January 2017 Goals // December Recap (New Year!)

Setting new monthly goals in January just feels more exciting than setting goals in other months. I stopped making New Year’s resolutions several years ago. I struggled to keep them because I set grandiose goals without breaking down my resolutions into manageable steps. Now that I set monthly goals, I accomplish more of my goals on an ongoing basis.

Looking back on my January monthly goals for 2015 and 2016 just reminds me of how far I’ve come.

Even though I still haven’t seen an allergist, I have made so much progress regarding my health. I see a gastroenterologist regularly and take my medication consistently.

My stretch goal from 2 years ago was to be in bed, lights out, by 10:30pm each night. While I occasionally stay up a bit later than that, I’m usually ready to fall asleep by 10:30pm!

Overall, I eat more healthily and I exercise more, even if I still have room to improve both.

I’ve grown my blog and Instagram by leaps and bounds in the last 2 years!

Related: Top 10 Most Popular Posts on Belle Brita in 2016

My marriage continues to flourish. Even though I still feel like Dan takes care of me more than I take care of him, reading over my old goals reminds me of how much my health has improved, and how I’ve used my extra time and energy to be a good wife to my husband.

Progress over the years keeps my monthly shortcomings in perspective. While I didn’t accomplish all of my December goals, I’m okay with that. Dan and I both caught a nasty cold in London that greatly limited our ability to do much our first week home. I also threw up multiple times, which zaps my energy for at least 24 hours. Life with Crohn’s Disease is all about managing expectations and accepting your best efforts.

December Recap:

For my career:

• I have over 6,000 Twitter followers!
• I have over 23,000 Instagram followers!
• My editorial calendar is planned through February.
• While I’ve mentioned #LoveBlog a few times, I have not lined up all of my co-hosts yet.

For my health:

• I haven’t done yoga since before Dan and I left for France. However, Dan and I have still walked a fair amount playing Pokemon Go.
• I have not yet scheduled a dentist appointment.

For my marriage:

• I’m not really sure if I did anything to minimize Dan’s stress. I did agree to put up less Christmas decorations this year, which made his life a little easier.
• Dan and I skyped consistently while I was in Greenwood.

For our household:

• Dan deep-cleaned our master bathroom. I cleaned the half-bathroom. We didn’t clean the guest bathroom, but we didn’t have any guests!
• I dusted our bedroom thoroughly but not the downstairs.
• Bonus: I deep-cleaned the kitchen!
• I decorated our mantle for Christmas and hung up our winter wreath on the front door. Dan surprised me with a small potted Christmas tree which I decorated with just a handful of ornaments.
• Dan is helping me with our health insurance problems to resolve the appeal. United Healthcare is just a terrible company, but we don’t have much of a choice since our insurance is through Dan’s job. He’s getting a patient advocate through HR, so maybe our third time submitting an appeal will work.
• We sent out our New Year’s cards!

30×30:

• Since Dan and I were both sick during our last few days in London and in Paris, we opted not to splurge on real champagne. However, we did buy a bottle of the good stuff to drink on our anniversary in March! And we totally drank plenty of pink bubbly over Christmas.

Related: December 2016 Goals // November Recap

January Goals:

Long-term:

• Self-publish my mom’s book of prayers.
• Market this book:
  • Blog posts about prayer
  • Opt-in freebies
  • An email series on prayer
• Earn affiliate commissions on awesome course created by a family friend.
• Market this course:
  • At least two blog posts
  • An opt-in freebie
  • Instagram
• Teach SEO for lifestyle bloggers

For my career:

• Long-term:
  • Watch expert videos in Blog Boss Babe (affiliate link).
  • Finish typing up the rest of my mother’s prayers.
  • Blog about upcoming course launch.
• Reach 6,500 Twitter followers.
• Reach 25,000 Instagram followers.
• Line up co-hosts for #LoveBlog.
• Line up sponsors for #LoveBlog.
• Write 5 #LoveBlog posts in advance.
• Plan editorial calendar through April.

For my health:

• Exercise at least three times per week.
• Schedule a physical.
• Get lab work done for my Crohn’s.
• Schedule a dentist appointment to adjust my crown.
• Improve my skincare regimen.

For my marriage:

• Get a couple’s massage.
• Leave my laptop at home when Dan and I go to the mountains for a weekend.
• Plan out tentative trips through June.

For our household:

• Clean all the bathrooms.
• Dust our bedroom and the living room.
• Declutter my desk.
• Declutter around my dresser.
• Secret goal.

Phew! I hope I’m not being too ambitious for this month. Luckily Dan and I will be home for most of the month, with just one trip planned over MLK weekend.

What are your monthly goals for January? What did you accomplish in December? If you wrote a goals post, share the link in the comments!