Skye McLain

SIMPLE LIFE | SOUND FINANCES | SAVVY STYLE

Goals for 2016

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Resolutions are out – goals are in! First of all, how is it 2016? Because no. It can’t be. I just graduated high school in 2000 like, yesterday.

HOW ARE JUSTIN AND BRITNEY STILL NOT AN ITEM AND WHERE DID MY CHUNKY HIGHLIGHTS AND PINK PAGER GO?

Hashtag moment of silence for the fads of 2000.

I suppose at some point I have to put on my big girl skinny jeans and grow up so let’s declare this that moment. Grown ups do things like pay the bills, set goals, and go grocery shopping and enjoy it.

Yes, being a grown up is boring, but I like it. Boring is safe! However, this is not a good motto to live by. That is why I set pretty gigantic goals this year and I’m a little concerned about reaching them all but that is okay! Having a goal at least gives me something to work toward, and the work is what matters.

2016 Goals

  • Pay of $18,000 in debt
  • Create a healthy morning routine
  • Walk 500 miles
  • Have all income tax info prepped and ready to send on 2/1
  • Create photo yearbooks for the McLains
  • Grow Your Texas is Showing
  • Blog 10-12 times each month
  • Make some local friends

Pay of $18,000 in debt

We are well on our way to making this goal and exceeding it! You can see our budget update here. We have already paid off nearly 1/4 of this amount in one month!

Create a healthy morning routine

What is a healthy morning routine? For me it is starting my day off in a positive way, as nutritionally healthy as possible, and something that I can do without thinking. I’ve started drinking 18-24 oz. of water first thing in the morning, putting on my workout clothes to take Jett to school so I have no excuse but to walk when I get back, getting all my tedious work tasks done before my day starts, and having a healthy, filling breakfast. I’ve been doing this for about 2 weeks, and so far so good!

Walk 500 miles

Not gonna lie – I’m sucking this one up folks. I have walked once this year and it was about 3 miles. The first two weeks after the holidays are pretty tough for me work-wise and I have to concentrate on getting through those and making sure I’ve got myself set for the rest of the year by helping my clients get planned out for the year. I keep saying, “I’ll start walking when things slow down next week” and so far that excuse has gotten me in to week three of January. The last week is going to be different!

Have all tax info prepped by 1/31 and sent on 2/1

Last year I completely spaced on our taxes (I KNOW RIGHT) and sent them all in on April 10th. We had to file an extension and our accountant did not file them until October 15th. UGH! Not happening this year!!!! No way. I’ve already marked off an entire day in my new planner to dedicate to getting all of our receipts and information together. so that as soon as I get all my 1099s I’ll be ready to send it all in.

Create photo yearbooks for the McLains

Why did we all collectively stop printing our photos? WHY? It was a dumb idea. I have boxes of photos from high school and we LOVE to go through them every once in a while and reminisce. Now we just scroll mindlessly through Instagram and look at other people’s photos. I don’t like it anymore. I also had a pretty serious scare in December where i thought I was going to lose all the files on my computer (Praise Jesus I did not!) and that spurred me on to make photo books and get the files “backed up” so to speak in print and not just digitally. I plan to do one a month with as many photos as I can find on my computer!

Grow Your Texas is Showing

Sadly, our million dollar idea of 2015 has screeched to a halt and it is because I don’t take the time have the time to invest in it. It makes me sad and I don’t know if I really want to keep it going but I feel like I have to. Do you ever get that feeling? We have invested so much into it already and we are even working on the trademark, so I feel like I literally have to. But part of me wants to just give it all up. But that was 2000 Skye, and now I have to be grown-up 2016 Skye and put on my big girl skinny jeans and, as Tim Gunn used to say, “make it work.” By “grow Your Texas is Showing™” here is waht I mean:

  • Increase to 20K Instagram Followers by 12/31
  • $10,000 in sales this year
  • Available in 3-4 boutiques
  • Keep books organized all year

Just short of impossible but I’m going to make it happen.

Blog 10-12 times each month.

So far, so good! I don’t have plans to stop either and I’m working on making it easier for myself by planning things out far in advance, coordinating photo shoots to include shots of a million different blog post ideas so I’m not hauling out my equipment every few days, and keeping a running list of blog post ideas.

Make some local friends

Did you know when you work from home and only leave the house to go to church, your friends start to all live in your phone? Don’t get me wrong, I love those friends and truly value their friendships!! But there is really something important about having coffee with an actual person, rather than skyping with a friend who lives 1000 miles away at a Starbucks. Besides just being weird, it is not a great way to really connect with people

Both fortunately and unfortunately, I get a built in network with my husband’s job at the church. I’m immediately in with a few people here and there, and while that is great, it is very important for a pastor’s wife to have friends who are outside that social networking circle. But, nevertheless, it is a great place to start. So I’ve signed up for a bible study specific to new women in the area, we are taking Financial Peace University, and I’ve also gotten involved with a group of local bloggers (which I am giddy excited about!!!)

What are some of your goals this year?

Many thanks to Rekita Nicole for the gorgeous stock photos! Sign up for her newsletter and get access to her library of colorful photos that are perfect for blog posts! 

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Comments

  1. I'm with you in the paying off debt. That is not necessary to have, so I have really been stringent with my shopping! Good luck with the rest of your goals.
    Karen | GlamKaren.com

  2. Haha to Justin and Britney. For reals.

    I'm getting myself on a great routine for 2016 so far. I wake up around 7 or 8 most mornings – I actually slept in until 11 for the first time since 2015 this past weekend, whaaaaat? I make coffee and read and answer emails, get my housework done, get dinner planned, and get to bed at a decent time. I wear my FitBit every day and I'm doing my best to lose this extra weight before spring. I'm feeling really good about 2016 so far. 🙂

    • Omg to sleep in until 11??? WHAT IS THAT LIKE? I haven't slept past 7 in years!!! I have a FitBit but I am ALWAYS forgetting to put it on. i need to set myself a reminder for it!! Thanks so much for stopping by!

  4. Great post! My 2016 goal was to start my blog! Yay! My goals related to the blog are to learn how to use my camera, learn photoshop and illustrator, and learn how to do more techy things. good luck!

  5. Good luck with paying off your debt 2016 is going to be your year I know it!
    I want to walk more too, I already walk a lot but I would like to walk more!

  6. Great goals! I'm a firm believer in setting at least one big audacious goal. I have more than one, but my favorite is to pay off 25K of our mortgage this year. One of our big audacious goals is to pay off the entire mortgage in 8 years. Can we do it? Yes we can! (Sorry…looks like I channeled Bob the Builder for a minute there).

    • Ohhhh to live in a paid for home – that is our dream! To pay up and save cash for a home! So I guess that is our big audacious goal but it will be a few years before we get there! Thanks so much for stopping by!

  7. These are awesome goals! Look at you already paying off so much debt! That is awesome! I want to grow my IG to 20k as well, but I'm sucking that one up right now. Good luck on your goals!

    • I'm sucking it up too on the 20K followers!! It is just falling to the side for now, but I'm determined to keep growing it!! Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck on yours too!

  10. those are great goals! I am all over the place and you just inspired me to sit myself down and write down what I want to accomplish by when. Great job and good luck. Oh! And the walking? Keep at it! It's good for body mind and soul. That is the one thing I won't give up …. ever.

    • That is so awesome!! I'm so happy to have inspired you to write them all down! I had to write them in my spiral notebook and I broke them down by month so I knew exactly what I needed to accomplish each month to make them all happen! It made them a lot less daunting!

    • Thanks Veronica! I honestly haven't been doing very good with the walking but I'm going to forgive myself for January and move on and literally get a move on in February 🙂 Put on your shoes and go girl!

  15. These are great goals! I'm with you on paying off debt. It's far too easy to put stuff on credit cards, not realizing how much your spending until reality hits you in the face.

  16. Great goals, we have a goals linkup on my blog to encourage each other and share ideas. Would love to gave you linkup. I like getting my taxes done early, last year i did it in April and this year i'm determined to get it done in February. Good luck with paying down your debt, a very worthy goal. I'd like to grow my blog this year and I'd really like to get my house decluttered and decorated but I say that every year!

    • Thanks for the link up invite! I'll check it out! We sent out information to our accountant last week and it's SO nice to have that off my plate for the year!

    • If you need any help working out your budget I would be happy to lend a hand!! It's been so fun to get to know you Laura and I'm looking forward to working with you this year

  22. Morning routines have changed my life completely for the better. Now, if I can be as disciplined as you with the plan to conquer debt.

    • It has taken a lot of discipline but frankly I love the challenge it's given me!! I get excited about society saying one thing and me deciding to live a different way!! Best of luck!!!

  25. Great perspective on goals! With our fast paced lives we forget to evaluate and re evaluate our goals so this promotes discipline and self motivation. Love it!

  26. First, I have that binder from Target, and I love it 🙂 Second, I love your goals! We are trying to pay off debt too…It sucks. And can I say that I observed your moment of silence, but I went back one more year to 1999 🙂

    • Well I must say you have great taste all around 🙂 lol!! The process of paying off debt sucks but it's so worth it for me to be out of it that I do no my even care!!! I'm just done with it! Ha!! Thanks for observing a moment of silence with me… Ahhh the golden years! Lol!

  27. I love that you're dreaming big and writing those goals down, it helps tremendously! Love your walking goal for the year, it's a fun way to look at exercise!!!!

  28. These goals seem big but reasonable, too. I can't believe we're so far away from 2000 either. There are so many things that I miss about it. Have you used a pedometer while walking? A lot of smart phones have them now, and it helps with keeping track of your distance.

    • I use a Fitbit and my walking app to keep up with everything! It's totally doable I just need to get my butt in gear, so to speak 😉 thanks so much for stopping by!!

  29. I love your 2016 goals. I feel like I can relate to so many of them. The biggest one's for me is growing my blog and paying down debt. So far so good on the blog front. Still figuring out the other one. Good luck with yours! Can't wait to hear how it all goes!

  30. These are some great goals! I feel like my goals keep changing as the year moves forward but moving to a new location and working towards starting a family is high on the list! Other than that, we'll see what 2016 throws my way!

  31. Those are some hefty, admirable goals! This year I'm just focusing on getting ready for the new addition to arrive — it's such a long to do list!

  34. You have some great goals and it looks like you are well on your way in seeing them through. I find that breaking goals into smaller portions works well for me.

  35. Good luck with your goals! I wish I could make a local friend to play tennis with or something. I wouldn't say that's a goal, but something I'd like to do. I just want to get my driver's license this year.

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