Have you set your New Year’s resolutions yet? According to Forbes, less than 25% of people stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them. That’s why I focus less on resolutions and instead focus more on yearly goals.

And what’s the difference between a resolution and a goal? Well, a goal is flexible; it grows and shrinks as your year does. A resolution is stationary, you either achieve it or you don’t (and a lot of times it’s the latter). If your New Year’s resolution is to go on a run every week, and you go a week without exercising, you might feel as if your resolution is ‘broken’ and therefore, don’t keep working at it. Goals, however, change as you do and there’s no time limit for them. You don’t have to wait until January 1^st to go after what you want. Make it a yearly goal and start working toward it!

We all know just how flexible 12 months can be, so choose a goal that works for you. Yes, your plan can have a clear number to work towards. For example, cycling 1,000 miles for the year, but be prepared for some ups and downs along the way. You may only cycle 20 miles in a cold February, but make up for it with a big 100 miles in March.

That’s what I’m doing with my 2021 goals. I’m being pragmatic. One week I’ll be flying; the next, I may have sunk a bit. But the important thing is that I’ve always got my end goal at the back of my mind. So, happy 2021 y’all.

Here are my 2021 goals:

Read 52 Books

Long-term readers of this blog will already know I’m a massive book-worm. It’s my dream to have a reading room or some sort of library in my home someday. I love books. They take me to new worlds and teach me so much than any classroom ever could.

For the past few years, I’ve made it my goal to read 52 books over 12 months and I’m proud to say that I’ve been able to accomplish that 52 book goal for the past few years. I love fiction books, but I’ve also been reading a lot of nonfiction lately. Recently, I finished Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers, and wow, what a book! I took so many notes, and it made me re-think even simple things. For example, we see ourselves as complex individuals. We don’t want people to judge us based on one simple interaction or one meeting, BUT we do that with others. We might jump to conclusions and assume we know strangers better than they know themselves. Such an interesting topic to explore!

We could all do with some inspiration when we curl up on the sofa in the early evening. So if have a similar goal like mine to read a certain number of books in 2021, rather than watching the TV, switch to words on a page. This is your challenge, so absorb those books whatever way you feel is best. Most of my reading has been through audiobooks and digital books on my Kindle app. I prefer to listen to my nonfiction books on audio and hold my fiction books in my hand either digitally or hard copy. The GoodReads app is my favorite for keeping track of what I’ve read and my reading goals.

Sharpen Up My DIY Skills

I may be a literature nerd, but when it comes to DIY, I’m still a bit of a novice. But it’s something I want to improve on, and it’s why I’m putting it down as one of my 2021 goals. As we’ve paid off our home – read more about that here – we’re now budgeting to start fixing the place up.

I LOVE my house, but right now it’s still missing a little bit of our family’s spunk. I know it’s just a matter of time, we’re already starting to leave our mark, but I want to speed that process up. By this time next year, I’d love for most room to feel distinctly us.

To do this, I’ve had to sharpen up on my DIY skills. Everyone who follows me on Instagram will already know the insane progress we’ve made so far on Ty’s room. I love my son so much, and I just knew I had to make him the ultimate jungle bedroom. Ty is fascinated by animals and I love when he teaches me (and my IG followers) new interesting animal facts like the differences between cheetah and leopard print or the different types of bears.

Thanks to some brilliant pointers and tips from my followers, I have put up jungle wallpaper, painted a feature wall a lovely deep green, bought a few vintage animal prints on Etsy, and found an incredible, jungle-themed headboard for his bed on Facebook Marketplace. I’m so proud of myself!

I feel so happy and proud when I see him smile every time he walks into his new den. I already know 2021 is going to be a year of home improvements. I’ve got plenty of rooms and spaces left to redesign!

Open Up College Savings and Retirement Accounts

I’ve talked a lot before about becoming and staying debt-free, and it’s something I want for my children as well. We’ve already got Roth IRAs for each of our kids’ college fees, but now that our mortgage has been paid off, it’s time to refocus our efforts.

My husband and I are going to start at least one 529 college savings plan in 2021. For those that don’t know, a 529 is a college savings plan that offers tax and financial aid benefits. Almost every state has at least one 529 plan. It’s going to be hard work – as any parent will tell you, college isn’t cheap. But I’m so motivated to help my kids live debt-free and get the best start in life possible.

I also want to up the ante on our retirement savings and learn more about different ways to invest.

It’s not going to be as flashy as my other goals, but this one means so much to my family and me.

Practice Spanish and/or Piano Regularly

I’d like to say “daily” but I’m trying to be realistic here. I think what I’ll do is “link” my goal to another reward. Such as “enjoy a delicious snack while I practice Spanish on Dulingo.” Or “seclude myself from my husband and kids while I practice piano for half an hour.”

Both of these are goals I’ve wanted to work towards for a long time, and I think I can manage now that Lee Lee is a little older. Besides, I’d like to set an example to my kids about the gift of lifelong learning.

And my 2021 Goals Maybe Pile

I’m not done deciding quite yet. I’ve got some of my 2021 goals on the maybe list that’s still in the works. I’m still trying to resolve the finer points on my goals, and at this stage, that’s totally OK! In fact, even starting the new year off with just a general plan is far better than having no ideas at all.

I want to commit to making more high-quality meals at home. I love it when we sit down to eat together, but when you’ve got three young kids, all with different appetites, sometimes the simple stuff is the only way to go. I want to resist falling back to the same straightforward pasta dishes. Don’t get me wrong, I will still rely on quick meals in between extracurricular activities, but I know I want to make better meal plans and improve my overall cooking skills. I’m still working out how to do it though. Any ideas?

Another half goal – exercise more. Yes, we’re a family that is always outdoors, we love bike rides and gardening and playing outside in the backyard, but sometimes I want a steady structure. I’m trying to come up with a fitness plan for my husband and me. But, I know we might lose all motivation when the Texas sun is in full heat over the summer. Wish us luck!

Download My Free Goal Setting Worksheet

And how will I stay on top of all of my 2021 goals, you ask? Why with my Goal Setting Worksheet, of course! Writing down your goals can be incredible and super useful – and helps with accountability, especially if you share with your partner, friend, or even your kids. You can download and print out yours for FREE here!

Tags: Cherish365, goal setting, goals, new year resolutions, new year's resolutions, resolutions