My 2016 [not] resolutions

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably recall that I set resolutions in 2014 and resolutions in 2015. My 2014 resolutions were relatively easy to keep, so I tried to "dig deeper" for my 2015 resolutions. In July, I reflected on my 2015 resolutions and even added a couple more just to add insult to injury. Ha!

Honestly, though, I did a fairly good job at sticking to my 2015 resolutions. I kept track of my water intake for a few weeks, but then traveling made it difficult, so I stopped and haven't kept track for a few months now. I know I don't get enough water, but as long as I have La Croix near me, I get more than I did before! (That stuff is seriously the bomb.) I didn't finish all of my projects, but I did finally hang my two shadowboxes, and I printed off three photos and started my cat gallery wall. I just need to find frames and suitable prints for the open spaces. I purchased many items with higher quality materials and did a better job overall at purchasing with intention. I also was good about sticking to my clothing budget and even plan on reducing it next quarter.

In July, I added a couple more resolutions: plan a few blog posts with new content and declutter my whole apartment. I did post about my favorite beauty products as well as how I packed for our 10-day road trip, but I can't think of other posts with "new" content. It's difficult to find a balance between writing what I want to write about and writing posts that you (my readers!) find useful, interesting, and worthwhile. All the posts I've written were things I wanted to write about, don't get me wrong, but there are a couple of topics I'd like to touch on but feel like they wouldn't be as interesting.

I also didn't declutter my whole apartment like I had hoped I would—surprise, surprise! I give myself credit for maintaining my closet, but other areas of my apartment really need help. (I'm still not fully unpacked from moving this past fall. Ugh.)

Anyway, all that to say that this year, I'm not making any resolutions in the traditional sense. Of course there are things I would like to do, but I'm not going to write them in stone. Here are a few of the goals I have for this year...

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PERSONAL GOALS

I would love to go to bed at a more reasonable hour. I know this can be done, but I often stay up late working on blog things. I just need to figure out how to manage my time better so I'm not always up working on things at 1 am. I also want to better manage my money and actually see myself saving money each month. I hope reducing my clothing budget will help with that a bit (even though I added an extra expense—a car payment). I also want to continue traveling! We have no trips planned right now, but we are thinking about the Tetons/Yellowstone at some point this summer. It would also be fun to do a staycation of sorts. I'd like to also keep giving when I can; I need to go through my things and put together a box to donate.

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STYLE GOALS

I want to continue being intentional about my clothing purchases. Every new item I add needs to have a really obvious place in my wardrobe. I also want to focus specifically on how things fit me and their quality. The longer I've blogged, the more I've realized how much fit truly matters when it comes to nailing the look. What may seem like a good outfit in theory may look sloppy if the fit is off. I also want to keep refining my style, all while sticking to a lower seasonal clothing budget.

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BLOGGING GOALS

I really want to set blogging goals, but I have no idea how to actually meet those goals. I think I would need to spend my days solely focused on blogging to truly see things change around here, but that's not going to happen, so these goals are loose and if I happen to meet them, then I'll be very happy! I'd love to gain followers on Bloglovin'; I originally wanted to hit a goal of 200 followers, but since I somehow hit that this morning (thank you!), I'll push it up to 250. Eeek! I'd also like to cash out on ShopStyle (my affiliate program). I'm getting close! As far as social media goes, I'd love to increase my followers on all platforms but especially on Instagram and Pinterest. I'd love to hit 1,000 Instagram followers, and it'd be even better to double my current following! It is possible considering I more than doubled my following last year. I'm not sure how to grow my Pinterest other than just pinning quality content, but I will try to hit 500 followers there. It'd also be great to figure out how to use Twitter better.

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Gulp! These sound a lot like resolutions, ha. I'm not going to beat myself up if I am unable to accomplish something, though. I just want to keep moving forward and creating the life I want to live. I may try setting small goals each month to help me reach my larger goals...but we'll see about that! ;)