Last Christmas, I sat down and wrote out 19 different goals that I wanted to work toward during 2019 (you can read about my motivation behind that in this blog) . Some were pretty personal, others were pretty tough, and others were simply about trying something new.
As I began working toward my goals this year, I realized just how tough some of them actually were. However, the most helpful thing for me this past year was that I had friends to thank for checking in on me and my goals. Several friends reached out sporadically throughout the year to ask about specific goals and encourage me to keep working toward the ones I hadn’t made a ton of progress in. That support was incredibly helpful in pushing me when things got tough.
At the end of it all, I completed 10 of my 19 goals and was close to finishing another 2-3 of them.
You can read final updates on each of my goals on my 19 for 19 page but below are some highlights on how the year went and how these things impacted my work toward my goals.
The Accident
In March, I was involved in a small car accident in Mankato during a snow storm. I was fine but my car was definitely not. The insurance company totaled out my car and I got a new one shortly thereafter. Thankfully, I had paid off my first car in February but then in April, started a new car payment. That impacted my ability to travel to 4 different countries and set me back slightly in saving up 6 months of expenses.
Growing Out my Hair
Many have commented over the year on their thoughts and feelings toward my new long hair. It’s been a change of pace for me to work with it- things just aren’t as easy as they used to be in the mornings. I’ve purchased hair ties for the first time in my life and then returned them for a larger size because apparently they come in different sizes. Also, the beautician at Target taught me all about dry shampoo and leave in conditioner and for that I am incredibly thankful.
The Numbers Game
Several of my goals all had to do with obtaining a specific number. I wanted to read 12 books (only read 9). I wanted to write 12 blogs (only wrote 6). I wanted to lose weight (I gained weight). I wanted to cook 52 new meals (I was crazy, only cooked 2 new recipes). All that to be said though, I realized over the past year that if I wanted to accomplish a task or goal, I had to make time for it. I took a break from social media in July and in that month, I had a TON of time to read, write, take photos, and golf. We make time for our priorities and that’s something I’ll take with me through 2020.
Overall, 2019 was a solid year. Nothing terribly ground breaking changed in my life but that’s completely okay. This year, I spent a lot of time thinking through who I am, the things I am passionate about, and the things that I want to work toward in the future.
Now it’s time to get to it.