My 2019 Goals

Happy 2019, my friends! I can hardly believe it’s finally here, and we’re at the start of a brand-new year. I rang in the year at a low-key house party with some friends, and it was honestly the perfect way to begin 2019. I am looking forward to what this year has in store for me.

Every year, I like to set some goals for the upcoming year. I made 30 this year, some of which are one-off tasks I need to complete and some of which are more resolution-y intentions, but I’m excited to check these off over the coming year!

1) Read 100 books. I thought about bumping this goal from 100 to 125 but decided to keep it at a manageable (to me) 100.

2) Read four classic novels. This will be my third year tackling this goal! This year, I’m planning on reading The Grapes of Wrath, The Color Purple, Rebecca, and Invisible Man.

3) Reread the Anne of Green Gables series. I read this series in high school and absolutely loved it, and I think it’s definitely time to revisit the series now that I’m in my thirties.

4) Dye my hair purple. Because why not? I think this would be a fun little change!

5) Save $1,000 in an emergency fund. There is no excuse for this not happening this year. It must.

6) Get something up on the walls of my living room. I’ve lived here for 2.5 years and I still barely have anything up on the walls. I’d love to find some great art for the space above my TV and my couch.

7) Take control over my dermotophagia. I’ve struggled with dermotophagia for years, and it’s only been in the last year that I finally saw it for what it is: a disorder. I will pick at the skin around my fingernails until they bleed or the skin feels raw. It’s something I do without thinking about it, just this compulsion, but I really want to work to get it under control.

8) Redo my bathroom. My bathroom could use a bit of a revamp – just a new shower curtain, new rugs, new towels, etc. Nothing major! A fun goal for 2019.

9) Visit the Grand Canyon. I’m planning a trip with my mom to visit the Grand Canyon in either April or May. I’m having such a fun time planning it! I’m just trying to decide if we want to fly into Vegas and drive to the canyon after a few days there, or fly into Phoenix and spend a couple days in Sedona before going to the canyon.

10) Visit Washington DC. Honestly, a flight to DC from Tampa is so cheap that there’s no reason why I can’t make a trip to DC work in 2019.

11) Build a necklace collection. Currently, I have three necklaces and all were acquired in the last two months. I really love the way a necklace can tie a whole look together, and want to build a collection of 10ish necklaces.

12) Pay an extra $500 towards my student loans. Now that I no longer have a car payment, I really should be throwing a little bit more money towards my student loans. I’d feel really good if I could knock out an extra $500 this year!

13) Go to a movie alone. I’ve never done it and I think making it a goal for 2019 is a good way to make it happen!

14) Work out 150 times. My friend Katie turned me on to this idea. Instead of giving myself a goal of working out X times a week, I’m giving myself a goal of working out X times the entire year. 150 times equals to 3 times a week, giving myself a two-week cushion. Once my gym is up and running, I could see myself going 4-5 times a week but I can also see myself falling off the wagon completely here and there. This way, I don’t have to beat myself up if I have a week here or there where I can’t find the motivation to work out – I know I can make it up another week.

15) Lose 40 lbs. I put on a lot of weight this year, which is a problem when I was already overweight to begin with. It’s time to get my weight at a manageable number. 2019 is my year to do that.

16) Give Eloise a sibling. I want to give Eloise a little more time to settle into her new home before adopting another cat, but I definitely plan on expanding our little family in 2019.

17) Start saving for a new apartment. I am outgrowing my current apartment, which is tiny at just 575 square feet. There’s just not enough space for me, even though I’m as minimalist as they come. I’m not sure if I’ll be moving in 2019 (depends on if they hike up my rent, but they’ve never done that here), but I definitely want to consider it for 2020 and that means forking over a lot of money in moving costs. Le sigh. If I could have maybe $250 set aside, that would make me feel really good about making a move happen in 2020.

18) Do a spending freeze once a quarter. As you may have noticed, I have quite a few money goals for 2019 (paying extra toward my student loans, saving $1,000, saving for a move, etc.) along with plans for traveling and buying some new items, which means I must do a spending freeze as often as possible. Once a quarter seems doable!

19) Develop a daily water drinking habit. Y’all. I am in my thirties and still haven’t gotten my shit together about drinking water every day. Yikes. I’m not asking myself to drink 100 ounces a day… even just one full water bottle every day is all I’m asking of myself.

20) Buy two bigger bookshelves. My tiny three-shelf bookshelves suited my needs just fine, but I’m quickly outgrowing them. I’ve always wanted bookshelves filled with books in my home because I love that aesthetic so much, and I’m eyeing these white Hemnes bookshelves from IKEA.

21) Complete Project 365. Yep! I’m doing this photo challenge again. Long-time readers will remember I took on this challenge in 2014, and I think I’m ready to do it once again.

22) Develop a skincare routine. I have all of the supplies I need to have a skincare routine… just not the motivation to do it, ha. A goal for 2019!

23) Start a vitamin regimen. I take zero vitamins, even when I know I need a daily iron supplement and a multivitamin. I think 31 is a good age to start taking daily vitamins.

24) Replace all of my underwear. It needs to happen. I’ve had some of my underwear for so many years, I’m embarrassed to say.

25) Write my novel. While this goal seems to have just slipped into this list half-heartedly, make no mistake. This is my #1 goal for 2019. I want to have a finished manuscript by the end of the year.

26) Try 10 new foods. I’m probably one of the pickiest eaters you’ll ever meet, and there are so many foods I haven’t tried because I’m convinced I won’t like them. Case in point: I finally tried black olives this year and discovered I love them! What other foods am I missing out on? I aim to find out this year!

27) Track my money on Mint. I’m finally going to do it. I’m finally going to sign up for Mint.com so that I can accurately track where my money is going and set budgets. I also want to have a monthly check-in with myself to look at where my money went over the month and set money goals for the upcoming month. 2019 is the year I get serious about my finances.

28) Get all of my skin tags removed. I would estimate I have around 10 skin tags that drive me crazy. I have tried natural methods for removing them, but they haven’t worked for me, so I’m thinking of going to the dermatologist to get them removed.

29) Sign up for a paid dating service, and commit fully to the dating process for six months. I think I’m finally going to take the plunge this year and sign up for a paid dating service. Match.com seems to be my best bet because the six-month subscription is a little cheaper than eHarmony (but please, if anyone feels strongly that eHarmony is the much better option over Match, let me know!) I’m excited about this goal, though!

30) Find a new therapist. I really like my therapist and she’s helped me get a lot more comfortable with therapy as a whole, but she’s not “the one” for me. She’s a great therapist, but I don’t feel like I’ve made any progress in the four months I’ve been seeing her and I think it’s time to move on and try someone else.

What’s one goal you have for 2019?