(This post was last updated on: 10/19/2024.) 2022 was such a busy year that I did not get around to blogging about my yearly goals. I did set goals for 2022 and was able to accomplish almost all of them and that feels great. As the year is almost over, I am taking the time to reflect and think about what goals I need to set for myself in 2023. In past years, I have broken my goals up into the categories listed below and that seems to work well for me and my priorities in life. You are welcome to do the same.
MY GOALS FOR 2023:
INTENTIONAL LIVING The idea of living a more minimalist lifestyle really appeals to me. I feel so bogged down sometimes by all of our “stuff”, commitments and pressure or desire to attain more. This year I plan to focus some energy on organizing our home through purging and attempting to sell items that we no longer use or want. I am so late to the Facebook Marketplace bandwagon; I usually just drop off donations at Goodwill.
I will also include completing some home renovation projects that have been on my mind. Nothing crazy, just a new coat of paint here and there, and finishing some projects that we started but never finished. I want our home to better reflect our personalities and where we are in this stage of life.
PERSONAL GROWTH I strive to learn new things on an on-going basis. Two years ago, I learned to drive a manual transmission when I bought a dreamy new car that just happened to have a stick shift. Last year my main focus was getting through my last semesters of school so that I could get a new job. Now that I accomplished both of those goals, this year I want to focus on some other ways in which I can learn new skills.
I just received a canning set for Christmas. Learning to can my own food for our long-term food storage pantry will be on the top of my list. I also received a pasta maker, so learning to make homemade pasta will be a fun and new learning experience. I also have a backlog of personal growth/ self-help books to read. Reading is always a simple way to expand our knowledge base, so in 2023, I will carve out the time for more reading.
CAREER In 2022, I completed a post-baccalaureate diploma program and began a new exciting job in a completely new career field. This year, my focus will be refining my skills in my new career. I purchased a textbook to help learn more about the niche of my new career that I need to begin reading. Of course, I ended up in a niche that was offered as an elective that I did not take in school. I also have signed up to take a test in the spring to become state certified in my new career. I am sure I will be stressed AF as we get closer to this test date since I barely remember anything from school at this point.
My blog has been on the back burner for the past year while I was finishing out school and still working full time. I would love to dust off the old girl and put in the effort to revitalize my blog.
RELATIONSHIPS This is probably the hardest category to set a goal for and create an action plan. This year I want to definitely meet new people and develop quality friendships. It seems so much harder to make new friends as we get older. I joined a local book club and will seek out other opportunities to meet new friends that live close.
TRAVEL I love to visit new places, explore new towns and experience things that I have never encountered before. Part of my action plan will be to plan some vacations for the upcoming year even if it’s just a long weekend somewhere close to home. This is a repeat goal that I did not accomplish last year.
We have some friends that have moved away over the years, some to Kentucky, some to Indiana. Planning a trip to see them will help me work towards this and the previous goal.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT I recently published a blog post about how hard it has been to find organizations to volunteer with in my local community. I have been making and delivering meals through Lasagna Love and will continue this in 2023. I also will keep searching for other ways to give back to my community in the upcoming year.
HEALTH The most cliche goal by far is to lose weight, but yes, it is on my list of goals for 2023. Getting older is not for the faint of heart. My husband and I have been discussing turning a spare room in the house into a home gym and so this year I will make it happen.
FINANCES Reviewing our financial health will also be a priority this year. We have a great financial advisor that we have been working with for the past few years. It is about time for our end of year meeting with him so I will get that scheduled. We have been pretty diligent in creating a monthly budget and expense sheet for our household so we will continue with that as well. Our investments are well maintained, but we will look at other ways to expand our portfolio in the new year.
REVIEW: 8 GOALS FOR 2023
Now that I have narrowed down what I want to accomplish this year, it can all be condensed into 8 main categories: Intentional Living, Personal Growth, Career, Relationships, Travel, Community Involvement, Health and Finances. The next step will be to create an attainable action plan to meet these goals. That will include daily, weekly and monthly action items that I will track by using my running to do list, Google calendar, and creating a kanban board.
Have you set your goals for 2023 yet? What are your best goal setting tips for 2023 and the upcoming new year? Leave us a comment, we want to hear what your goals are for this upcoming year!
