There’s something about the first. Whether it be the first day of the week, the first hour of the morning, or the first day of the month. It’s turning the page, readying yourself for the newness. Then there is the mother of all firsts, the first of the year. Cracking the spin on a fresh planner, pinning your newest calendar onto the wall. Closing the cover on the story that was last year, filing away all the important lessons you learned along the way, and wiping the slate clean. A time to set intentions and goals for the road to travel ahead. Welcome, 2023!
As each year begins, I talk about what goals I want to set for myself. More often than not, I fail at reaching those goals because I have a terrible time with motivation. But that’s the beauty of the new year, right? I get yet another chance to reach for my dreams and goals. And while I do have goals that are close and personal to me, I thought I would share a few of my less personal goals here with you. Because science says that helps with accountability. And accountability helps with motivation? Or something like that.
Beauty, Health, & Fitness
One thing I like to do is break my goals down into a few different categories. I take a look at the general areas of my life that I’d like to improve upon and then break them down into smaller goals. First up, is beauty, health, & fitness!
When it comes to beauty, you all know how much I love skincare! But I’m not always consistent with it. So one of my goals for 2023 is to develop both a morning and evening skincare routine that I can stick with. And do it CONSISTENTLY! My evening skincare routine is pretty much set, but my morning go-round could use some work. Of course, I will try new products here and there, because it’s important to have a little fun. I’d also like to work in legit facials a bit more this year. There is nothing more relaxing than a solid bit of face pampering.
For fitness, I’m wanting to build more of a routine (can I use that word anymore in this post?) with the gym, running, yoga, and cycling. I joined the gym last year and it was pretty hit or miss on attending. Running was non-existent, and I don’t think I took my bike down once from the rack. I definitely feel better as a whole when I am more active, so I’m hoping to find a schedule that works and flows a bit naturally with my life.
Both of these things fall under the general area of health, but I do want to focus on making my health a bigger priority this year. This includes physical and mental health. The last few years have not been the greatest health-wise for me, and I’ve really struggled to rebound. I’m tired of feeling like shit all the time. Or having one or two good days, then that being followed by several crap days. So while losing weight isn’t my number one health goal, it’s in there. I just want to live a healthier lifestyle, while still having room for all the other things I enjoy!
Business, Finance, and the Blog
Finances are always a work in progress for me. I’ll be the first to admit, I made some not-so-great financial decisions in my 20’s that are still plaguing me today. This year, I’m focusing on building my credit and paying off some debts for good. Also, saving! I definitely want to travel more, but not have it feel like a burden when it comes to paying for things on said trip. Money matters feel like an area that constantly has room for improvement and growth.
You guys know about my Etsy shop, Antler & Bow. My goal for my shop is to add more listings and grow my sales there. I also have a couple of other projects that I started and launched toward the end of last year that I’ll be sharing here with you. I’m looking for not only income from my shop, but passive income as well.
As for this little corner of the Internet? My goals are to continue growing! The first of the year marked Amor et Vita’s third birthday, which has been exciting. We’ve had many visitors here, and I’d like to continue sharing bits and pieces of life with you all. Posting consistently is a big one, that I did a bit better with last year, but this year I’m really buckling down. In addition to posting consistently here, Instagram is my next big hurdle to jump. Many times I don’t even realize that I didn’t take a single photo or video of anything until we are long done, but I’m going to try to be better this year. Another idea percolating? Youtube! I’ve been kicking around the idea of launching our channel for about a year now, I just haven’t quite worked up the courage to do so.
One solid goal I have this year for the blog is to land a partnership with a brand I love. I would never recommend a product to you, my readers, that isn’t something I haven’t used and loved personally. So looking forward to reaching out in the next few months to some brands I love and seeing if they are willing to work with me.
Personal Goals
Beyond the goals I’ve listed here, I have a few personal ones as well. Some that I will share with are getting outside more. The outdoors has always felt a bit like a refuge for me, and being in nature is one of the best healers I’ve found. Being a better dog mom is another goal I have year after year. And lastly, never lose sight of the magic! Whether it’s the magic of manifesting, believing in yourself, or the magic that happens when the hard work you’ve been doing pays off. I don’t want to forget about it or find it lost somewhere along the way.
I hope you all had a great New Year, and if you have any goals, intentions, or resolutions you’d like to share to welcome 2023, leave them in the comments below!
