2017 New Year Review- Plus Goals for 2018!

Happy New Year everyone!  Every year I like to reflect on the prior year and make goals for the new year ahead.  I often like to share them on my blog, because it’s always a good reminder for me to look back on.  I like to make goals, not resolutions because I feel like resolutions just get broken.  I like to set goals for myself and evaluate what things I still need to work on and accomplish in the new year.  I don’t want to make any major changes, I just want to make improvements. 

Let’s start off with a reflection on 2017.  Last January, my goals were to improve my blog.  I wanted to make a few changes to take my blog from just being a personal journal, to make it feel a little more professional.  Early in the year, I changed my template, bought a domain name, joined social media groups and started to socialize with other bloggers.  I’ve had a lot of fun and met some really great people.  I’ve even had the opportunity to collaborate with some amazing brands this year, which was something I never even thought of back when I started writing this blog.  

Here is a look at some of my favorite outfits that I posted from 2017.

In my personal life, I have kept very busy with work and my family this year.  In January we moved into our first house together.  Jack turned one in February and it’s been so fun watching him grow this year.  We did a little traveling to visit our families in Michigan, Colorado, and California this year.  The end of the year has been consumed with family visits and getting my husband through his training for work.  He recently switched the type of airplane he flies, which if you know any pilots, you know that it’s not a simple process to change airplanes.  This last week has been really nice because I’ve done nothing but relax.  We tried to have a stress free Christmas break without traveling or visitors.  It’s been quiet, but it’s been nice at the same time. 

Here are my goals for 2018!

1.) Get off my phone-  I am going to confess that I think I spent the majority of 2017 on my phone.  I’m on social media, taking pictures or editing pictures all the time.  My husband has been giving me a hard time about it lately and he’s right.  I need to sit down and be with my family, not on my phone constantly.  For 2018 I plan on limiting my time with my phone.  I think it’s a healthy goal to have for the new year.

2.) Organize my time- I love blogging, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that blogging stresses me out sometimes.  I feel a constant need to keep up with everyone else on social media because I’m afraid if I don’t I will lose my followers.  I sometimes feel like I’m stressed over it all because I’m not sure how to manage my time between my job, blog, and family.  I need to find a way to use my time more efficiently.  There is a lot to keep up within the grown-up world and I just need to find a way to organize it all a little better for 2018.

3.) Continue to grow and better my blog-  I have thought long and hard about blogging the past few weeks.  I’ve debated if I want to take a little break, and my answer is no.  I love blogging!  I feel like I’d feel like something was missing if I didn’t have my blog.  That’s why I’m going to keep it up.  I did a lot of growing with it this past year, so my goal for 2018 is just to keep it coming.

4.) Save money on grocery shopping- I pretty much have my clothes budget under control, but in the past 2 years, my grocery budget has gotten out of control.  I feel like I spend so much at the store, then I throw away so much food at the end of the week.  It’s time to get back to the way I did things when my husband and I had a $400/month grocery budget.  I was so good about not overspending.  I want to be resourceful when it comes to food and mindful when I shop.

5.) Be a better person- This is my goal every year.  I always want to improve on my all around self.  I want to be a better mom, wife, teacher, daughter and so on.  I just want to look back on 2018 and feel proud of my accomplishments and the person that I am.  I think that’s a goal that we should all have for the new year.  Don’t change yourself, better yourself.

That’s it for me, what are some of your 2018 New Year Goals?