I never used to make New Years Resolutions because the new year never really meant much to me. In the past, I’ve felt like the coming of a new year has meant nothing more than a change of calendar date, like any other day.
However, the older I get, the more intentionally I’m trying to live. I’m trying to be aware of myself, the progession of my life, and the passage of time.
(It might seem like I talk a lot about my dad’s passing. I´m aware.) In February it’ll be 10 years since he passed away. My mom is turning 65 this year. I don’t have children yet. My friend’s dad is dying quickly of cancer. My niece and nephews are growing with lightning speed. I’m thinking about time a lot, these days. These realizations have led me to wanting to be aware of the passage of time, is all.
And to be present.
I´d like to share with you my goals for 2015:
- Portuguese – I started the Portuguese Rosetta Stone a few months back, and had a hard time getting into a routine of doing it. I will do the Rosetta Stone for at least 30 minutes every day.
- Baking blog – I started a food and crafts blog with a friend a few months back called SmashTable. I post on it from time to time but want to commit to writing there more. This will be my reason to try cooking and crafting new things. I will publish at least 50 posts on SmashTable in the coming year.
- Increase savings – I currently channel 10% of my pay into my 401k and 5% into my emergency savings. I will increase these.
- Charity – I feel strongly about giving money to those I know in need, rather than big organizations, typically. I want to make donating a regular part of my montly finances. I´ll start small and increase if I can. I will donate 1% of my income to charity on a regular basis.
- Car – I don’t know anything about cars. My husband doesn’t know much either. We’ve been lucky to have reliable cars, and haven’t needed much maintenance other than oil changes and new tires. But I’m going to be driving a lot more now with the new job and I’ll probably hit 100,000 miles very soon. I want to have this car for at least 5 years once it’s paid off (so 7 more years total… Might be a stretch goal?) and want to keep it nice. I will learn about what routine maintenance I should be doing to keep my car running smoothly and save monthly for these expenses.
- Free concerts – Since I’ll be in a new place and won’t really know many people, I want to get back to going to free concerts. At UAlabama I used to go all the time, and here in NOLA, life has gotten in the way. In Houston I want get back to this. I will attend two free concerts per month.
- Tracking net worth – I´m aware of how much debt I have, but I´m far less aware of my assets. Starting in January, I will track my net worth monthly, and make note of it here.
- Improve credit score – Before I got married, my credit score was 780. Then I took on a lot of debt due to lots of life circumstances, and now my score (since I started checking it monthly in June 2014) has been a steady 678. Gross. I will improve my credit score in 2015.
- Good routine – Natalie recently reminded me of the importance of a good routine. Michael and I are very much creatures of habit, and so routine comes natural to us. However, with this move and the new job, my routine is going to be a blank slate and I´m committed to making it a good one. I will establish and maintain a routine that includes mental and physical exercise and health daily.
I walk in stride with peopleMuch taller than me–And partly it´s the boots butMostly it´s my chi.And I´m becoming transfixedWith nature and my part in it,Which I believe just signifiesI´m finally waking up.I´m trying to evolve.
Great goals, Chela! If anyone can accomplish them, it’s you! May God Bless you and your family in 2015 and beyond! 🙂
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Thank you, Kay, likewise! Happy new year!
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Sounds like a great, and comprehensive, set of goals. I wish you all the best in 2015! Happy New Year :)!
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Thanks Mrs. FW! Happy new year to you and your Mr. 🙂
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Really great goals! I love that you are spending 30 minutes a day learning a new language! It just takes a little time each day to chip away at something and the next thing you know you’re a master of it. Good luck with everything in 2015!
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Yes, and I love languages! Making time for this is the hard part, not actually doing it. Haha. But I have a plan! 🙂
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Those goals sound reasonable to me. Also, great job on the cooking site! SmashTable is a great domain name. I bet you could do well if you can find more time to put into it.
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Thanks! I definitely plan to post more there this year 🙂 Thanks for reading.
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These are really great goals for 2015. Good luck with the new website. I actually checked it out and some of those dishes look delish!
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Thanks! I want to keep posting there so I’ll have an excuse me get more creative in the kitchen 🙂
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Great goals you have. I love donating 1% of your income to charity, we’re doing something similar as well. It’s great to know that you are able to provide helping hands to people in need. Best luck in 2015.
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Thanks for reading Tawcan. In the past I’ve donated to charity sort of here and there whenever I remembered to, but having it come straight out of my paycheck keeps me much more consistent.
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