My 2018 Goals

I know, I just bashed on New Years Resolutions last week, but it’s not setting goals that I have a problem with. It’s thinking that you can only do it for New Years and if you slip up once then you should just quit until next year. 

I first made “resolutions” two years ago. Last year I set separate goals for my personal and professional life, and this year I’m going to do the same.

So, without further ado, here are my 2018 goals!

PROFESSIONAL

+ create two new courses — I already know what I want them to be, and have started working on one, but the goal is to complete them and get them online for people to have.

+ create a workshop — I already have the concept of what I want it to be, it’s just a matter of putting my head down to finish creating it. And then (deep breathe) hold the workshop.

+ talk in front of an audience — Is anyone else shy? I’m really good behind a camera and a computer because I can think through and edit what I want to say. But when you’re in front of a crowd there’s no going back. 

+ expand my second channel — I started a second channel in 2017 (that was actually one of my goals), but this year I’m very excited to see it expand from just a vlog channel.

+ release new merch collection — You guys loved my FemmeHead shirts and totes, so I’m going to release more! I want to create a few new designs as well as offer more of the original design. 

+ 100,000 YouTube subscribers — Yup, the big One, Zero, Zero. I’m roughly around 37,000ish away from it. And I think I can do it! (But it’s never about the number of subscribers for me. It’s about who I’m actually able to help. It’s just been a fun little goal to set myself since I started on YouTube).

PERSONAL

+ learn to play a song on the uke — I bought a ukulele over a year ago, and while I’ve gone through phases of practicing I’ve never learned an entire song. 

+ participate in a race — I think this might become a yearly goal for me. I had the same goal last year and I ended up doing my first 5k, triathlon and marathon. Boom!

+ take myself on solo dates — There are places around town (the botanical garden comes to mind) where I’ve always wanted to go but haven’t because I didn’t have someone to go with. So now, I want to take myself on at least one solo date a month. 

+ keep all of my receipts — Yup, boring, but for accounting and tax purposes it would make it a lot easier if I had my paper receipts. (Thankfully a lot of my buying is done online). 

+ pay off my student loans — When I first graduated I made the goal of two years. And I was on track, but then I met a boy and had to rebalance my finances. Well, I’ve kept paying off more than what I owe and I’m down to just above $5,000. Can I pay that off this year? 

+ hang out with a family member and a friend once a week —spending time with those I love has taken more of a priority over this past year, and I’ve done such a great job I want to keep at it!

+ produce less waste/buy less plastic — When I first discovered the zero waste and minimalist lifestyles I did a great job of reducing the amount of waste I created. Well, so many freaking things come in plastic, and I want to make it a goal this year to cut down on plastic overall. 

What are some of your goals that you're most excited for this year? 

Making Monthly Resolutions With Your Built-in Life Coach

There’s a Nike ad that says “Don’t Make a Resolution, Make Yourself”. 

And I have to let you in on a little secret, I have never made a New Years Resolution. 

I don’t believe in them. I don't think they work. They just seem destined to fail. Well, go really well for a month or two, and then fail. 

I think you should be constantly striving to better yourself throughout the year, not just once a year. 

And this got me thinking. 

Most women have no idea that their menstrual cycle provides them with the perfect structure for monthly “resolutions”.

It’s true. 

I’ve talked about the four different phases before — menstrual, follicular, ovulatory and luteal. 

But if you are able to listen to your body, you already have a built in system for monthly reflection, goal setting, and execution. 

The book that inspired this thought — “The Optimized Woman”. 

So, during your period you’re best at doing some internal thinking and reflection, letting go and rethinking your goals. 

Next comes the follicular phase when you should set your goals for the month after reflecting on the previous month during your period. Then once you set a goal, really look into HOW you are going to achieve that goal. What are the tangible steps each day that you can take to help you succeed? You will be focused and able to have clear, concentrated thinking as well as more energy. 

After that is the ovulatory phase. I view this as the social phase. You’re going to be great at getting out there and making the connections and building the relationships that are going to help you achieve those goals. You are also going to be more productive and relatable, not to mention this is the most confident time of your cycle. 

The final phase before the cycle begins again is your luteal phase. You will feel more inspired, creative and able to problem solve issues that arise. Use this phase to brainstorm new ideas and solutions for the future and upcoming month. What did you struggle with during the month, and how can you solve that or fix it in the future? 

I have heard the menstrual cycle described as having your own built in life-coach. And who doesn’t want one of those? Hell, people pay big bucks for them, and do you know why? Because they’re worth it.

So, give your own personal coach a go, why don’t you.