Hello 2019! My New Year’s Resolutions

 

NAVY SEQUIN DRESS: J.O.A.  // SPARKLY OVER THE KNEE BOOTS: c/o ShoeDazzle  //  COPPER SEQUIN DRESS: Free People  //  EARRINGS: c/o BaubleBar  //  HEADBAND: c/o I Love Plum  //  BOW PUMPS: c/o ShoeDazzle  //  LEOPARD CLUTCH: similar Nordstrom

Okay, okay I know…resolutions are for the birds. And for the majority of the years of my life, I haven’t written them down or even made mental note of them. On the rare years that I have, it has always been after a major life change or event that has me feeling excited, anxious or just thinking about the future a little more than usual (I’m pretty sure the only time I’ve written a blog post about my resolutions in the past was either right after Cole & I got engaged or got married). Since I just went through the hands down biggest and most important life change this year (shoutout to my baby girl Everly 😉 ), when I became a mama, it should come as no surprise that 2019 is a year I’ve decided, once again, that resolutions are important. Since this blog is my virtual diary, I’m going to list all of my #lifegoals for 2019 so I can go back and reference them to see if I’m measuring up to my dreams, and also so it’s out there in the universe and I feel like I can have some babes to keep me accountable  for at least attempting to achieve them (AKA you all!) So, here goes nothin’…

From this bloggy business of mine to my personal life and new role as a mama, click on the read more button below to read all of my 2019 resolutions, and I’d love to know…what are your goals for this year??

SPARKLY OVER THE KNEE BOOTS: c/o ShoeDazzle  //  LONG SLEEVE SEQUIN DRESS: J.O.A.

 

So without further ado…here are my 2019 resolutions! Side note – you can shop both the copper sequin dress and the long sleeve sequin dress by finding the links at the top and bottom of this post.

 

Put Down My Phone

This one is going to be especially hard being that more than 70% of my job requires me to be on my phone, but now that Everly is a little older and aware, I’ve noticed her staring at my screen if I have it in my hands while holding her (which is pretty frequently because being a mama and multi-tasking goes hand in hand), and since babies learn by imitating those closest to them, I don’t need Miss Evie girl attached to a screen before she’s out of her crib. This year I’m going to make a point to put down my phone when I’m holding or feeding her (no matter how busy I may be!) Which brings me to my next resolution…

Have Actual Work-Life Balance (but for real this time)

I’m pretty sure this was included on my last blog post I did about my resolutions, but now that Everly’s in the picture, it’s an absolute MUST! Don’t get me wrong…I am beyond grateful to have been given the opportunity to live out my dream as a blogger and content-creator, but doing what you love and are passionate about as a job kind of makes it even easier to become your whole life. Sometimes I miss the days of driving to my 9-5, and immediately being able to shut my mind off from work when I left the office. But that’s impossible now. I’m constantly thinking about work, whether it’s after midnight when Everly has finally gone to sleep, on the weekends or while on vacation. This year, I’m going to make it my goal to treat my business like a job and give myself actual working hours and days off. In order to do this, I’ll need to especially prioritize the following resolution…

Hire Help!

Y’all I need HELP!!! I’ve been running this bloggy business of mine for the past four and a half years all on my own. My sister does help me occasionally and my girl Angie Garcia takes many of my blog photos, but other than that, I’m a one woman show. I’ve never hired an agency to represent me and I’ve never even had an intern. While I’ve thought about an agency, I think I’m going to still hold off on that, but what I would like to do is hire some interns to help me, to start, and then eventually I’d like a part-time assistant (okay maybe full-time!) I’ll be doing an official intern hiring announcement/post soon, so stay tuned!!

Just Say No

I am a yes person. I find it incredibly difficult to say no to an opportunity or invitation, even when it’s physically impossible. This leaves me feeling even more guilty when I can’t complete the project or be where I need to be because there are literally not enough hours a day/ This year, I’m putting my foot down, because I have not just myself, but Everly to think about too. And while saying no to a collab might make me miss out on an opportunity to earn money, I’ll gain extra time to spend with my daughter and family in the end, and that’s what’s most important.

Figure Out My Finances

I haven’t taken a math class since I was 16 (side vent…why is it not a requirement that every kid takes a basic accounting and/or finance class in high school?! Ask me how many times I’ve used calculus and geometry…literally zero, the amount of times I’ve been desperate to know how taxes and accounting works so I can run my small business properly and headache free as possible?! Probably like 587!!) On that note about being a one-woman show…not only do I create all my own content, I’m also responsible for keeping up with my finances, and as a left-brained, creative-centered person, it’s HARD! This year, I’m going to start taking that part of it seriously, getting organized with my books, invoices, taxes, etc. Thankfully, my husband Cole is very much finance-driven so he’s going to help me along the way.

Invest in My Marriage

Cole and I just celebrated three years of marriage, and as we take on these new roles as parents, it’s made me realize that we have to take some time out for us too! OI our last pre-marital counseling session, our pastor implored us to continue to seek counseling throughout the years of our marriage. He explained it was like exercise for your body or oil for your car…marriage counseling is both a preventative for what can turn into major issues down the road and also a way to give a little TLC to your marriage…and who couldn’t use that?!  This year, I’m hoping for us to find some time to get some marriage counseling in, not because our marriage is struggling, but because we just took on the biggest roles of our lives together and it seems like the perfect time to give our relationship a little TLC.

Get Everly on a Schedule

I’ll blame it again on my left-sided brain, but this girl is not exactly a schedule-keeper. Now don’t get me wrong, I do try and I love to research and prepare (I have read allll the books on baby sleep and development), but when it comes to actually planning out my personal schedule and now Everly’s, I’m about as go with the flow as you can get! Now that the craziness of the holidays are behind us and she’s a bit older, I’m going to commit myself to getting her on a regular schedule (and in bed before like midnight, haha).

 Start Running Again

Ans speaking of exercise, this girl has got to get back to running again!! This year I’m going to make a point to start running once more, whether it’s with pushing Everly in her stroller or solo. I might even sign up for a race again to help keep me motivated!

Treat My Body Like a Temple

On the note of my health, I’m also going to start eating healthier again. As busy as I’ve gotten with work and mamahood lately, I find myself ordering delivery and fast food far too often, and while I have gotten back to my pre-pregnancy size (thanks to pumping!!), I  can still feel a difference.

 

So those are my goals for this year! I know I won’t 100% achieve alll of them, but if I can at least keep them at the forefront of my mind, I feel like I can do a little better in each of the various categories. I’ve made a note in my calendar to do a follow up blog post about how I did on each of them at the end of this year. Happy 2019 and happy goal setting friends!!!

Fair-well xx,

-photography by Angie Garcia Photo.