2021 is over, and that’s all one can really say. It was better than 2020, but it was wild from start to finish. I did pretty well working towards my 2021 goals, and I’m excited to review and refresh my resolutions for the new year. For 2022 I focused on building up myself, my home, and my world, doing what I can to better my life where I can, and realistically.
I broke my goals into categories again: Personal Finance, Health, Work, Home, and Personal. Finances and Personal categories are my biggest focuses. I have a lot of debt to pay down and I want to focus my time and energy on that primarily. Personal goals are to help me focus on building healthy and helpful routines and focus on self-care and self-love more than I have in the past.
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Did I Accomplish my 2021 Goals?
Personal Finance
2021 Personal Finance Goals were:
- Earn $5,000 per month
- Earn $1,000 this year from Moira The Explorer
- Pay off one Stafford Loan
- Save $1,000 for a new car
- Open a retirement account
Did this happen? Mostly no. Of course, this year was a lot less work-y and a lot more COVID-y than I anticipated so it did throw off my game a little bit. I did end up saving $1,000 for a new car (and bought that new car!). And on the student loan side, I didn’t pay off a Stafford Loan, but I did refinance a few loans. Slightly controversial decision, but the ones I refinanced were private loans with no COVID benefits or protections. I opted to go to with Earnest* after checking rates with three major refinance companies. I lowered my payment, lowered my rate, and Earnest* has been a much better servicer so far too!
*This is a referral link, if you use it to sign up, you will get $200, and so will I!
Health
2021 Health Goals were:
- Incorporate more vegetarian/vegan meals
- Workout 3 times a week
- Get back into running
Another ehhh. I had highs and lows here. We were doing mostly good with the veggie meals, but there’s always room to improve. Working out and running was a give and take. One thing I need to do is stick to it and build my workouts into a morning routine and build the habit.
Home
2021 Home Goals were:
- Paint the bedroom
- Get home gym/workout corner set up
Did ok here! We started painting the bedroom, and hopefully by the time you’re reading this, painting the rest is under way! Our home gym plans changed over the year, but we picked up a spin bike, storage for yoga mats, and a growing selection of exercise bands. I’m always on the watch for more gear on Marketplace for more small pieces.
Personal
2021 Personal Goals were:
- Sew more
- Read more books
- Volunteer more often and do more in my community
- Eat breakfast more
- Cook more new recipes (and really just learn to cook better!)
- Get back to the barn
- Do more physical and mental self-care
- Get up earlier, giving myself enough time to enjoy my mornings!
More successful here for sure! I didn’t have a lot of time to sew more, volunteering was a meh between COVID and my new job, and getting to the barn was laughable, simply not in the budget, unfortunately. But I did do pretty well at getting up, I cook multiple times a week, eat breakfast just about every day, and my physical and mental self-care is looking pretty ok.
2022 Goals & Resolutions
Personal Finance
- Pay off one Stafford Loan
- Hit my sinking fund goals
- Improve my Net Worth
- More on these later, I have a post coming that’s a deep dive into my personal finance plans and goals!
Work
- Get a raise at my full time job
- Close up my LLC
- Slow down and focus on details in my work
- Earn $1,000 from Moira The Explorer
This could be a whole post of it’s own, but figuring out my work goals has been a big challenge for me, especially with my digital marketing business on the side. With a full-time job, traveling for work and for fun, and working with Cody to try and keep our house running and under control, I opted to close it this year. I’ll still own the LLC and I certainly won’t say no to quick or easy freelance gigs, but it won’t have my full focus and attention this year.
Health
- Incorporate 3 veggie meals each week
- Run 3 times a week
- Workout 5 times a week (including runs!)
- Healthier snack habits
- Veggie with every meal
The name of the game this year is consistency in everything. Building these habits now are only going to help me in the long run! Help me accomplish goals like running a marathon, help me be healthier by eating more balanced meals, and help me stay mentally strong with workouts that clear the mind.
Home
- Finish painting the house
- Fix the back deck
- Bring more joy to our home
- Make my office a happier place to be
- Building a cleaning system
Big tasks, but on the whole, ones that each carry a lot of accomplishment! Not too many home improvements, painting the house and fixing the back deck have been on the list since we moved in. Bringing more joy is more of an amorphous thing, but building rooms that are functional, cozy, well put together, hosting friends and family more, just continuing to make our house a home every day, especially my scary, messy, sad office! The most practical task is building a cleaning system, it’s not our strong point here and we’re working on it. More coming soon on that one!
Personal
- Read More Books
- Spend more time with friends
- Travel better and more often
- Learn Spanish
- Build a morning & bedtime routine I can stick to
- Find 3 hobbies – and take the time to do them
- Do more training with Levi
Again, a lot of self-care this year, building up a life that is emotionally sustainable. I can’t cut back on everything negative, but by balancing it with ritual and routine that gives me stability and with things that challenge me and bring me joy, like dog training, reading, practicing Spanish.
2022 Word of the Year
A few years ago I read about having a word to set the intention for the year. I set a goal for most of the last few years, but skipped 2021. I decided to bring it back again this year with the word Community. Why community? It’s something I want to find, something I want to be more involved in, and something I want to build. Finding my community is primarily building my group of friends around me, I was really lucky to have the opportunity to strengthen my friendships last year, and I want to continue to do that as well as find more friends. Being more involved in my community on a larger scale. Volunteering with nonprofits, attending more events, hosting a clothing swap, just really digging into doing my part and getting involved in my local community. And building a community, both on and offline. Organizing a group for like-minded millennials in my area, building out the community around Moira The Explorer, growing my new FB group, and just connecting with more people.
I’m really looking forward to this year. Everything might already be going to hell in a handbasket, but I’m going to do my best to stay on track with my goals and resolutions, and make the best out of whatever 2022 has in store. Do you make resolutions or goals for the new year? Sound off below or on my Instagram at MoiraTheExplorer, join the Affordable Living Facebook group, join the newsletter to stay in the know with new blogs, insider info, and bonus content!
