At the beginning of the year, I decided that 2018 would be different. Instead of having yearlong resolutions (how are you guys doing on those BTW? hah!) I would set quarterly goals for myself and my business. You can read about my Q1 landscape post here, as below I will be recapping whether I succeeded or failed in each, and then posting my goals for Q2.
As I stated before, setting more short term goals for yourself is far more achievable than longer term ones, as we are able to feasibly conceive of the next month or 3 months of our future, not a full 12 months. Plus, as life changes, so should our goals, and life changes far more often than once a year.
So let’s recap Q1!
Goal #1 Make our new house feel like a Home before baby arrives
This one is an absolute success. Although Mr. R feels that I never went through the ‘nesting’ phase of pregnancy, I beg to differ. I have washed, folded and pinned together baby’s clothing for the next 6 months. I have completed our dining room and office/craft space, and organized our closets, living room and kitchen. The nursery is 95% complete with the exception of slipcovers for my rocking chairs, and I have sewn about 7 baby projects in the past 3 weeks (sharing those soon!). Sure, there are some lighting issues in the house, we have art that isn’t hung, our bedroom still needs some major work and our bathrooms are going to be gut renovated, but those were never in the plan for pre-baby! Slow and steady, baby!
Goal #2 Focus on my husband
I definitely could have done a better job at this, but truthfully feel that we did a great job these past 2 months prioritizing ourselves. We went on 2 last minute weekend babymoons (seriously planned the day before) in Palm Springs and Big Sur, and have been incorporating our patented ‘Date Mornings’ into our routine weekends and week days alike. We have also tried to have some serious conversations about how our life is going to change, and although we of course have more things to iron out about our parenting style (as we probably will for the next 18 years) I feel great that we are entering the next phase at least with the intention of being on the same page. So, is this a success? Sure!
Goal #3 Transition my blog with more lifestyle content
I’m very proud to say I achieved this one. I truthfully had no idea how to start writing more ‘lifestyle’ content other than to talk about my pregnancy journey, but so far I haven’t had a lack of things to say! With the home renovation, my personal and professional goals, and pregnancy/motherhood posts I have had a full content schedule, and I now feel like I have paved the way to continue this for the rest of the year. I still want to include fashion and beauty as a regular part of my content cycle, but hopefully writing more detailed and thoughtful posts about how I incorporate style into my ever-changing life is relevant to you. Dear Readers: PLEASE weigh in on this! Leave me a comment below letting me know if you have noticed a change in my content and what you think about it! What are your favorite posts, what do you never read? What would you like more of and what are you sick of? I clearly cannot write deep, controversial posts every other day, but I’m hoping that finding that right balance between style and deeper thought has resonated with you.
Now moving on to Q2 goals!
2018 Outlook: Q2
Motherhood: Embrace my New Normal
Clearly my life is on the precipice of change (baby due any day!) and I know my life is going to change. Although I am hesitant to accept or admit how (read about my fears here) I am not in denial. The past 6 weeks of stress tests and ultrasounds and constant monitoring have pushed me to be very conscious that this baby is entering my life, so there has been no escaping the imminent reality of change. So, I want to embrace it. Sleepless nights? Bring it on. Physical struggles and clean hygiene deprivation? I’ll take it. I am not the first mom, nor will I be the last, so I refuse to be scared of what is to come. Because I also know it will fly by so quickly, so why not just embrace the hot mess that I know I will be? And create new routines, new schedules, and a new idea of what is fulfilling?
Health and Wellness: Work to get my pre-baby bod back
I’m a little scared to write this one down because I know it’s controversial. But part of my job is to be photographed and seen on social media, so I want to feel good about how I’m presenting myself to the world. That does not mean I think I will get 100% there in the next 3 months, but it does mean that I am going to try to minimize excuses for not getting my body back. Every little bit of healthy eating and exercise (and sleep!) helps, so if I can come up with some 15 minute workouts, sleep hacks or eating tricks that help me and that I can share with you, I plan on it!
Business: Renewed focus on brand collaborations
This of course is always a focus for my business, but for the past 3 months I have been transitioning the blog, which hasn’t been the right time to pitch many new brands on longer-term collaborations. There are many brands I use consistently and post about time and time again on this blog, so I really want to focus on collaborating with them to create even more exciting and REAL content for you. This could be tricky timing to initiate this goal given goal #1… but if I’m not pushing myself then I’m not growing!
What isn’t on the list, but might be in future quarters
New Business Opportunities
I’m always drumming up a few ideas in my head…. but I never know when a good one will jump out at me!
Building my Interior Design Portfolio
I need to do a better job of photographing my client work and sharing with you here… but of course, #privacylaws. Hopefully that will change at some point!
Motherhood and Travel
Because I WILL MASTER IT
