020 goals, resolutions, intentions, vision boards, etc., I’ve been thinking hard about what I want to focus on this year. Over the past few years, my goals and plans have definitely evolved. I’ve gone from making a giant list of tasks and goals that I feel like I should accomplish based on what others around me are doing, to being much more intentional about goals that are right for me in my current season of life. I will never forget setting the goal of running a half marathon when I couldn’t even run a mile and had no plans for training or how to make that goal a reality. But 2020 is a full year already, and I don’t have time to waste on arbitrary goals that I don’t really have the intention of putting work into. So though this list is much shorter than in years past, I am feeling really excited for the coming year and what it has to offer – including zero half-marathons.

Read the chronological Bible.

I set this goal for myself two years ago and I worked hard at it, until I didn’t. Eventually I forgot to open my Bible app one day, the momentum I had built was lost, and I would only pick the plan up every now and then when I remembered it. This year, my dad gifted me with a physical chronological Bible, and I already feel like I’m getting so much more out of the reading. I’m working to incorporate this into my in-progress morning routine so I never miss a morning in God’s Word.

Make exercising a habit.

At the end of 2019, I started working out every morning before work, and surprisingly for me, I stuck to it for almost three months before the holidays hit and I lost my groove. This was by far the longest I’ve ever stuck to a workout routine, but I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I definitely didn’t push myself hard enough. I’m changing this in 2020 because it’s time to get it together and start feeling strong and healthy! I just joined a new gym that I’m loving, like loving enough to get out of bed for classes at 5:15 in the morning. I’m excited and ready to make some changes. Once I get into my groove here I’m going to share more on that gym and how I feel about it!

Read 52 books.

In 2018, I set a goal to read 52 books, and I failed. I only read 49, and I was disappointed that I couldn’t hit the arbitrary number I created for myself, so I changed it up and 2019 and didn’t even set a reading goal for the year… I read 63 books. The 52 book goal is back for 2020 because I’m a newly obsessed audiobook listener with a small commute and a giant stack of books at home waiting to be read. On top of just wanting to read 52 books, I tried to be more specific about what type of books I was reading. I’d like to make it a goal to read one book that is specific to marriage or relationships each month and one that is in the personal development or Christian living space, as well. I may not meet this goal every single month, but there’s so many things that I want to learn and read about, so I’m going to try to make it happen!

Pack my lunch four days a week (or more).

This is both a health goal, as well as a financial goal. If I am not intentional about planning my meals ahead of time, you can catch me in the Zaxby’s drive thru or the local Mexican restaurant waaaay too often. I’ve been trying to prep food on the weekend, or make enough for leftovers during the week, and so far, I’ve done really well on this goal! Sometimes it’s nice to have a lunch away with friends, but for the most part it will be good for me to save those extra dollars and not be tempted to eat junk all the time.

Create an intentional morning routine.

Mornings are a struggle for me. I’m not particularly a morning person, and even when I do give myself plenty of time, I often find myself wasting an hour and then running around like a crazy person to get out the door in ten minutes. But that is going to change! My goal is to get a routine down that includes the following: morning workout, shower and get ready, time for breakfast, snuggles with Millie, and a few minutes reading my Bible, making the bed, and any other random little things I need to get done before I’m out the door. It seems like a lot, but I started my new morning workouts this week, and I actually had time to do it all! I hate feeling rushed, so I’m hoping that this routine will create some space in my day to feel rested and ready to take on the rest of the day well!

Be present.

This is the only goal that isn’t quite measurable, but it’s also the most important one of all. The last few months have been packed full from morning until night, and when I do have a day or even an afternoon where I can rest, I just see the long list of to-dos that aren’t completed and feel guilty for not doing that instead. There will always be laundry to do, things to tidy and organize, books to read. But I don’t want to miss out on life because I wanted to be “productive”. I obviously have to get things done, but I can be strategic about when to work and when to just be.

What are your goals or resolutions for 2020?