A few of my 2020 goals
I’m one of those people who loves the season of a New Year and goals almost as much as I love the Christmas season.
(I also like Mondays, so that probably tells you everything you need to know about me right there).
Basically, I live for the beginning of a new year and I’m so excited about what 2020 holds!
Here are some of the things I’m planning to accomplish this year.
A few of my 2020 Goals
- Read 120 books. My reading really dropped off the past couple of years (ironically, having a business that revolves around books can make it HARDER to find time to read), but last year, I finally hit (almost) 100 books again and this year, I’m determined to do even a little more reading. Naturally, this doesn’t involve picture books or I’d hit this goal within a few weeks of the new year beginning. And of COURSE, I’ll be using this free printable reading log.
- No phone between the girls getting home from school and bedtime. This is a daily struggle for me (that phone is so addicting!) but it makes the biggest difference in my personal sanity, my mothering, and how much I can get done. Gotta keep fighting the good fight on this one.
- Both bathrooms finished. As the kitchen projects mostly get finished up this month, I’m ready to turn my sights to our bathrooms and get those completed – paint, new flooring, new countertops and new mirrors. They’re also carbon copies of each other (one right above the other, one upstairs and one downstairs) so that makes things a little easier. I can’t wait! But I’m not even going to really think about it until the kitchen is complete.
- Learn to ski. I won’t lie, this goal kind of freaks me out. But I can’t stand the thought of living in Utah, especially 20 minutes from one of the best ski resorts in the world, and not knowing how to ski. And when Bart skis, Ella is learning, and most of my in-laws ski? I don’t want to be the one always sitting in the lodge by the fire (okay, I totally want to be the one sitting by the fire, but I don’t WANT to want to be the one sitting by the fire). We’ve already bought tickets for our first day later this month, so I’m committed!
- Monthly lunches with my girls at school. I started going to eat lunch with Ella at school when she was in second grade and it was so fun. I’ve been pretty good about going the last few years too, but this year, I want to make sure I go once a month. I need to just pick a day at the beginning of the month, put it on the calendar and go.
- 5 Group Dates. In early December, Bart and I invited four of our favorite couples (that all know each other) out to dinner and it was the BEST night. On our way home, we determined we wanted to do more things with the ten of us and something about every other month feels just about right. Next up is a DIY Escape room!
- Build garden boxes. And then actually garden. We have a perfect spot in our yard set aside for gardening (the previous owners were apparently big gardeners) and I definitely want a little garden. Plus, with my mother-in-law, who is a wonderful gardener, coming home in the spring, I’ll have someone to hold my hand a little.
- Listen to a news podcast 3x a week. I can’t promise DAILY but especially in an election year, I’d like to feel a little more informed. Any recommendations?
- Reduce the sugar consumption in our house. This is one of those terrible goals that’s hard to measure or track, but after three months of eating virtually no sugar and reading The Case Against Sugar, it’s hard for me to feel good about feeding my children very much sugar. I’m not saying I never want sugar in my house again, but I do want to work harder to choose meals and snacks that don’t rely on sugar so much. For instance, I made these no-bake cookies the other day and I realized I could significantly cut down the sugar in them by using natural peanut butter that didn’t have sugar added, using unsweetened coconut, using a dried fruit that wasn’t sweetened and reducing the honey a little. And guess what. . .they still ate all of them up.
- Try a FabFitFun box. I usually like to have a project on my list that’s just totally for fun (basically the opposite of my goal last year to find a new OBGYN) and this feels like a really fun one for me. I love getting mail and trying new products and I’ve heard nothing but raves about FabFitFun. If you want to try it with me, use the code FLOWERS for 20% off.
- And. . . a new front door. This was on my list last year and didn’t happen. This is the year! (Please, let this be the year).
I’d love to hear what your 2020 goals – what are you hoping to do this coming year? (And if you’re curious about my goals from previous years, you can see them here!)
I like Up First by NPR as a daily news podcast. It’s just 15 min so easy to slot into my day and I feel like I get a good overview of the current events both nationally and internationally.
Also, we love the KidNuz podcast. It is only 5 min but we listen as a family at dinner and then discuss. It is 5 quick stories and then a quiz.
Up First would have been my suggestion as well. 🙂 I listen to the entirety of Morning Edition most days (skipping stories where I have absolutely no interest). I think Up First pulls from a lot of Morning Edition, so if there is something that really piques your interest, you can go back to the full story on Morning Edition (or read the printed version).
Somebody below mentioned The Daily, and it is also very good, but it is more in-depth on a specific topic each day. They did a really fascinating two-part one about using family history DNA sites to search for criminals a while back. And obviously that was right up my alley, so I loved it.
On a different note, how do you deal with real-time texting and calls if your phone is put away? I love the idea of not using my phone, but I frequently have texts/calls that need to be dealt with before I put the kids to bed. Or am I possibly inflating my own importance and other people don’t actually need me to respond as quickly as I think they do?
Highly recommend Pantsuit Politics for a news/politics podcast!
I had the goal to ski last year. I never paid for lessons. I just watched several YouTube videos a few times (I had been skiing a couple times very unsuccessfully years ago). Then my husband and I went with no kids so he could help me. I’m not professional now, but I can ski. Also, going a couple times later and being in charge of my oldest who skis better than me helped me get better fast. 😜 I don’t know that I will ever love it as much as my husband and kids. But it is fun to do together. Even if you are paying for lessons, I’d search ski lessons on YouTube and watch some. It really helps more than it sounds like it would.
I listen to The Daily by the New York Times. It comes out daily, but I only listen to the episodes that interest me – those about the presidential election, education, etc.
Skiing will be so fun for you once you get the hang of it! I’m really hoping to prioritize going a lot more this season!
Can you post your updated recipe for the no bake cookies with the reduced sugar? What other things are you doing to reduce sugar consumption in your house?
It’s still the same recipe – I just used peanut butter with no added sugar and coconut that wasn’t sweetened and dried cherries without added sugar!
And I’ll keep you posted on what else I do to reduce sugar consumption – I haven’t figured it out yet!
I have just requested The Case Against Sugar from the library. I’ve been avoiding reading it as you can’t deny what you suspect after reading something like Taubes’ books! So this year will be one of removing as much sugar as possible from our diets. I did start making my own pasta sauce a couple of years ago as I found a recipe with no sugar. Really ripe tomatoes have are naturally sweet! I freeze it in portions to use throughout the year. We have been practicing intermittent fasting for the past year, with great success, and this year I am committing to cleaning up my eating within those guidelines. Also putting my phone away after dinner so my evening can be spent reading or doing handcraft. I say I don’t have enough time but since I’ve been putting the phone away I have got through many more books!!
Good list! I am totally with you about loving new year reset time! Here are mine: http://bookloverspizza.com/6-ways-i-plan-on-finding-balance-in-the-new-year/
Totally going to read the sugar book now and recommit to working harder on that. We have always been a mostly fruit for desserts/snacks family, but as the kids have gotten older (and noticed more what other kids eat, go to preschool and have holiday parties, etc.) we’ve relaxed a little too much on the sweets. Thanks for the inspiration!
A good podcast for politics, news and culture is The Conservative Millennial Podcast with Allie Beth Stuckey: https://theconservativemillennialblog.com/podcast/
And your phone goal is GREAT! It reminds me of a 3 in 30 Podcast episode with Dr. Katie Penry that I listened to last year that made the case for what you’re doing SO well. It’s a great episode if anyone is interested!
One thing that my husband did to help us on the phone front — he bought us a set of 3 bluetooth connected house phones. It’s like having a house phone/old style cordless phone in the kitchen, basement and master bedroom, but it works off of our smartphone signals. So, when our smartphones ring, the “house” phones ring. We can pick up the “house” phones to make a phone call. But our smartphones can stay put away in a drawer or a purse, so we are never tempted to peek at them, and our kids don’t see us on our phones all the time. It’s also been a good way to start teaching the kids how to answer and talk on a phone — not so many fancy things for them to want to touch/push/swipe. Another unforeseen perk: talking to people we wouldn’t otherwise talk to again. For example, our parents or friends call our smartphone, but now that both our phones ring to the house, either of us can pick up and say hello for a minute or two before passing the phone over, like in the old days.
(We can’t get texts on the house phones, but I have just let everyone know: “I only look at texts after kids’ bedtime, so if you need me, CALL! I will hear the phone ring and pick it up; I won’t hear a text.” After a year of repeating this only a couple times, everyone calls if it’s timely, texts if it’s not. No big deal.)
Pantsuit Politics. It leans further left than I would like, but I have made it a goal to listen to more news that I disagree with than agree with. Have you read “I think you are wrong, but I am listening.” I would say it was the most important book I read this last year. I highly recommend you read it for 2020 if you aren’t familiar with Beth and Sarah and their message.
Also, I have tried the FabFit box before. They ran a deal for their Fall box. It was ridiculously cheap (25 or 30$, I can’t remember). I treated myself and it was by far the funnest thing I have ever got in the mail.
I’m trying to figure out a similar phone goal for myself. The hour before my husband gets home from work is the hardest for me. Excited to see you reach your goals!
Sundance (and many other Utah resorts) have learn to ski programs for adults that are an amazing bargain. Check out the Ski Utah website for details, but it’s around $49 for rental, half-day lesson and ski ticket. The lesson alone is probably $150-$200. https://www.skiutah.com/deals/learn-to-ski-and-snowboard
I’m not sure how I came across your website/blog, but glad I did. I love your goals for 2020, they’re attainable. I only made two for this year because I’m somewhat of a realist and I know that if I made too many, I would forget about them. My first was to read 1 book per month. As a reading and fluency specialist, I think this is an attainable/realistic goal. The other was to save $28. per week. I found this funny little savings plan on Pinterest, which is probably where I came across your website. Anyway, by the end of the year, I shall have saved $1,456. and read, at least 12 books. Even I can do that. Happy New Year!
I can’t believe that no one has recommended the Erica Mandy Newsworthy Podcast. Under 10 minutes a day and I never miss an episode. It is one of my favorite podcasts and leaves me feeling so informed but not overly depressed.
Also, I have only skied a handful of times, but someone told me before the first time that it was just like rollerblading. I thought that was incredibly bizarre, but it was true! If you can rollerblade, it’s the same leg/foot movement.