True story, I'm looking at January 2nd as the first day of 2018 because let's be real... most of us were hungover yesterday. 2018 is going to be our best year yet and I just know know it! Below I'm sharing some of my goals and intentions, ways to help you set yourself up for success, plus a giveaway of my new fave planner that's called Make Sh*t Happen (fitting!)

Transition into the new year gently. There's no need to rush or force it. Give yourself to try it on. See what fits. And leave a little room for movement. Amazing things need room to grow. 

The word "grow" is something I'm focusing on a lot this year. A new year tends to bring this overwhelming pressure for change and fresh starts, lofty goals, and unrealistic expectations that ultimately make us feel shitty when we don't achieve them.  What if you're already going in a good/right direction? Why drastic changes or restarts? For me, 2017 was a year of planting seeds and I feel strongly that this year is when I will see the fruits of my labor... it's a growth and maintenance year.  

Of course, I've set some goals and intentions for myself, some of which are pretty matter of fact and some that are more lifestyle changes.

This year I want to:

• Practice purposeful mornings: less scrolling through Instagram, more journaling + meditating
• Build a YouTube Channel (throw me a subscribe if you're feeling generous)
• Do real adulting things: get married + buy a house  
• Be more present / balance work life + wife life
• Connect with you in a more personal way via candid content and my new Everyday Babes Facebook Group
• Travel! 

GOAL SETTING:

Many of you have asked how I set goals and take action on them and the truth is it is constantly changing. A few suggestions that have worked well for me:

• Manifest - imagine your dream life, your dream job, home, significant other, etc. down to the very last details as if you're actually living it RIGHT NOW. There's many different ways to manifest including vision boards and writing it down - Jen Sincero's You Are a Badass has played a pivotal role in my personal and professional growth .

• Identify your goals + take action - once you've figured out your goals and intentions for the year, ask yourself how you can achieve those. It's best to break out your goals into tasks and give yourself a due date on those. For example my breakout for "Build a YouTube Channel" looks something like this: 
  • Jan - March: record 3 videos per month (1 Vlog, 2 Beauty)
    • Buy Diva Light and all necessary recording products
    • Brainstorm Content
    • Schedule Film Days on Calendar
    • Shoot!
  • April - December: Collaborate with at least one YouTube influencer monthly 
    • Identify potential partners and reach out by the 1st of every month 
    • Brainstorm Content 
  • May: Test Weekly YouTube Series (it's a secret!)
    • Finalize Idea by April 15th
    • Record 2 Episodes by April 30th
  • June- December: record 4 videos per month (based on results from first half of year content)

• Get yourself a goal group (read more about it here) - my goal group helped me put my goals on paper (email) and kept me accountable for them on a weekly basis. The best part is looking back at our January 2017 goal e-mail and seeing how far we've all come. My January 2017 goal e-mail had two main goals for the year: rebrand Pursuit of Shoes and find a coordinator to grow with my brand. I re-branded Pursuit of Shoes to Everyday Pursuits in March and in February brought on a coordinator who will be joining EDP full time any minute now.

GIVEAWAY

In late December as I was searching for a new 2018 journal/planner I stumbled upon this planner that helps you identify high level goals and breaks them down into tasks. Additionally it has the entire year calendared with a monthly, weekly, and daily view to help really get into the nitty gritty of daily task management. I purchased it and instantly put it on my IG stories to share it with you guys. The creators saw my story and SO nicely sent me 4 additional planners to giveaway to you. YAY!! So let's do this... 4 winners will receive the Make Sh* Happen Journal plus I'm going to throw in at least $100 worth of beauty products!