Starting Fresh: 2013 Goals

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I love New Year’s. It’s the perfect time to start fresh; new goals, new adventures, new plans and new opportunities to achieve great things. It’s so motivating to know that you get this new beginning. It’s the best time to sit and reflect, and to make lists of all the wonderful things you’d like to accomplish.

This year, I’m going to change my resolutions up a little bit; since I have less goals all around to complete, I want more things to cross off by 2014. I’m feeling rather ambitious, and there are a lot of THINGS that need DOING. I’m not ready to jump into another 101 goals in 1,001 days, but I loved the way those goals were set up. I’d like my New Year’s Goals to reflect a similar style, inspired also by Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Projects & many bloggers/websites around the internet.

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Finance

- Save at least 30% from each paycheck & put it in my savings account

- Create a second savings account for the future, 10% of each paycheck

- Read “Debt-Free Forever” by Gail Vaz-Oxlade

- Pay off my credit card; never spend more than I can pay off

Health, Fitness & Vitality

- Get back to the gym

- Exercise at least once a week ( 0/52)

- Cook 5 healthy recipes (0/5)

- Go vegetarian for a month

- Reach my ideal weight through healthy eating & exercise

- Train to run a 5K and choose one to participate in with a friend

Leisure

- Complete my room project

- Print pictures from 2012 to add to my photo album

- Scrapbook Brazil & Europe 2012

- Plan an adventure

- Get my driver’s license

- Get a tattoo

Reading/Writing/Blogging

- Read 50 books (0/50)
*5 non-fiction (0/5)
*re-read two all-time favorites (0/2)

- Start a blog feature

- Guest post for 5 bloggers (0/5)

- Write 5 music pieces outside of CONFRONT Magazine (0/5)

- Write 10 book reviews, including 2 for outside sources like NetGalley (0/10)

- Start writing creatively again, outside of job purposes (ie: non-music/blog/school)

School/Work

- Research, plan & complete a server switch for CONFRONT Magazine

- Complete the CONFRONT media kit & create sponsorship packages

- Research + apply to summer internships and/or job possibilities (if any)

- Plan the remainder of my University degree, class by class & raise my GPA by 2014

Time

- Suffer for fifteen minutes at least 3 times a week (0/156)
*This goal was inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s book ‘Happier at Home’ in which she tackles those really annoying tasks for 15 minutes a day until they got done, instead of letting them pile up. I’ve got the list of annoying things to do right next to me and I’m weirdly excited to slowly cross those things off!

- Plan “me-time” each week (especially during school) to avoid burning out or getting too stressed

- Create monthly study schedules ( 0/10)

- Keep a calendar/agenda of upcoming events (concerts, dinner dates, etc) each month (0/12)
*Buy a desk calendar and/or Erin Condren planner? Wondering if it’s worth the money?

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30 goals, 12 months. I totally got this.

What are some of your resolutions or goals for the new year?! Which do you most look forward to completing?

Comments

  1. Great goals! I can totally see you achieving a bunch of these, especially since they’re so measurable!

    An Erin Condren planner might be worth the money for you. They aren’t as bulky anymore and with all you have going on, they could be a good resource to keep up with all you have to do. Or they have cheaper ones that are like EC’s planners on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/PlumPaperDesigns?section_id=10818261

    I think I have 22 on my list and I just like having lots to tackle in the coming year. I’m really trying to become better at managing my money and being healthier for 2013 – those are my big goals and I hope I can cross lots off my lists in those categories.

    • I was seriously coming here to tell you the exact same thing. I have a Plum Paper Designs planner that I absolutely love!!! And you definitely have great goals :)

      • Looking into PPDesigns for sure! Thanks for letting me know :D

        And thank you, I’m hoping to get as many done this year as possible, I feel like they’re rather achievable!

    • Oh I’m going to check out the Plum Paper ones too! They’re definitely a cheaper alternative, I wonder if they’re as good as erin condren? Thanks for the link! :D

  2. 30! Great ambition. I know you’ll do well.

    I’m finalizing my list between today and tomorrow to post tomorrow. So much I want to do!

  3. Great goals! We should definitely do some sort of travel related blog swap (as we had planned but obviously never got round to!) and you’d have one of those ticked off! Happy New Year lovely :)

  4. These are amazing goals. Best of luck in completing them!

    I am doing my goals more monthly. This month: do yoga every day (even if just for 10 minutes), do not tap into my savings account and no buying new books!

    • Thanks Angie! i’m hoping to do well, crossing my fingers & just need to put in some effort!

      I like monthly goals a LOT. I usually do them, but I find myself running out of time with school and work and life etc. I think they’re an extremely efficient way of getting things done, and your goals sound achievable so I’m sure you’ll do great!

  5. I know there are contradicting views on them, but I think the Erin Condren planner is TOTALLY worth the money. I use it every single day and adore it. :) You have a great set of goals. I am super impressed that you can save 30% of your paycheck! That is awesome!!! I am posting my goals on Monday!

    • It’s really worth the money for erin condren? I’m REALLY debating it because there’s also a hefty shipping fee to Canada and I’m not sure if I’m ready to pay it, especially because I’ve never followed through with an agenda. Maybe if it’s pricey enough I would? I really need to make up my mind!

      30% of my paycheck while still living at home and only having couple bills to worry about is *hopefully* doable. If not? I’ll be happy to start putting away any kind of percentage. I really just want to have this on my radar at this point and do my best to follow through!

  6. These are great goals, Melissa! I always love reading them, by the way. :) I thought about getting an Erin Condren planner, but just decided to buy a refill for the organizer I already have. Now, I just have to locate it, lol. I’m going to come up with a list of my own goals for this month to post on my blog next week, and have already created a slew of lists to keep track of things I want to get accomplished each day on my Fantastical calendar app for iPhone. If you’ve got an iPhone, I highly recommend it. I think it’s only $1.99, but it may be a little more in Canadian dollars. Good luck with your goals this year, and I hope you’re having an amazing week!

    • I’ve thought about getting an erin condren planner for at least a year now, but it’s so expensive PLUS the shipping to Canada is a killer too. I’m still undecided. I’m excited to see your goals next week though! I’m going to check out Fantastical calendar and see if I can make any good use of it. I find myself able to accomplish things better with a handwritten to-do list (I rarely check my phone apps) but sometimes it’s worth a try right?

      And thank you! I’m always happy people don’t mind following my goals along with me too much :D

  7. My main resolution is to make better use of my time in general. Specifically I want to write more. And more. Lots.

    • I think that’s a perfect goal for you! Time management seems like the world’s most difficult thing (especially with the internet so close by) but hopefully we both find a way to make it work better in 2013 :)

  8. Good luck on all of these! You know that I’m all about the tattoos :)

    And you know my resolutions!

    • Seriously though, HOW LONG have I been saying I’m gonna get a tattoo?! Don’t let me back out in 2013! I need some excitement in my life, ha.

  9. Oh my gosh! A great list of goals. You’re going to have a super busy year haha. Anyway, you can guest post for me next time I’m having guests over at my blog! But you only said five blogs, so you might want to choose five better ones I don’t know haha.

    • Thank you!! I *hope* I have a busy year- it’ll hopefully help me forget that I won’t be doing much else than goals, school and work, lol!

      But definitely 100% guest blogging for you- I remember telling you in your e-mail that I would and I’m still completely interested. Let’s set it up! I need to think of a good topic for your column… I’m gonna browse your archives. If you let me know a date you’d like it by (give me a couple weeks?) I can get it to you for sure. :D

  10. “Suffer for 15 minutes” cracks me up haha, but it’s a great goal! Also, you’re always welcome to guest post for me. :) And the topic is totally up to you – I trust you with whatever you want to write about!!

    • Hahaha I know, every time someone sees that goal they’re like “you wanna suffer, what?!” but I actually love the goal and it’s been working wonders so far. My list of annoying things is extremely long but I’ve been getting a bunch of things done. Knowing it’s only for 15 minutes a day makes it sooooo much better.

      As for guest blogging, yes! I had so much fun doing it last time! I’ll hold you to that when I have some time to guest blog, and I’ll send you an e-mail :)

      Oh and if you’re ever feeling like guest blogging, you know my blog is always open to you too! It was lots of fun when we did a swap.

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