I’ve fallen off my goal-setting bandwagon. My last goals post was in August and looking back on that list, I did not accomplish many of them. I’m also not doing spectacularly on my 2025 goals, although I do owe you guys a Q3 update. That’ll come sometime this month.
There are two months left of the year, which is wild. How are we at the endpoint of yet another year? Eeks! However, this is also my favorite time of the year and I really want to savor and enjoy the holiday season. I want to do some planning for 2026. And I want to continue settling into my new home.
So, here are 10 small goals I have for myself to guide me through the rest of 2025:
1) Figure out a new home organizational system. When I started unpacking and putting things away in their proper place, I quickly realized I needed to revamp my organizational system. There are so many little bits and bobs that need a proper home, but I don’t really have a good place for them. I’m not even sure where I was storing them before! Anyway, right now, I’m putting anything that doesn’t have a specific home into its own bin and once everything is unpacked, I’ll start figuring out my new home organizational system.
2) Read two books that are over 500 pages. This is one of my 2025 goals. I need to read two books to mark this goal complete, so I’d better get cracking!
3) Visit The Book Lounge. A new bookstore/community space opened up in my area, and I desperately want to visit it!
4) Finish the Taylor Swift reading challenge. This is another 2025 goal. I have two prompts left: read a coming-of-age story and read a story featuring music. I’m feeling confident I’ll complete this!
5) Get a handle on my finances. Things are pretty dire right now thanks to moving costs, paying two rents for two months (at pro-rated rates, but still), and the London trip. But thankfully, I don’t have to pay rent in December or January (the leasing office was running a very generous special when I applied!) so I feel like I’ll be able to catch up. Right now, my mom has been helping me stay ahead and I am very much looking forward to paying her back. My credit card balance is also a bit scary, ugh.
6) Find relief from my back and hip pain. This may be a lofty goal that’s outside my control, but I’m hoping it’s doable. I’m doing twice-weekly chiropractor sessions, twice-weekly PT, and I’ve started to do some gentle workouts at the gym (mostly the elliptical and recumbent bike). I also want to do nightly heat therapy and be a good PT patient and do my stretching/strengthening exercises on a daily basis.
7) Do one Christmas-themed local event. I’m not sure what I’ll do yet, but I definitely want to do something.
8) Have a “planning day” to create goals for 2026. Maybe with some friends? And probably after Christmas, during that lovely in-between time between Christmas and New Year’s. The perfect time to make some plans for 2026!
9) Develop a “40 Before 40” list. I turn 38 at the end of the month and that got me thinking about creating a “40 Before 40” list to complete over the next two years. I just need to think about the things I’d like to accomplish before my 40th birthday!
10) Bake one new-to-me Christmas-themed dessert. I’m not sure if I want this to be peppermint-flavored or gingerbread-flavored. Stay tuned!
What’s something you’d like to accomplish by the end of the year?
Love the idea of trying a new festive dessert. I could get on board with this particular goal! I haven’t been baking much lately and I tend to go back to the same desserts year-after-year, but it would be fun to add something new to the rotation!
A planning day sounds great! As far as coming of age books, I really recommend “These Heathens” by Mia McKenzie. It takes place during the civil rights movement in Atlanta over the course of a weekend. Abortion is a major theme, FYI. “Margo’s Got Money Trouble” would also qualify I think although you may have already read it.
As far a over 500 page books go, I really liked The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, but I don’t know if you like historical fiction. The Briar Club is also great (although under 500 pages).
These Heathens sounds great! I’m adding it to my TBR – thank you for the rec.
I have read Margo’s Got Money Troubles – loved that book!
I read and loved The Rose Code, too! That was a 5-star read for me. 🙂
Oh, I like this. I think I’ll have an end-of-year goal setting session, otherwise it’s easy to just let everything slide until Christmas.
I REALLY hope you can get relief from the back pain- that just sucks so much. And… I’ll go to The Book Lounge with you when I’m there!
Ooh yay! It looks like such a cute space. 🙂
I love your new bookstore and Christmas goals! Very fun! And getting your back/hip pain under control sounds like an excellent aim as well. How NICE to not pay rent in December and January! That is such a smart marketing strategy on the part of your building — who wouldn’t want a little extra financial breathing room in those months?!
My goals are such a mess that the perfectionist in me is basically “screw it, let’s just sleep and eat chocolate for the rest of the year.” Truthfully, I just want to make it through Christmas without having a breakdown. I’m going to write that down on my tracker!
I’d like to have a conversation with the staff members at funeral homes. In fact, I can send you the audio recording of that conversation that I’ve just had last week so that you can listen to which topics we covered, Stephany.
To your question in the 2nd paragraph – I do know how I am at the endpoint of the year 2025, Stephany. You can tell me if you’d like me to elaborate on it.
Mmmm. Peppermint and gingerbread.
I, as usual, am fairly goal-less.
Except that Christmas and all its decorations interrupts this, I’d like to get all the book cases dusted! Not much of a goal. My more urgent one is getting the dog to stop being afraid to get in the car, since he has a vet appointment coming up.
Ugh, let me tell you, I was horrified by how dusty my bookshelves were when I started taking books off them to pack them up for my move. I need to be much better about dusting them regularly! Eeks.
I have one cat who is a monster to get in the carrier to take to the vet, so I understand your urgent goal. I had a good system down in my old place, so I’m not looking forward to the next time I need to get her into a carrier!
What a good mix of things. I really hope you can get ride of your back pain, that is the worst, and affects everything else really. I hope to finish my daughter’s primary school album (she’s only 26 now!) because I got the other two kids done and at least then they’d bee even.
I really hope you can get y our back pain under control too. That is not something you can rush, and even with your work it might not happen. But you can make progress with your PT and so on. You’re doing great.
Our goal this year is to find out whether we need a Living Trust, and if we do, get that done. We’re borderline for California, meaning that estates under a certain $$ are not subject to probate, so we may only need wills, which we have. But we have had that goal for a few months and have done nothing so far. Gotta get on that.
Stephany!!
I can relate to the financial crunch. Things are expensive, kids are growing, kids needs more things. I want things, too… My husband and I are aggressively saving (mainly thanks to me 😉 but still I feel like there is always SOMETHING.
What I want to accomplish before the end of the year… I honestly just want to rest and enjoy the holidays. I’ve been feeling burned out.
You should definitely cut yourself some slack regarding goals. You moved which is a major life event that takes so much time and energy, both physically and mentally! And you had a BIG trip to another country! I am not great at being gentle with myself in general, but I am great at it as it relates to goals!
One thing I decided to take on between now and the end of the year is co-leading the Scholastic Book Fair event at my kids’ school. But it matches a passion with a need the school has! I am normally not one to co-chair things but this felt like the right thing to take on. I mean is there anything more delightful than a school book fair? The PTA gives a certain dollar amount to every kid, so everyone can shop and then parents can add to their child’s account as well. So everyone gets a book!!
OMG CO-LEADING THE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR?!?! Is this something non-parents can do? I need to look into this, hahaha. That would be my DREAM volunteer gig! I’m so excited for you – I hope you share all about it.
(Also, I really love that the PTA gives money to every kid. I grew up poor and did not get to buy much at the book fair. :()
How are we end of this (admittedly god-forsaken) year? I am ready for 2026, but I am also not. I haven’t had a goals list in months, but maybe I’ll get one for 2026…. we’ll see. Just trying to hold it together right now, although I know that a little list making always helps. Therefore, kudos to you for getting organized for these last few weeks of the year.
Oh you know I love a good goal setting post. I think you have some fun and necessary things on here. And you reminded me of the 500 page book challenge. I also have two more I need to read. Maybe I should reconsider my collection for the reading retreat… Mhm.