2020!
New year, new DECADE. Hello 2020!
I'm always excited for a new year but I feel especially good about 2020. The number itself is so nicely symmetrical which makes me happy. Plus can you believe we get to live in the year 2020?! I can remember sitting in elementary school and having to figure out how old we'd be in 2000, 2010, and 2020. I can't remember if I had any specific thoughts about what I might be doing at 36 in 2020. It was probably pretty unimaginable to 11-year old me. I bet I thought 36 seemed really old. But here I am! Living my best life "in the future" with plans to make the most of it. (And for the record I don't feel old at all.)
MAGIC in 2020
Inspired by the auspicious feel of 2020 and the fact that I'll be bringing a baby girl – another human! – into the world my word for 2020 is MAGIC. I want to look for and appreciate everyday magic: holding a baby again, seeing our boys as big brothers with a baby, small acts of kindness received and given, the beauty of the world all around us, the magic of bringing my ideas to life in audio and writing. I also want to actively create magic with a mindset of being present and finding good or peace in what the year brings. I'm optimistic that the year will be really good but having a newborn plus two older boys could also be hard (it most certainly will be at times), as could finding my identity and groove in the midst of adding a third human to our household. I hope a mindset of magic will help me to savor the good things and to remember that the hard parts will pass. (More about magic in 2020 and my goals in a new episode of The Girl Next Door Podcast out today.)
And now for my 2020 goals, broken down by category. I couldn't fit all my goals on my letterboard so I picked my favorite ones to represent the year.
PERSONAL GROWTH
+ Listen to more audiobooks. I find myself wishing I listened to more audiobooks but not getting in the habit of actually doing it. To make it easier I'm going to get a subscription to Audible. As an under-buyer this is a big step for me! Plus I'm thinking that days and long walks with a newborn will be conducive to listening.
+ Practice a monthly reflection and creative practice with my Currently 2020 book from Shutterbean/Tracy Benjamin. I'm so excited for this! I also gifted a goal-loving dear friend the same workbook and I hope we'll keep each other accountable by sharing our monthly
with each other.
+ Create and complete a 20 for 2020 list. Inspired by the Happier podcast, this will be a list of little ways to add magic to my life throughout the year. Perhaps especially on days or weeks that feel hard. I'm envisioning things that are fairly easy to do but that will add a sparkle to my day and sometimes to someone else's such as: make a cake, reach out to a friend to plan a coffee date, buy a new plant, send a letter, etc. Ideas welcome!
CREATIVITY
+ Start a novel manuscript with a one-month writing challenge. Inspired by NaNoWriMo but not feeling that this is a great year to embark on that challenge I've come up with a modified version. For the month of October I want to set a doable daily writing goal (likely a minimum of 30 minutes or 500 words) while following the structure for creating a detailed outline from First Draft in 30 Days. I don't think I'll get through the whole book in 30 days but I hope it'll jump start the novel idea I've had kicking around for a few years.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
+ Be in awe of my body. My body will continue going through huge changes through the end of pregnancy and in the months postpartum. I want to appreciate all that my body has done and is doing and to look upon it lovingly.
+ 10,000 steps / day. I'd been considering a Fitbit for a while but just couldn't pull the trigger. Then I found a like-new one on Craigslist for half the listed price and decided to buy it. And I am loving it! Wearing it has motivated to get 10,000 steps each day and have since January 1 so I decided to make it a daily goal for 2020. I am also loving tracking my sleep which will get interesting in the newborns days.
+ Return to three high intensity workouts/week postpartum. I hope this won't be too hard since I'm keeping these up as much as possible through pregnancy. I'm not looking forward to the uphill feeling of working back to the fitness level that I was before but I am excited to feel really fit again. Plus, I've done it before and know I can do it again.
+ Lose weight to return to pre-pregnancy weight. To me my pre-pregnancy weight represents my body in a really healthy place that reflects regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. The actual number on the scale is not so important to me as what my habits are and how I feel but the number is an indication of those habits for me. It's a weight my body has settled at after each pregnancy when I'm able to be back to exercise so I feel confident it's a healthy and realistic weight for me. (And if this doesn't happen within the calendar year and that's okay too.)
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS
+ Savor the moments of magic. Having a baby in the house again, being parents of three with Chris, and seeing our boys as big brothers to a baby sister: that is everyday magic right there. I want to take pictures, write in a third baby book, and keep up my line-a-day journal to intentionally savor it.
+ Start an allowance system for the boys. Inspired by The Opposite of Spoiled I think we'll do a system where they earn a weekly allowance with designated allotments into jars for give, spend, and save.
+ Kind smiles and kind words for strangers. I have two friends in my life who I have noticed are so kind and friendly to people they encounter like cashiers. I realized that while I'm not rude at all I don't usually initiate small talk (I find I like small talk less and less as I get older). But watching my friends I see how far a little cheerfulness goes and not only adds to the recipient's day but to my friends' as well. I'd like to follow suit.
+ Connect with other mamas of infants. Being around other moms who were "in it" was such an important part of my support system after each of the boys were born. Most of my friends are out of the newborn stage now so I want to be proactive about cultivating friendships with other moms of infants. I plan to go back to the same breastfeeding support group that I enjoyed with both boys. Plus I have a neighbor who stays home with her baby and I'm thinking maybe we could go for walks regularly.
+ Visit my friend in Portland. One of my dear friends moved from Austin to Portland last year and I'd love to go visit her, most likely with my baby girl!
HOUSE & FINANCES
+ Save $10,000. As I mentioned in my 2019 wrap up post, since quitting my job Chris and I have not returned to the aggressive saving habits we once had. 2020 could be a turning point though! There are some financial changes this year that should help us turn back to savings: Cedric will start kindergarten eliminating childcare costs and Chris will get a raise starting in January. Other supporting habits to achieve this goal will be tracking in Mint which we've fallen out of and regular budget meetings. Chris and I had a great financial summit/goal setting date on New Year's Eve and we're looking forward to this.
+ Make our home functional for five people. Still wrapping my head around being a family of FIVE. This will be something we especially work on in early 2020 as we get ready for baby but it'll take some tweaking over the year I'm sure.
+ Backyard update. On our list for a couple of years but hopefully 2020 is the year! Update would include patio extension, fire pit, furniture, and refreshing potted plants.
What are you planning and dreaming of for 2020?
Happy 2020 friends!!