My Goals for 2018

Happy New Year!! It’s time to say goodbye to 2017 and welcome in the new year. I sat down a couple of times this week to reflect over the last year and to set my goals for 2018. But this week has been challenging for me. Not because of one particular thing, but a combination of little things that made me feel several different emotions. I decided I needed to really take some time and feel these emotions and deal with them this week. So here we are, the first day of the new year and I am finally ready to share my goals for 2018.

Relieve the Guilt – As a friend I will be the first person to tell you not to feel guilty about something and to “do you” but I have a hard time saying that to myself. I feel guilty about a lot of things… if I take time off work, if I don’t see my friends often, if I leave Bear (my dog) at home for too long, etc. I can really beat myself up about these things. I have these expectations of what being a good employee, friend and pet owner look like and when I don’t live up to that, I feel extremely guilty and that I should be doing more. The reality is, there are days that I’m a fantastic employee, or a good friend, and there are definitely days that I take better care of Bear than I do myself. I’m not going to be great at everything every day! So this year, my goal is to relieve a little of the guilt that I place on myself for not being “the best” all the time.

Self-Promotion – I plan on writing an entire post on this topic. Self-promotion is really hard for me because I don’t like to feel like I’m bragging. I get so uncomfortable when I comes time for me to promote something that I have done. Whether it’s with the blog or in my career. I need to learn that sometimes it’s necessary for a little #humblebrag and that it’s okay to give yourself a little credit for a job well done.

Focus on Health – 2017 was not a healthy year for me. I let my schedule with work and the blog take over my fitness routine and as a result put on weight. It’s been hard for me to admit that but it’s true. I don’t like to workout so I don’t prioritize it the way I used to. It’s not that I don’t have the time to workout, it’s that I would rather take that time to edit photos, play with my dog or have morning coffee with my hubby. This year I am going to make it a goal to get back to my 2016 schedule. Workout three times during the week and fit in more activities on the weekend. Even as I type this I know it will be hard for me to stay on schedule, but I want to make my health a priority again. I’m not 18 anymore and what I eat matters and my activities are important.

Work with Purpose – I got too comfortable in 2017 and didn’t push myself to the next level the way that I could have. I worked hard but I didn’t work with purpose. I didn’t really have a direction for what I wanted my career and blog to look like over the year and as a result there was less growth. This year I am already making smaller goals that I want to reach each month that will add to my personal and professional growth. I want to be promoted in my position at work this year. I have put in the work and the time and I know that I deserve a promotion. So in the last couple of months of 2017 I started putting things into motion to make sure that I reach that goal early this year.

Be More Open – Over the last year on Waketon Road, I started to share more personal things which can be really tough for me. It’s gotten so much easier for me to write a personal post and open up but I struggle with that in other areas. I don’t share my thoughts as easily when I’m face to face with people, good or bad. I want to let people in a little more. This may seem silly but something like Instagram stories can be a real struggle for me. It’s hard for me to turn the camera around and talk to you. But this year I’m going to make an effort to break out of my comfort zone.

Looking back at 2017 I didn’t see the personal or professional growth I wanted. Instead of beating myself up about that (there’s that guilt again), I will use it as motivation going into 2018. A new year is a fresh start. You can let go of what didn’t work and set goals for a new year ahead. So here’s to 2018… may it be our best year yet! xo Bryn

13 Comments

  1. Bridget wrote:

    This is a great post, Bryn! I know I need to write down my goals for 2018! I can’t remember the last time I ever did this. I had a good year last year, but I have to have higher expectations for myself & my life! There is something about seeing these goals & dreams in black & white! Best wishes for the coming year to you & Brian!

    Posted 1.1.18
    • bryn.a.lackey@gmail.com wrote:

      Thank you Bridget! It helps me to write them down so I can check back over the year and refocus! Hope 2018 is a wonderful year! Xo Bryn

      Posted 1.1.18
  2. Taylor wrote:

    I hope 2018 is a wonderful year for you both personally and professionally! So glad we have “met” through the blogging world this past year. Wishing you all the best in 2018, Bryn!! ❤️
    Taylor | http://www.livingtaylored.com

    Posted 1.1.18
    • bryn.a.lackey@gmail.com wrote:

      Thank you Taylor! I’m so happy to have “met” you too! Your constant support really means so much to me! I hope you have a wonderful 2018 as well! Xo Bryn

      Posted 1.1.18
  3. Dana wrote:

    Love this post, Bryn! I often feel the same way as you, but if it means anything, I absolutely LOVED following along last year. Your content is so inspiring, so I’m really excited to see what 2018 brings for you!

    The Champagne Edit

    Posted 1.1.18
    • bryn.a.lackey@gmail.com wrote:

      Thank you Dana! I have been so grateful for your friendship this last year and love following along! I hope 2018 is your best year yet! xo Bryn

      Posted 1.1.18
  4. Em wrote:

    I have found myself in your post Bryn! Ugh, especially the “guilt” part. What I’m trying to say is that you are not alone! Take what’s yours girl, it’s what I’m doing in 2018! Happy New Year!

    With love,
    Em @ bloomingmagnoliasblog.com

    Posted 1.1.18
    • bryn.a.lackey@gmail.com wrote:

      Thank you so much! It’s so good to hear that you can relate to this! I love your positivity and wishing you a wonderful 2018!! xo Bryn

      Posted 1.1.18
  5. Alexa wrote:

    Great goals! Looking forward to all of your post this year!

    http://alexamjohnson.com

    Posted 1.1.18
  6. Courtney wrote:

    These goals sound really great. Have a wonderful 2018.
    http://sugarcoatedbears.blogspot.com/

    Posted 1.1.18
  7. Caroline wrote:

    I love your resolution about self promotion! I find myself always having the same issue and finding the balance of great self promotion (and self branding) without sounding braggy or talking about yourself too much is SO dang hard!

    Happy New Year!

    Caroline
    http://www.whenwear.com

    Posted 1.2.18

Comments are closed.