Instead of setting resolutions for the year, I like to set goals. To me, resolutions imply that you are resolving to change something that needs to be fixed. Alternately, goals imply that you’re working towards something.
My 2018 Goals
It may be a small nuance, but the shift in thinking helps me focus on the act of moving forward in a positive way rather than the negative perspective of feeling behind or needing to catch up. I also appreciate that goals aren’t instantaneous changes I make as of January 1st (feeling bad when I don’t keep pace by February 1st.) they’re long-range plans that I can continue to build upon. The following list are just some of my 2018 goals:
Travel more
This is a mainstay on my list every year. Last year we were lucky to be able to travel quite a bit, spending more than 2 weeks in Europe visiting Ireland, Scotland, England, and France at the end of spring, our Thanksgiving holiday in Kauai, and a few other quick trips to Chicago, Spokane, and St. Louis. This year we are skipping the big trips in favor of several smaller domestic trips. Our potential list this year includes NYC, Nashville, Houston, SFO, and Chicago.
Garden
Last year we planted our first garden full of fruit, veggies, and herbs and I loved it! It was so great to be able to go outside and pick fresh ingredients right out of the ground for dinner. There was a pretty substantial learning curve in our first year, so I’m excited to apply that experience to our second year. I can’t wait for all of the fresh tomatoes and basil!
Learn to water bath can
I grew up helping my mom water bath and pressure can everything from jam to chilis, but it’s been so many years that every time I go to make something I get nervous about whether I’m doing it right and end up scrapping the idea. This year I plan to take a canning class so that I can feel more confident in my canning skills and hopefully preserve some of what I grow in my garden this year.
Get crafty
I’m thankful to have inherited my mom’s prized vintage Bernina sewing machine. In September, I bought the supplies for a baby quilt for my niece, but I’ve yet to make a single stitch. My goal for this year is to not only finish the quilt but learn to become reacquainted with my sewing machine so that I feel comfortable jumping in on more difficult projects. In addition to sewing, it’s been at least a year since I’ve knit or crocheted anything (for shame!) and I’m interested in taking embroidery back up because I believe some things can be both practical and pretty.
Switch to more natural beauty products
The amount of chemicals and unhealthy garbage in our beauty products is ridiculous and unnecessary; each year I kick a few more products to the curb. I’ve swapped out several regular beauty products for natural alternatives and hope to make more changes this year. Deodorant is next on my list and I’ve heard great things about Soapwalla, but have yet to make the plunge. A great natural liquid liner would also be fantastic, so if you have any suggestions please send them my way! Some things that I’ve already swapped and love include:
- Shampoo and conditioner by Acure. I like the Ultra Hydrating blend because it smells a bit like almond, which is one of my favorite scents.
- Body wash by Dr. Bronners. Almond is my favorite scent, but I like to swap it up with lavender and peppermint from time-to-time.
- Shaving cream by Alba Botanica. My sister recommended this shaving cream to me several years ago and I’ve never looked back. The consistency is closer to a waxy jelly instead of a traditional lotion or foam. The bottle lasts me way longer than a traditional shaving cream also.
- Moisturizing Rosehip oil for face and body by Radha. This is a great dry oil for everyday use and so much healthier than that bottle of Cetaphil that I know is lurking in your cabinet. If you choose another brand make sure it’s Organic and cold-pressed 100% rosehip oil.
- Mascara by Pacifica. My favorite is the Dream Big Lash Extending 7 in 1 Mascara, but their Stellar Gaze Length & Strength Mineral Mascara is also good. This Portland company makes natural, vegan, and 100% cruelty-free makeup and body care products. If you’re not in the Portland area, no worries because many of their products can be found at Target and on Amazon.
- Cream blusher and powder blush by Beautycounter. The Color Pinch Cream Blusher in Umber is my favorite everyday cheek color year-round. I also love using it as a lip color because it has a great buildable color. When I’m feeling like something a little brighter, the Powder Blush Duo in Flamingo/Apricot is my jam. This company has quite a few options for beauty products. I’ve tried their Tint Skin Foundation and thought it was just okay, but have yet to find a natural option that will make me swap our my NARS Sheer Glow foundation full time.
Condense my wardrobe and invest in better pieces
I feel like my clothing buying habits haven’t changed that much since college. I’m still snapping up items that can take me from the office to the weekend, with as little investment as possible. I absolutely despise shopping malls, so online shopping is where 95% of my clothing choices are made, with the other 5% being inexpensive impulse shopping in person when I’m picking up laundry detergent from Target. Not to snub my nose at the occasional Target find, but there has to be more planning that goes into my wardrobe than cheap, impulsive buys and the annual sweater haul from Loft.
I’ve always favored pieces that have classic staying power rather than trendy pieces I likely won’t want to wear the following year, but that also leaves me feeling like I’m a bit of a boring dresser (guess how many bleeping cardigans I own?!). I’ve also been known to keep items that no longer fit, need tailoring, or need mending for far longer than I should, leaving my wardrobe packed to the gills full of things that I never wear anymore. Additionally, the “once I lose x amount of pounds I will invest in better clothing” excuse lacks weight (oh, puns!). My weight might change this year; It also might not. That’s really not a great excuse not to invest in a quality piece that I love, especially when there are endless tailors and consignment stores that I can recoup my investment in if I actually do find the sizing off down the road. My goal is to invest in pieces that make me feel good in my current body and deplete any that don’t.
Grow my blog
Blogging is hard and anyone who tells you otherwise has a well-oiled staff to help. Actually, they’d probably still tell you it’s hard – because it is! Working a blog into my time in addition to my full-time job has been a challenge. It’s also kind of awesome and exciting and I often find myself inadvertently getting proud of myself for the smallest things. This year I’d love to grow my blog into something that I can continue to be proud of, allowing myself the grace of imperfection, mistakes, late posts, and occasional poor lighting.
Read at least 50 books
I set this goal for myself last year and failed. Actually, strike that. I made it to 40 books, which is nothing to scoff at. Who has time for 40 books? That’s awesome! This year, I’m going for 50 and I hope you’ll join me in my challenge, however big or small your reading list for the year is. I challenge you to make sure that at least 50% of your reading list this year are books by female authors. Check out my list of favorite reads from 2017 to help get you jump-started.
I love these and I actually created a vision board with the same idea for 2018 and a lot of our goals are very similar. One of my top goals is to travel more and I have Scotland and Paris set for this year. Good luck with all of your goals, you’ve taken the first steps of working towards this which is identifying what you want and going after it with purpose by posting them and holding yourself accountable!
I think we all need goals in our life, I think I’m going to have to ‘steal’ some of yours. 🙂
I love that one of your goals is to garden! It can be a really relaxing, introspective activity!
I totally agree! Relaxing, good exercise, and a wonderful return!
Love that one of your goals is to switch to more natural beauty! Florum has a great article on swapping products that you might find helpful http://www.florumfashion.com/green-beauty-1/#/green-product-swap/
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m always on the hunt for new natural swaps!
So many of your goals are my goals too! I have a sewing machine and I’d love to learn more about it! I share a lot about natural beauty/skin on my blog if you are ever interested! http://www.thedarlingdahlia.com
Thanks, I’ll have to check it out!
We have some common goals to achieve in 2018. Definitely travel more… and read more (I used to read a lot, but work takes so much time away), and definitely should invest more time on the garden…
These are some great goals. Good luck in 2018!!
I love how you made goals instead of resolutions! I especially like and can relate to reading 50 books! I used to read more but then stopped when things got busy with blogging! Goals are endless but I like to take them Day one and a time. Baby steps and we will achieve them! I also like your goal to condense your wardrobe! I need to do that too – as a fashionista my closet can get out of control!s. In fact it has collapsed many times last year and hubby has NOT been too pleased about fixing it so often! Lol
I love these goals. A lot of mine are similar! I am trying for at least a book a week and to get more organized in general. Good luck!
I love all these goals! I totally want to be more crafty this year and I have a goal of gardening less. LOL
These are all great goals! I used to help my parents can food we grew in our garden when I was a little kid, but I’m not confident enough in my canning skills to start doing it without taking a class – I’m worried I’m the type of person who would end up getting botulism or something, ha! And I love your reading challenge!
I love your goals!! I did the same and wrote my goals for 2018 and feel like now everyone can hold me accountable. I can feel your passion through your writing and definitely think you’re going to smash your goals for 2018! I know you’re looking for makeup and beauty products that are vegan and cruelty free, I would look at Jeffrey Star. His products are all vegan and cruelty free and I actually love his nude lip color.
I’ve heard of Jeffrey Star but I haven’t checked out any of the products yet. Thanks for the rec!
Wow! These are great goals! I would never accomplish this many due to family obligations, but I do want to travel more and read more. Good luck!!!
Really great goals! A lot of these are on my radar too – reading more, saving + going through my wardrobe are big focuses!
“Read at least 50 books” definitely going to have to add that to my goals. Good luck and hope you achieve them this year!
It’s so important to write down goals. You are so much more likely to accomplish them! This is a great list. Bring on 2018!
Great goals! Travel more is also on my list of goals this year as well (as well as reading more)!
Great goals! My travel goal is almost identical to your’s…after spending three weeks abroad in 2017, I am planning lots of little weekend getaways this year, instead. I am also hoping to grow a garden but….we’ll see!
http://www.amandasok.com
I make goals not resolutions too! 50 books! That is impressive! I hope you meet all your goals this year!
Nice goals and post 🙂 It was nice to read about. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Totally love your travel list, that is awesome. I too have decided to condense my wardrobe. The only items that make the cut are proper investment pieces anyway. Great tips x
I love your goals! My goals are similar as yours but my main goal is to improve my health issues since I have low imune system. I would definitely list my goals soon. Love your post
degusstace.com
Gardening and growing my blog are definitely on my goal list for 2018…ooh and reading more but I’m lucky if I get through 2 in one year, let alone 50. Good luck with all your goals!
I love this list.. I also really want to start a small vegetable garden and start using more natural products! My goal is to read 25 books this year, I put 20 last year and fell short 🙁
20 is nothing to scoff at – nice job!
These are awesome! It takes a lot to actually make goals and stick to them but it sounds like you got it under control. Have a great year!
Big fan of Dr. Bonners…….I use it to wash my hair and honestly will never go back to using “normal” shampoo again!! Travel, travel, travel as much as you csn, the only think you’ll buy that makes you richer!! Great inspo for the year ahead, best of luck!
Thank you for reminding me to write down my 2018 goals! A lot of your goals match what would go on my list. I too want to make the switch to living more naturally.
These are some pretty amazing goals you have there. Very inspirational and I wish you the best!
I’m starting a garden this year! You should definitely write a post about how/what you plant and your best tips! I would love to read that!
I plan to write about it so I hope you check it out when I do. Good luck on your garden this year, it’s so much fun!
Great goals! I resonate the most with the first two. I really love traveling and we do a lot of it, but I also want to garden. I haven’t worked but out how you do both!?! I just need to be able to be two places at once!
It is definitely hard to manage both sometimes. We actually came back from Europe last year and all of our vegetable starts had been eaten by creatures so we had to go buy starts and replant.
Great list!! I’m also going to be focusing on growing my blog as well as condensing my massive maternity/non-maternity/will never fit again wardrobe (and my kid’s wardrobes too) to try and simplify our lives a bit!!
More travel is on our list too! Ireland being #1 on that list!
These are all great goals! I agree that goals are much better than making New Years Resolutions. I am also working on my goals for the upcoming year. I’m impressed that you read as many books as you did. One of my goals is to read books this year. I read 1 or 2 books last year…..hoping to read 10-12 this year. My plan is to read one book per month! It is hard for me to find the time to read, but I really want to try and make it happen!
That Alba shaving cream and Pacifica mascara are the bomb, you will love them. Your goals are very achievable!