Happy New Year, everyone!
2018 was the year of quitting my job, starting this blog, and following my dream of travelling full-time. It was a year full of fun firsts, big learning curves, and creating amazing memories by travelling to 19 countries with my boyfriend, Ben. It will be hard to top it this year, but here’s to trying!
Fun fact, I’m one of those people who is goal obsessed. I’m that girl who creates vision boards about my goals, I listen to audiobooks on the topic, and even write out weekly goals to review daily. In fact, I even wrote a whole blog post on setting goals and tools to help you achieve them in case you are just as goal crazy as I am!
So in light of my goal obsession, I thought I would share my six new year’s goals I will be focusing on this year. I know I’m a month late to the game, but let’s be honest; goals can be set at any time of the year – not just around New Years! I hope one of them may inspire you to set some goals of your own.
I Travel to 5 New Countries and Check 5 Things off My Bucket List
This year I have no plans of slowing down. Ben and I are still travelling full-time while we work remotely. This year I can’t wait to travel to 5 new countries and return to some countries we love. I also can’t wait to tick off the following 5 bucket list items:
- Go on a safari in Africa
- Shark cage diving in Africa
- Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
- Swim with whales sharks in Australia
- Live in another country. We are moving to Australia in April and will be living there for one year.
Make sure to check out our 2019 travel schedule, if you are interested to see where we are off to this year. And if you happen to be in the same place at the same time, DM me on Instagram so we can meet up!
I Make Meditation Part of My Daily Routine
Last year Ben and I both made a conscious effort to meditate on a regular basis, and we both noticed positive side effects – better sleep, better communication with each other, happier mood, and more present throughout the day. Because we saw such positive side effects, this year, I want to become more consistent by meditating daily. Although we will be busy travelling and working all year, there should be no excuse for finding just 10 minutes a day to dedicate to my mental health, even if it means meditating on a plane.
If you are interested in learning to meditate or want to join me in this goal, check out my recent post on meditation apps that can help you regulate your practice.
I Read or Listen to 12 Books This Year
In 2018, I read 11 books by either reading them or listening to an audio version on Audible. A few years ago when I discovered audiobooks, I became instantly hooked. I’ve always loved reading, but honestly, in this day and age I find it hard to (a) not get distracted by my phone or (b) sit that long without feeling guilty that I have a million other things to do. But with audiobooks, I can listen to them on the go, either while getting ready, cooking, driving, or travelling. When you listen to an audiobook, it’s amazing how fast chores get done, or a long drive flies by!
This year, my goal to read 12 books, with a mix of actually reading some, while listening to others. I’ve created a list of the books I read in 2018 and books I want to read in 2019, in case you are looking for some new book recommendations for your own reading goals this year. 😉
I Post More Honest and Authentic Content on my Blog
To expand on this goal, I am hoping to post on the blog at least once a week this year. I had a similar goal last year, but once I started blogging, I realized there was still so much I needed to learn (ie. SEO, photo editing, formatting, Pinterest for bloggers). Teaching myself these skills took time away from producing content, and I was so hard on myself for not blogging more. But now I can see that those leanings were crucial, and now I am a better blogger because of it.
This year, I can’t wait to share travel guides on the places we visited in 2018 (ie. Croatia, Greece, Budapest). And I want to share more honest and authentic content on blogging, our journey travelling full time, and working remotely. Is there anything else you guys would love to see or read about on the blog? I’d love to know. Tell me in the comments below or DM me on Instagram.
Learning One New Skill per Month
As I mentioned above, last year I spent a lot of time self-teaching myself skills on blogging, and it ended up being such a confidence builder. My main resources: Youtube, Skillshare, Podcasts, Lynda, and online courses. It is amazing the resources we now have at our figure tips for free or at a very little cost.
This year, I want to continue expanding my skill set and I am committed to learning at least one new skill per month. Some skills I want to learn include, email marketing, affiliate marketing, brand collaborating, graphic design, time management, financial investing, surfing, cooking, and learn how to drive manual – Ben, that last one is for you. 😉 The point is to learn new skills and challenge myself, even if it is just in the car!
I Make Health a Priority
Alright, if I am going to be really honest with you guys, last year my health fell to the waste line – literally. Health was something that was challenging to stay on top of, as we are constantly travelling, and therefore we had zero routines. Overall, we ate and drank out a lot more, and exercised a lot less. And thus, I put on weight and now don’t feel my best.
Although it will still be tricky to be healthy this year, I want to try to drink more water, cook more, experiment with the 5-2 diet, and exercise at least 2-3 times per week. This should be easier when we get to Australia and settle down in one place after April. My goal is to get back on track, by toning my body with exercise and eating healthier. I would love to lose 15 pounds, but won’t be mad if I don’t. For me, it is more about feeling confident and energized again!
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So there you have it, my goals for 2019! What are yours? Is there anything I can help with or cheer you on for this year? Share them in the comments below! Or if you haven’t set any New Year’s goals yet, it is not too late.
