Photo courtesy of Sarah Sherman Samuel
It is officially 2019, and I can’t wrap my head around that. I have no idea where 2018 went! I love NYE–it’s in my top 3 favorite holidays. There’s something incredibly energetic and motivating about this time of year, and I thrive in it. I’ve done this kind of goal setting post for the past few years on The Lipstick Narratives, and it’s no surprise it’s reappearing at the start of this year.
In the past, I’ve listed my exact goals for your viewing pleasure. But this year, I think I’m going to keep most of those to myself. Setting goals for the year is definitely something I do at the start of every year and something I encourage you to do as well; however, posting them for everyone to see almost adds more pressure on me and gives me anxiety when I’m not seeing them met. Then I get discouraged, and more harm was done than intended.
So this year, I’m sharing 6 areas I think are important to set goals in for 2019. Grab a notebook or print out the graphic I’ve included at the bottom of this post to begin brainstorming your own goals as we go.
Home
I’m someone who is affected 100% by their environment. Do you remember your Sim falling to the red when their home or environment was unpleasant? That’s me. It’s so important your home be somewhere you enjoy. You come home to it everyday, and if you don’t like being there because of the environment, it needs to change. And that should be on your goal list for 2019.
In the category of home, your goals could fall into a multitude of categories from removing clutter to moving house entirely. Some goals to consider for your home in 2019:
- Saving for a home
- Decluttering
- Renovations or DIY projects
- If you work from home, creating a designated work space
Relationships
The second area I think you should be setting at least one goal in is your relationships. And I don’t mean romantic relationships, though that may be a goal for you. Maybe you’d like find someone to share your life with. That’s a perfectly fine goal. But I’m also talking about platonic relationships with your friends or your family. Some relationships goals you may set are:
- Letting go of toxic relationships
- Mending broken relationships you want to fix
- Finding like minded people: I’m looking to create lasting relationships with like minded creatives that I can talk to about work and the industry and creative projects.
- Work on your people skills: Maybe this is public speaking or networking better, talking to strangers or learning how to leave a voicemail without anxiety
- Become a better listener
It’s always a good idea to evaluate your relationships and see if you can improve on anything in the relationship.
Career
Having goals for your career is important, because a lot of your life is spent in your career. I definitely have major career goals for this year, including switching fields entirely and big plans for The Lipstick Narratives.
Your goals could be anything from wanting to move up in your current company or cultivating relevant skills and training opportunities to your position. Or maybe you hate your job and want to start a new one in a different company or different field.
You may even be considering going back to school to study. I’m actually preparing to go back to school for a graduate degree to hopefully reach some of my long-term career goals.
Finances
Most of the areas on this list are common among goal setters, but I think one area we often forget about is our finances. So in 2019, it’s important to set a few goals for your financial self.
They could be something small like going on a month long no buy or drinking coffee at home instead of at Starbucks. Or your goals could be large, like paying off debt or building your emergency fund. It could also be something specific to the year, like saving for an engagement ring or vacation.
Financial goals are pretty personal, but some goals we could all benefit from could include:
- Creating a budget for yourself or your household
- Finding out your credit score and what that means
- Building an emergency account
- Genuinely understanding what investment terms mean
- Contribute more to your 401k
Health
So many people set fitness resolutions at the start of the new year. We see an influx in gym memberships and diet tips floating around Facebook. And setting fitness goals are great! But health related goals don’t stop there.
These could include setting up doctor’s appointments or inquiring about things you’re not sure about. Last year I went to a plethora of specialists for health concerns I had and got most of them figured out. I went to a GI doctor and found I have a gluten allergy and have been working to treat that.
It very well could be adding more fitness to your routine. Finding an activity your enjoy or joining a team could be a goal. It could also be educating yourself more on how your body work and what is good for your body and the best choices you can make for your body.
And maybe most importantly, focusing on your mental health may be a goal for your 2019. So much of our day is tied into the state of our mental health, so it’s important to make sure it’s in check.
There are so many levels to health. And every level is personal. But I do think it’s important to take care of your body and your mind.
Your Self
The last area I think you should be setting goals in is yourself. And while everything on this list has something to do with you, I’m talking about your and your comfort zone, you and your interests, you and yourself.
Take a class you’ve been wanting to take, like cooking or candle making. Take up lessons to learn an instrument. Travel somewhere new. Push yourself to do something new that you genuinely want to do.
These are the 6 areas I think we need to evaluate and set goals in for the new year. I hope this post was interesting and a little helpful. Do you have any goals set for 2019 in any of these area? I’d love to hear them below.
FREE 2019 Goals Template:
Let's Chat!