Hi, friends and a very happy Friday to you! Today, I thought it was more than time to check in on my 2021 goals, as we’re past the halfway mark of the year. What?! It’s so crazy to think that it’s almost time for fall and football season. And before we know it: Halloween and Thanksgiving and the holiday season! Wahoo!
During the halfway point of any year, I like to take stock of my goals and make changes as I see fit. A lot has happened in these last 6 months and what I wanted at the beginning of 2021 isn’t necessarily true now. In the end, I changed just two of my goals and I’m excited to make some real progress on the other ones I left alone. Let’s review!
1) Buy a new sectional, coffee table, and area rug. I purchased my sectional in Q1 and was hoping to at least purchase a new area rug in Q2, but other purchases took precedence. Hopefully in Q3!
2) Work out three times a week. I struggled with this goal a lot in Q1 and most of Q2, but then, I got a great recommendation from San about setting aside three days per week as “workout days” (i.e., I must work out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—no excuses). Since then, I have worked out three days per week consistently! Isn’t it funny how sometimes it just takes someone offering the simplest solution that ends up working the best?
3) Start the process of becoming vegetarian by cutting out red meat and pork and having one meatless day once a week. No progress made. Womp.
4) Become a regular water drinker. Semi-progress made? I feel like I am doing better at this point in the year than where I started, but it’s still not a regular part of my day.
5) Experiment with an elimination diet. No progress made. I am really curious to do an elimination diet for gluten especially, but I get really scared about it. I eat a lot of gluten! I’d like to do a Q3 elimination diet, possibly in September. (Right in time for football season, when I eat all of the subs and pizza!)
6) Set a budget and be diligent about it. Well, my budget is set and there are certain areas where I’m doing really well (my savings goals, especially) and other areas where I’m struggling (food budget, shopping). I hope to be a lot more diligent about my budget over the second half of the year.
7) Save 20% of my income. At the end of the year, have $3,500 saved in my emergency fund and $3,000 saved in my car down payment fund. I’m changing this goal because, well, saving 20% of my income is not wholly achievable for me. It is doable, but it means seriously cutting down in other areas and that’s just not fun for me. And I need my budget to work for me. So, instead, I’m going to challenge myself to hit these two numbers (which means saving $200 per month in each fund over the next 6 months).
8) Complete the 2021 Unread Shelf Project. I am trucking along with this challenge:
- January (a book with high expectations): American Royals by Katherine McGee (★★★☆☆)
- February (a book you got for free): The Cactus by Sarah Haywood (DNF)
- March (a book you bought on a trip): Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (DNF)
- April (a book bought from a used bookstore): The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty (★★★★☆)
- May (a book bought as a new release): The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (★★★★☆)
- June (a book bought in a spending spree): Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy (DNF)
9) Read The Count of Monte Cristo. I’m nearly finished: 25 issues to go! I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this novel and I’m going to be sad when it’s over.
10) Finish the year with 35% of my books being by or about BIPOC or the LGBT community. My percentage came down a bit in Q2, as I’m now at 36% (I was at 46% after Q1). In Q3, I want to seek out more diversity in my romances, especially queer romances.
11) Reach out to one friend a week. Build an earring collection (15+ earrings). I’m replacing this goal with a new one. I have a lot of thoughts about it, mainly how we all have different communication styles and, for me, reaching out to people isn’t something that comes naturally to me. (Hence, why I made this goal!) And while I am consistently trying to get better at my communication and not rely on my friends to make all of the effort (I know how frustrating that can be!), I also feel like I do a fairly good job of keeping in touch with my close circle of friends. I’m not as great at checking in with those outside that circle. For me, it’s simply that I have limited energy and I want to expend it on the people I am closest with. So, with all that said, this goal is changing to building an earring collection as I recently discovered that I can wear earrings. What a world! I’d like to have a small collection of earrings (around 15) by the end of the year. Right now, I’m at 5.
12) Start dating again. Success!
13) Work through one Bible study this year. I haven’t started anything yet, but I do have my eye on this Bible study that a trusted blogger recommended. We’ll see, though.
14) Get my third tattoo. Not yet, but this is most definitely getting completed in Q3!
15) Stop drinking alcohol. While I did break this goal to enjoy myself at my cousin’s wedding, it’s the only time I’ve done so this year and I am still considering this goal a success so far. The only reason I’ve decided to give up alcohol is because, oftentimes, my body doesn’t process it well (I can break out in hives, get overheated and flushed, and sometimes even feel like I’ve been drugged after just a few sips). But sometimes, I do just fine! When I set this goal, it was to practice living an alcohol-free lifestyle and not feel like I had to drink alcohol in situations that deemed it “appropriate.” Of course, by that logic, I should have gone alcohol-free at the wedding but I wanted to enjoy myself and alcohol gives me the social lubricant to do that. I’m still not exactly sure what I want this lifestyle to look like, but I do know that I don’t miss drinking alcohol.
How are your yearly goals going?
The count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite stories – hence, movies… but I heard is SUPER long – so good luck on that one!!!!
I am thinking of getting a coffee table. & we are in DESPERATE need of new living room furniture so maybe we’ll get it all in a one stop shop.
Good luck with the goals!
I am considering reading Monte Cristo and take the approach you have. Can you remind me if there is a certain ap you are using for that? I have heard such great things about the book but the length is intimidating!!
I set monthly goals instead of annual ones which works well in this stage of life where things are changing so much month to month. Like my workout goals have really changes as I’ve healed from my c-section. So before walking was considered a workout and now that is more of a rest day activity. So it’s been good to have some flexibility. My big goal for the 2nd half of the year is running a 10 mile race. I’m a little intimidated by the logistics of doing a race while breast feeding but we will figure it out! And if Will refuses a bottle while I”m at the race then so be it. It won’t be the end of the world and I can feed him when I get home (this is what I tell msyelf when I panic about that happening – ha!).
Nice work on your goals and adjusting things! I think adjusting your friend reaching out goal makes total sense. It’s most important to keep in touch with your closest circle, IMO!
I am so looking forward to hearing your take on The Count of Monte Cristo! I haven’t read it in years, but loved it so much when I did.
Oh, man, I have approximately 75 pairs of earrings, if I had to guess. Want some?! 😛 But really, this is my weakness. I need to STOP building my earring collection!
I am so glad that my tip to set certain workout days worked for you so far. I feel like once you fall in to a routine, you don’t even think about it much anymore. You just DO IT 🙂
It sounds like you’re on a good path overall… I love that you revised some goals, sometimes it’s better to revise than trying to achieve something that might not doable at this time.
So glad that setting days for your workouts worked! I also love that you revisited your goals -a year is a long time to stick with the same ones. Things change!