2015 Goals + Intention.
Welcome back, friends! It is the official start to the first full week of 2015. I am sending my kids back to their respective schools this morning, one with his first very wiggly loose tooth. It was a nice break- mostly because we didn't have to be up and out to the bus stop every morning, and my boy who is usually dressed in day clothes at the crack of dawn finally learned how to linger in his pj's by the end of the week.
It's also been a good time for me to be able to start thinking about what I want to accomplish this coming year. I've been rolling around in my head some things I think I would like to accomplish by 2016, and I've also been processing this idea of the Word of the Year, which I talked more about on Wednesday this past week. I enjoyed reading Betsy's comment, which talked about your word being the center of a brainstorming map like you used to make in elementary school. Your word is just the core idea, from which other words can stem. And so with that in mind, I decided I would go ahead and pick a word- one that I could use to cover many of the ideals I want to work toward in the coming year:
To me, the idea of intention is to make sure that the things I am doing in my life have a purpose and direction. It covers all kinds of actions throughout the day- Am I eating with the intention of nourishing myself, or am I bored? Am I buying this with the intention of using it specifically, or do I just like it?- and it also supports good behaviors, such as kindness towards others and charitable giving. So with intention in mind my goals for 2015 are:
1. Continue to grow Milo and Molly locally and online. I have a few new-to-me shows that I would like to try out this year, I want to continue to work with the Nutmeg Collective on local opportunities, I would like to try and hit 1500 Etsy sales by the end of the year, and I would like to realign my products to better suit what my customers are looking for. This one comes off a little vague, but to put it all on paper would take up more than this whole post. Rest assured it's all swimming around in my brain, somewhere.
2. Return to the blog. I enjoy this space I've created and I enjoy connecting with the people who read this. I would like to change up the design a little bit, I'd like to post more, and I'd like to hear more from you who are out there reading. The end of the year was really busy for me, so additionally, I'd like to get back to reading the posts by bloggers I enjoy and remembering to leave comments on what they have to say.
3. Declutter. I actually already started this right before the Christmas-present onslaught, but I would like to really clear items out of this house that we don't need or use anymore. We have duplicates of things, we have clothes that should be weeded through, we have toys coming out of our ears, and so many of our storage spaces are packed. It's time to go through it and get rid of the things hiding away "just in case", and also it would be great to slow down the intake of toys. I need to come up with some alternative gift ideas other than more trucks and Legos and stuffed animals because we are packed full.
4. Exercise. I know I've said this before and I am not good at getting started at exercising, but for my overall self I think it would be good. I've long dealt with anxiety and I've read time and again that exercise can help, but for me it's carving out a time to do it. Whether it be yoga on YouTube or a round on the elliptical in our basement, I would like to start to work into some kind of fitness routine.
5. Meal planning and Making My Own. I love to cook and I've got all kinds of gadgets to help me along the way, but I would like to get some kind of meal organization in place so when I go to the grocery store, I know what I'm going to make that week and buy accordingly. That way when I need a pepper, I have one (guess who didn't have chili last night because she forgot a pepper), and I don't end up with four, yes, four, bottles of white cooking wine because I thought I might not have any. I'd also like to break free of some of the processed goods, which are convenient but not the best choice, even from the organic aisle. This will all hopefully save my kitchen sanity and be better for our pocketbook and waistlines.
6. Random Acts of Kindness. More about this coming soon in its own post, but in general I would like to practice some specifically planned kindnesses (so I guess they won't be entirely random). I'm hoping you'll be able to help me with this.
7. Make Things for Us. I sew things, obviously, and I have a list of things for my little ones that need to be attended to- like reusable sandwich bags that I've been meaning to make for their lunch bags, and that piece of Busytown fabric I got for Greta to make something for her for Christmas, but didn't. I need to take some moments to make for me and not just to sell.
So there they are, my solid half-dozen-plus-one ideals for the year. I feel like I'm a pretty mindful person, and I do often go out of my way to think of other people, so this will be a continuation of that plus adding myself into that equation. What do you think?
Did you make goals/resolutions/pick a word for the year? Please share, or link to your post if you blogged it!
It's also been a good time for me to be able to start thinking about what I want to accomplish this coming year. I've been rolling around in my head some things I think I would like to accomplish by 2016, and I've also been processing this idea of the Word of the Year, which I talked more about on Wednesday this past week. I enjoyed reading Betsy's comment, which talked about your word being the center of a brainstorming map like you used to make in elementary school. Your word is just the core idea, from which other words can stem. And so with that in mind, I decided I would go ahead and pick a word- one that I could use to cover many of the ideals I want to work toward in the coming year:
To me, the idea of intention is to make sure that the things I am doing in my life have a purpose and direction. It covers all kinds of actions throughout the day- Am I eating with the intention of nourishing myself, or am I bored? Am I buying this with the intention of using it specifically, or do I just like it?- and it also supports good behaviors, such as kindness towards others and charitable giving. So with intention in mind my goals for 2015 are:
1. Continue to grow Milo and Molly locally and online. I have a few new-to-me shows that I would like to try out this year, I want to continue to work with the Nutmeg Collective on local opportunities, I would like to try and hit 1500 Etsy sales by the end of the year, and I would like to realign my products to better suit what my customers are looking for. This one comes off a little vague, but to put it all on paper would take up more than this whole post. Rest assured it's all swimming around in my brain, somewhere.
2. Return to the blog. I enjoy this space I've created and I enjoy connecting with the people who read this. I would like to change up the design a little bit, I'd like to post more, and I'd like to hear more from you who are out there reading. The end of the year was really busy for me, so additionally, I'd like to get back to reading the posts by bloggers I enjoy and remembering to leave comments on what they have to say.
3. Declutter. I actually already started this right before the Christmas-present onslaught, but I would like to really clear items out of this house that we don't need or use anymore. We have duplicates of things, we have clothes that should be weeded through, we have toys coming out of our ears, and so many of our storage spaces are packed. It's time to go through it and get rid of the things hiding away "just in case", and also it would be great to slow down the intake of toys. I need to come up with some alternative gift ideas other than more trucks and Legos and stuffed animals because we are packed full.
4. Exercise. I know I've said this before and I am not good at getting started at exercising, but for my overall self I think it would be good. I've long dealt with anxiety and I've read time and again that exercise can help, but for me it's carving out a time to do it. Whether it be yoga on YouTube or a round on the elliptical in our basement, I would like to start to work into some kind of fitness routine.
5. Meal planning and Making My Own. I love to cook and I've got all kinds of gadgets to help me along the way, but I would like to get some kind of meal organization in place so when I go to the grocery store, I know what I'm going to make that week and buy accordingly. That way when I need a pepper, I have one (guess who didn't have chili last night because she forgot a pepper), and I don't end up with four, yes, four, bottles of white cooking wine because I thought I might not have any. I'd also like to break free of some of the processed goods, which are convenient but not the best choice, even from the organic aisle. This will all hopefully save my kitchen sanity and be better for our pocketbook and waistlines.
6. Random Acts of Kindness. More about this coming soon in its own post, but in general I would like to practice some specifically planned kindnesses (so I guess they won't be entirely random). I'm hoping you'll be able to help me with this.
7. Make Things for Us. I sew things, obviously, and I have a list of things for my little ones that need to be attended to- like reusable sandwich bags that I've been meaning to make for their lunch bags, and that piece of Busytown fabric I got for Greta to make something for her for Christmas, but didn't. I need to take some moments to make for me and not just to sell.
So there they are, my solid half-dozen-plus-one ideals for the year. I feel like I'm a pretty mindful person, and I do often go out of my way to think of other people, so this will be a continuation of that plus adding myself into that equation. What do you think?
Did you make goals/resolutions/pick a word for the year? Please share, or link to your post if you blogged it!
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I LOVE your word of the year. It just hits everything on the head so perfectly, and you can apply it to whatever you do. I've never picked a word theme before, but maybe this will be one I unofficially keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteMy new list of goals is up today, too, and I almost had "declutter" as one of mine, but then I replaced it with something else about paint. Hahahaha. http://www.little-nostalgia.com/2015/01/2015-goals.html
I was thinking a lot about a word of the year during our drive back to Baltimore this weekend, and hilariously, I too thought "intention" or doing things with intention needed to be a big focus this year. I don't usually choose a word of the year, but in thinking about the direction I want to go this year, intention is really important. There have been a lot of huge changes for me during this last year (and even in the past few days) that have really propelled me to think about what I am doing on a daily basis and for what reason I am doing it. I'd like to sit down and write about my 2015 goals sometime this week, but I've still been thinking a lot about them within that "intention" mindset.
ReplyDeleteI really love this! And the word is terrific!! I feel inspired by this post... thank you :)
ReplyDeleteI have always struggled with the word "Balance"... yet never really put down in words ways to work toward it. 2015 seems like a great year to do just that.
Best of luck with your 2015 goals, and again, thank you for the inspiration!
I really enjoyed reading your goals for the year and your word of the year is solid. I mapped out a couple of goals I shared on my blog too but some I kept to myself. I'm really big on simplifying my life this year. Similar to decluttering, there's a lot of stuff I need to finally just chuck em. Good luck!
ReplyDeletePowerful word choice. And I can totally relate to the need to find time to "sew for us." My granddaughter's graduation quilt is over a year overdue. After tax season, I'm thinking of carving out one day (or maybe Sunday afternoons?) to sew for family/charity/or (gasp!) myself. During Lent, I've considered tithing my sewing time--one out of every 10 sewing hours for charity projects.
ReplyDeleteI love how the word "intention" seems to be spreading throughout blogland, and how you're embracing it to reclaim your time for purposeful pursuits! Wishing you all the best for 2015, and excited to see what the year brings!
ReplyDeleteI liked your post- lots of good goals for the year! I like the word because it does cover so much that it will hopefully just make me more mindful overall.
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be a common idea this year, which I had no idea. So many people have said the same thing to me! But I think it's really important to really think about what we're doing and do things with a purpose, and I can apply it over so many parts of my life.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're inspired, and I think that balance is a great word. We all need it, for sure, and it seems like if we keep it as our focus then we become more aware of it.
ReplyDeleteI keep some things to myself, too, which in a way is a reason I like this word- it covers even those things I might not talk about or even have thought of yet. Decluttering for me is huge. I would like to feel like I have some extra space.
ReplyDeleteSewing for me is going to probably be one of the harder ones since I don't tend to take time for myself to work on project very often, other than sewing a stuffed animal back together or a button on. I love the idea of sewing for charity.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually surprised to be on trend! I didn't do any kind of real research into my word or read many posts on this year's word of the year before I chose my word- it was sort of an epiphany in the shower. :) I love the word though and I really hope I can adopt it.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of selecting a "word." I know several people who select one for the year and stick to it, and work at it, and develop themselves and their world. I should pick one, honestly. I don't know, at this time, what it could be, but I'd like to think I could find one that would remind me to stay positive, to stay upbeat, and to have hope. (The last few months have been increasingly troubling.) Anyway, I love your goals for the year! Mine are very similar! I picked up running last spring, and am still at it a couple/few times per week. I would like to--as you suggested above--do more nice things for other people, including strangers. (Especially strangers.) My biggest goal, though? Writing. I need to write more--journaling, creative work, and on the blog.
ReplyDeleteIt was really hard for me to commit to a word, but I'm glad I did. I am hoping to stick to it and really adopt it. And I'm glad to hear others do goals too- I like actionable things!
ReplyDelete