Happy New Year! I love that fresh start feeling of starting a new calendar, don’t you? There’s nothing magical about January 1st, but I enjoy prayerfully considering my goals and intentions for the year ahead. Last year was infinitely improved by personal goal-setting and intentionality!
Today, I’m sharing my goals for 2018. There are a handful of goals that I’m not sharing publicly (in private realms like marriage, finances, etc.), but these are the bulk of them! This post contains affiliate links.
1 | Listen to 12 audiobooks | COMPLETE
I absolutely love listening to podcasts, but there are so many books I want to read! My love of podcasts + wanting to read more books = audiobooks. The honest reality is that I don’t–and won’t–make time to read many physical books each month. (I don’t have time during the day and fall asleep as soon as I start reading at night!) However, audiobooks fit into my life beautifully. I can listen to them while doing daily tasks like getting ready, cooking, cleaning, driving, or packaging Etsy orders.
I bought myself an Audible membership (this is not sponsored, I pay for it myself) in early December and have already listened to three audiobooks! My goal for 2018 is to listen to one book a month, 12 total! I think I may blow this goal out of the water at my current rate. COMPLETED JULY 2018
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2 | Schedule and complete 5 social media-free weekends | COMPLETE
Most of us are quite connected to our phones and computers; I am extremely connected to mine. My livelihood depends on being present on social media and the internet in general. I have some boundaries in place that help me unplug, but I’d like to take it a step further and complete at least five social media-free weekends in 2018.
For me, this will mean deleting the Instagram app from my phone, not checking Facebook or Twitter on my computer, and probably scheduling just one hour to check and respond to Etsy conversations, email, blog comments, and YouTube comments.
Eventually, I’d like to get in the habit of going social media-free every weekend, but I know that I don’t do well with drastic changes like that. We’re starting slow with the goal of five this year! COMPLETED OCTOBER 2018; CURRENT COUNT: 7
3 | Learn my DSLR camera
I got a DSLR last year and haven’t taken the time to really learn it yet! Learning how to use my camera was the only goal I had in 2017 that I didn’t complete. I did spend several weekend afternoons playing around with it, but I’d like to spend some seriously dedicated time to understanding and learning my DSLR this year.
As far as resources, I’ve already purchased Clickin’ It | A Guide to Mastering Your DSLR Camera, printed it, and put it in a binder. I’ve thumbed through it, I just need to spend some good hours experimenting with my camera based on what the manual says. Additionally, I plan on taking an online photography class through Nicole’s Classes sometime in the spring. I tend to do quite well “teaching myself” different skills, but some outer accountability will be helpful here.
4 | Implement weekly power hours for house cleaning
Have you heard of power hours? I watch a lot of YouTube, and many YouTubers utilize them to clean and organize their homes. The idea is to create a task list and then tackle it in one “power hour.” The focused cleaning time plus the fun beat-the-clock element creates a fast-paced, motivating environment.
This year, my goal is to tackle a cleaning power hour each week (more or less). I hope to film some of them to share on YouTube, so if you love speed cleaning, make sure to subscribe to my channel! I’ve gotten tired and bored of my old cleaning routine, which has made keeping up with it a drag. I’m hoping that power hours will infuse some novelty and motivation back into my cleaning routine. ONGOING THROUGHOUT YEAR
5 | Grow my YouTube channel to 10,000 subscribers | COMPLETE
I have fallen in love with creating YouTube videos! It is so much fun and so different from blogging, which I’ve been doing for close to six years. A totally new medium for content creation has expanded my creativity and skillset. This year, my goal is to grow my subscriber count from the current 2,600 to 10,000! It’s a big goal, but I plan on sharing lots of new videos and I think I can do it! If you’d like to help a sister out, subscribe here. 🙂 COMPLETED MARCH 2018
Those are my five goals for 2018! I really look forward to watching this year unfold and working toward each goal listed above. Thanks for following along!
// What are your goals for 2018? Do we have any overlapping goals?
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We definitely have some overlapping goals 🙂
One of my focuses this year is to be less reliant on my iPhone camera, (which to be honest, is so convenient but not a great camera!) and to start using my Fujifilm XT-10, which I purchased almost 2 years ago and rather embarrassingly, have hardly used! I have always enjoyed photography and take a lot of photos, especially while travelling, but when I do use my Fujifilm it’s in lazy “auto” mode! I did attend a six-week course to learn manual photography, but it went over my head! I am going to persevere (my word for 2018) through trial and error and seeing what works and doesn’t work by playing with the knobs and dials! Up until this point I have been a little afraid of this approach!
I’m also eager to put into practice some social media free days… I don’t use social media for work, at least for now, and yet I spend more time on Facebook/insta – and on YouTube – than I’d like to! Limiting myself to short bursts of time (like with your cleaning goals) each day is the plan (during my morning coffee, for example) rather than checking in every other hour! Plus like you, I’m going to unplug completely now and then over the weekend.
I laughed when you said you fall asleep when reading books at night…. that’s when I read mine.. and I fall asleep after five minutes, every time!
I love how specific your goals are! That may be the key to meeting them! So many people say I want to lose weight, but don’t actually have a plan of attack.
I love watching cleaning videos on Youtube, so I’d love to see one from you!
We both have some of the same goals! I am also looking to get my channel to 10,000 subscribers this year. I’m over halfway there, so I’m optimistic. I love your power hour idea, and that’s definitely something I should start doing. Looking forward to all you will create and achieve in 2018!
-Brianna
http://www.youtube.com/divaandthedivine
I love your goals, Blair. They are large enough to push but definitely attainable! I love watching your YouTube and know you’ll hit 10,000 subscribers this year. My biggest goal for the year is to grow my unique blog visitors to over 1,000 per month and I am so close! Good luck this year, I can’t wait to follow along. Jessica | http://www.roomforgelato.com
Thanks for sharing your goals Blair! It is always inspiring to hear other people’s goals for the year. Are you using PowerSheets again? I bought the full year version this year for myself and my sister so we can work through them together! Some of our goals overlap – I want to be on my phone less and read more, and my husband and I want to get our phones out of our bedroom – so that means purchasing alarm clocks! My word for the year is GROWTH. Last year I focused on discipline and now I feel I am ready to truly grow in faith, love and local friendships. Happy 2018!!
GIRL, I just KNOW you’re gonna crush these goals!
Okay first, I LOVE your goals. They are just specific enough and still large enough to really push yourself. For me personally, decreased social media time and increased reading time are both on my list. I also really want to focus on having amazing experiences rather than “things”. I also want to expand my social circle through finding a small group at church that I really feel is the right fit.
I was also wondering what YouTube channels and podcasts you enjoy the most? I highly respect your opinions
I love that your goal list is short and realistic. And I’m inspired by this power hour idea! Have you read Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin? She talks about implementing a power hour each week to help her deal with running errands that she dreads. I think using one for cleaning like you suggested would be awesome for me – I’ve really been struggling with consistently cleaning our home. Would love to see Youtube videos of yours! Thanks for the idea! Happy new year! 🙂
How did you decide on the DSLR courses? I have been really wanting to pursue photography for years but just get overwhelmed and my obligator self needs external accountability for it. It seems like a lot for a course, but I have learned that once I pay for something, I actually do it.
Good luck with your goals!
I love hearing other people’s yearly goals! It inspires me to stick to my own 🙂 We have 1.5 overlapping goals, haha! I also want to learn how to use my DSLR and read 12 books (not listen because audiobooks put me to sleep sooo quickly! I wish I could listen though).
I live on Audible! I have the monthly subscription and still end up buying an extra one or two a month on top of that. It’s such a great way to stay on top of new books because you can do other things while you listed. You can “read” while commuting, cooking, cleaning, and even working out. I think I spend more money on Audible than clothes haha
I still have yet to write my 2018 goals. My problem is that I end up setting SO MANY that although i work my butt off to achieve them, it becomes too much and then I feel defeated when I don’t do them all. So I’ve been putting it off.
I wish i could afford your mentoring program! The design of a blog is something i could do because i have a degree in digital media design, but actually knowing what content to create and how to really get it out there is my problem. I love that you do this. You truly are an inspiration!