Resolutions, Resolutions, Resolutions...

New year, new me, right? Right?

Nope, it’s definitely new year, same me. But I’m never one to diss the resolution game. I think it’s good (and healthy) to hit the reset button and try to improve yourself. If some stick, great! If not, well, it wasn’t meant to be (at least that’s what I tell myself). So, this year I want to be more realistic on my resolution choices and focus on things that benefit more than just me, but my family for years to come.

Here they are…

1) Embrace the Minimalistic Lifestyle

When we first bought our home, we thought we’d have all the space we would ever need. I mean, 1,700 sqft was a dream compared to our 500 sqft studio. Then three years later we add a kid to the mix and *boom* crowded. And really… it’s not the house. It’s a good size and I know some people would kill for it. It’s us. We took advantage when we had two incomes over the years and over-prepared for Ellis’ arrival (seriously, babies really don’t need that much in the beginning and you’re too tired to use half of it anyways). Now, we’re making monthly trips to Goodwill (and kicking ourselves for over-spending) just so we can have room to breathe again. So, my goal this year is to purge and focus on our needs rather than wants… or at least keep our wants to a minimum. Damn Target tests me weekly.

2) Take My Skills to the Next Level

Even though I’m still living the STAHM life, it won’t last forever. And I work in an industry that changes constantly (digital media). My biggest fear from taking time off to raise my daughter is that I won’t be marketable once I decide to go back. It’s insane that mothers have to worry about these things, but it’s the unfortunate reality. Working moms make 4% less income with each new child, not to mention the stigmas that come with being a working mom that effect a woman’s growth potential. Or even a woman in general, but I digress…. So, my goal for 2019, along with spending more time with my daughter, is to use this time to brush up on my skills and get certifications I have been wanting for over a year now.

I also want to learn new skills this year. I was so busy during my last job that I never got the opportunity to expand outside of my bubble in the digital media space. I’m well-versed in social media, analytics, web management, and obviously, blogging, but I haven’t done email marketing in over three years and SEO is somewhat foreign to me. And given how fast this industry moves, I already feel behind. If you know any courses or resources I should look into, let me know in the comments!

3) Paint the Damn House!

Ever since we moved into our house I’ve wanted to paint it. So far we’ve painted a total of… two rooms. Our half bath and Ellis’ room (back then it was our office/guest room). The rest is still the builder’s basic blah white/cream and I’m over it. It’s also the reason I’ve barely hung any photos or artwork. They’ve been sitting in their frames collecting dust. Along with my minimalistic goal, I would also like a pretty house to go with my new functionality.

4) Save Money - Short Term and Long Term

We decided to put our big trips on hold this year. 1) Ellis is too young to come along on the long ones and we’re not ready to leave her for more than a day and 2) we want to boost our savings. We recently got back from Virginia for the holidays and while there, we decided to look at homes for our next move. It probably won’t happen for a couple years (at least) but we know we eventually want to be closer to our families, so we scoped out some potential neighborhoods. Plus, with interest rates shooting up, we might decide to buy ahead of time and move later. And we’ve said for awhile that our next home will come with a decent down payment so we’ll have more money in our pockets later. Hey, kids aren’t cheap and we might have more of them (emphasis on might)! Plus, travel isn’t getting cheaper either!

We’ve always been good about living within our means, but I think 2019 will be our first year where we budget a little lower than usual and invest a little smarter.

5) Take More Pictures

I think I have this goal every year. Pictures are by far one of my favorite things (my Instagram feed can probably tell you that!). They last forever and make even the smallest memories more dear to me. But iPhone pictures only go so far. We have a really great Canon but we never take it with us because of various reasons (too bulky, it might break, I don’t want to hold it… etc. etc.). But every time I DO use it, those photos become my new faves. So I just need to suck it up and keep it with me more (or find a decent bag to hold it—suggestions welcome!).

I’m sure I’ll add more goals for 2019 as the days go by, but for now, I think this is a good start.

-J