How-To Set New Year’s Goals & Healthy Habits

If you’ve known me for any amount of time at all, you know that I LOVE the New Year. I love embracing a fresh start, and taking time to check in with myself and see how my lifestyle is aligning with my short and long term goals. I’m usually a Rachel, but when the New Year rolls around, I go full Monica Geller. Last year, I essentially created a giant to-do list. This year, I’m breaking my goals down into categories and then filtering them by things I’d like to achieve monthly, weekly, and daily. This allows me to actively track my progress throughout the year, and to implement new habits that will get me closer to my goals in 2023. It sounds like a lot, but it’s simpler when you break it all down. Let’s get into it.

FINANCIAL GOALS

• Contribute $15k to savings
• Produce $170/month in additional income
• Diversify my income

Friends don’t keep secrets, so I’m laying it all out for you this year. We bought a house at the end of last year, so our savings really took a hit. I know we need to prioritize replenishing our savings account, so that’s a big goal of mine this year. Keep in mind that we’re now in the middle of a renovation, and we only renovate with cash. We won’t be going into debt for the sake of a pretty house. That being said, it’s hard to save and spend at the same time…so we will see how this goes. 

Another big goal of mine is to diversify my personal income. I wanted a way to track that progress, so I set a monthly monetary  goal of $170. This way, I will have a minimum of around $2k at the end of the year that came from alternate revenue streams. In addition to my full-time job, I have a few fun side hustles. We converted our first house into an Airbnb, I have this blog and my social media (that produces a tiny bit with affiliate links), and I offer freelance branding, web design, and graphic design services on the side. My hope is that with a small monetary goal, I can work on balancing all of these additional revenue streams in a way that consistently produces a little extra on the side.

SPIRITUAL GOALS

• Go to church on Sundays
• Join a small group
• Pray every morning

This may not apply to everyone, but I’m hoping to prioritize a few spiritual goals this year. With all of our moving around this past year, we got out of the habit of going to church on Sundays. Honestly, this should be priority #1, so I’m working on finding a new church home, and focusing on my relationship with God this year.

RELATIONSHIP GOALS

• Plan one friend thing/month
• 2 dates/month
• Monthly Sibling Dinners
• Take a vacation with Taylor
• Visit Elizabeth (my bestie in ATL)

As an Enneagram 3 and an introvert, one of my biggest struggles is balancing work and relationships. Nine times out of ten, I would choose to work from my couch on a Saturday night rather than hanging out with anyone. But when I think about that in terms of my lifespan, I don’t want to waste precious time staring at a computer screen in my pajamas. So I set attainable goals this year prioritizing the most important relationships in my life–my husband, my siblings, and my friends.

HEALTH GOALS

• Maintain a healthy relationship with food 
• Complete a workout plan
• Get in bed by 11 on weekdays
• Complete 75 Hard
• Use Sundays as a reset

Now we’re getting to the meat and potatoes of my New Year goals! I’m a big fitness gal, though you probably wouldn’t know that from looking at me (carbs are life). This year, I want to work on my unhealthy thoughts about my weight and appearance. My weight shouldn’t be the first thing I see when I look in the mirror. This year, we’re going for healthy and balanced. With that in mind, I set a few goals that I think will help me find that balance and set myself up for success.

In addition to a few challenges I have to look forward to, getting to bed by 11 will allow me to wake up at my ideal time of 5:30 so I can get in a morning workout and a well-balanced breakfast without feeling rushed before work. I also will be dedicating Sundays to a little physical and mental reset. After church, I’ll do my grocery shopping, meal prepping, week planning and house cleaning. This will allow me to start my week on the right foot, with my goals in mind and the tools I need to achieve them.

LIFESTYLE GOALS

• Read one book a month
• Go to the beach
• Renovate the cottage for Airbnb
• Create a relaxing outdoor space
• Start an IG for my branding services
• Gua Sha
• Learn to make candles
• Write one blog post/week
• Collect gifts for people
• Try one new recipe/month
• Visit a pottery studio
• Dress like a grown up

Now that we’ve established all of my goals for the year, I like to break them down into habits and practices I can achieve whether it be monthly, weekly or daily. For example, if one of my goals is to read one book a month, I would list that under monthly goals.

MONTHLY GOALS

• Plan one friend hangout 
• Read one book 
• Make $170/month additional income
• One sibling dinner 
• Try a new recipe 

WEEKLY GOALS

• 3 IG posts/week 
• Date night

DAILY HABITS

• Pray
• Be active 
• Eat breakfast
• IG engagement 
• Gua sha 
• Drink water 
• Read 
• In bed by 11

WORD OF THE YEAR: BALANCE

That wraps up my New Years goal-setting for 2023. It’s never too late to set goals and change your habits for the better. I’m a work in progress, just like my house. If you made it this far, you’re a true friend and I’m eternally grateful. I’d love to know some of your goals or some things you’re prioritizing this year! Do you pick a word of the year?