Happy New Year's Eve!
2018 was a year of big changes for me, and as a result, I became distracted and inconsistent with the goals I set in the beginning of the year. Overall, I think I accomplished what I set out to do--I made great strides towards my general theme of simplicity, positivity, and loving myself.
Goal 1: complete three monthly challenges
I can only remember completing 2 monthly challenges in 2018 and both were in November. I did a 30-day eat-at-home challenge and a 30-day plank challenge. This year's eat-at-home challenge was amazing--I've really grown to love this challenge, and I was able to step it up a notch this year because I had more time to experiment in the kitchen. I didn't make any frozen pizza this time around, and I only used bottled pasta sauce once. Eventually, I'd like to move away from bottled sauces altogether; however, I may still need to get my frozen pizza fix every once in a while.
My friend told me about the plank challenge, which basically consists of doing one minute of plank every day for 30 days. I'm surprised by what a difference this made in my core strength and stomach definition. This challenge helped me strengthen my core in time for the meditation retreat, and I had little to no pain in my back despite sitting for hours on end in half-lotus position. I'd like to continue doing plank on a regular basis in the new year.
Goal 2: wake up 10 minutes after alarm sounds (maximum one snooze)
I was pretty inconsistent with this goal, and there was a pretty significant dip in the months of April, May, and June. I was very stressed out in these months due to work, and quitting my job was constantly on my mind. I found myself unmotivated and uninspired, and I couldn't get out of bed as a result. Coincidentally, I submitted my resignation notice at the end of June, and my numbers improved from there. Now, I can pretty much consistently wake up when my alarm sounds. :)
Goal 3: give therapy a try (one to three sessions with a psychologist)
Even though I had every intention of meeting this goal, I never got around to booking an appointment. After I quit my job, I found myself in a much better mental state, so I will be pending this goal, and it will not be a focus in 2019.
Goal 4: read for 10+ minutes every day (physical book or e-book)
My Way of Life app tells me I was pretty inconsistent with this goal in the months of July and August. In these two months, I averaged around 50% with this goal. I don't remember falling off my daily habit of reading but the timing makes sense. In all other months (except December), I averaged around 80%, which is reasonable. I'm going to continue tracking this habit; however, it won't be a specific goal in 2019.
Goal 5: learn about wine with hubby
Usually, my goals are set in accordance with the SMART criteria, and they are usually much more measurable as a result. While this goal isn't really measurable in the traditional sense, I think I can safely say that hubby and I were successful with learning about wine. We're definitely not experts, but our knowledge of wine increased tremendously in 2018.
Goal 6: strength train two to three times per week for 10+ minutes per session
Again, I was wildly inconsistent with this goal. I thought I wanted to make this a priority in 2018, but I always found a way to talk myself out of strength training. This goal is going to make a reappearance in 2019.
Goal 7: meet my annual savings goal
Surprisingly, I was able to meet my 2018 savings goal, despite receiving my last full-time paycheque in August. I attribute my success in this area to reducing my expenses significantly in the latter half of the year.
Goal 8: try on all items before buying (clothing and accessories)
This was a fun goal for me, and had the unexpected benefit of triggering an accidental no-buy year in these categories! I spent little to no money in 2018 in the areas of clothing, shoes, jewellery, handbags, and other accessories. I'll be posting more on this in the new year!
Overall, I think I did fairly well with my goals, and 2018 was definitely a good year for me in terms of self-development. I'm eager to see where 2019 takes me. I hope you all have a happy and safe New Year's Eve celebration. Cheers to 2019! x
