MY JANUARY GOALS

For 2025, I've decided to take a different approach when it comes to my new year's resolutions + yearly goals. Instead of placing so much emphasis on my overall goals, I'm taking more of a micro approach and honing in on smaller, monthly goals. Many of these fall under the umbrella of some of my larger goals, however will hopefully be more concrete, sustainable + enjoyable. 

I fully believe it's important to define your goals and write them down- if you don't know where you're headed, you'll never get there. That being said, I find myself often feeling overwhelmed by everything I hope to do, be, see and accomplish. I once heard that you overestimate what you can do in a year and underestimate what you can do in ten. Over the last few years, I've started to trust myself and the process of life more. By relinquishing control (or the need to be in control) of certain things, they usually work themselves out even faster. I've also noticed the more at ease and in flow I am, the more everything seems to just work out for me. 

I'm starting January off in the same way- excited about the new year but not in a hurry to make everything happen at once. My plan is to just ease my way in while still being intentional. I have four mini goals on my agenda: 

JANUARY 2025 GOALS

+MOVE MY BODY - I had to take a little break from working out and keeping up with my 10,000 steps per day over the last few months which has lowered my "normal" daily activity. It's actually been nice to have a little break- before that, I was so focused on maintaining my daily step streak that in many ways, it was a self-created stressor in my life. I do think it's important for our health to have daily movement and aiming for 10K+ per day is a good baseline, however my focus has now shifted to being more about the movement and activity versus my step count. This week I'm getting back into the gym and once the weather warms up a bit, I plan to start walking outside again. The overall goal is to just starting moving more + working my way back to normal. 

+MORE PROTEIN, LESS SUGAR - Sugar and snackies get me in trouble and after the holidays, we need a little separation lol. This month I'm prioritizing more protein, a few extra veggies and less "junk." 

+READ TWO BOOKS - I haven't had the best track record with reading books over the past several years. I go in phases where I'll read two or three at a time and then nothing else for months. I'm hoping to create a little bit of consistency this year by challenging myself to read at least two books per month. It can be any genre I want but I'm shooting for at least one personal growth book if possible. For January, I plan on finishing this cute rom-com I started before Christmas and also want to try and pick another from current unread book collection. 

+WHITEN TEETH - I specifically added this to my January list because 1- I've been wanting to whiten my teeth and 2- I am always bad about stopping halfway through. I use these whitening strips but I always find myself making it three or four days and then I either forget or I skip. I know it's best to complete a full cycle all at once so to make it happen, I'm making it a goal. Tonight will be my sixth day so I'm almost halfway through! 

What are your goals for January?

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MY SEPTEMBER WELLNESS GOALS

Over the past month, I've been slowly getting back into my routine of prioritizing + taking better care of myself. I had a little dip back in July when my cat passed away which put my in a little bit of a funk for a few weeks. I'll be the first to admit that I always seem to struggle with finding the right balance of things, especially when it comes to food + nutrition. Lately I can tell I've been overindulging which starts to make me feel icky. Instead of just generically saying "I need to eat healthy" or "cut back," this month, I'm going to focus more on the specifics to help me get there. The overall goal is to do a little refresh physically, mentally + spiritually. Here are my top goals/intentions for the month:

+READ MY BIBLE - Despite falling off my routine a bit, I am proud to say that I've still been reading from my Bible every day. I have switched up reading in chronological order to now just choosing a random section each day, however this is one thing I've pushed myself to keep up with. 

+START A NEW BOOK - The reading has pretty much stopped everywhere else. I've been wanting to dive into a self-help book for a little inspiration so I think I'll start The Power of Now next by Eckhart Tolle. I also want to go back and re-start How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I know that if I put too much pressure or expectation on myself to read, it never happens. Instead of being too rigid with this one, I'm going to just shoot for reading a page or two a day. That has worked well for me in the past and more often than not, I end up reading way more than that. 

+WORKOUTS - I'm on month two of my upgraded OTF membership which means I can go to eight classes. As of now, I'm still excited about this change haha. When I get tired or busy during the holidays, the gym motivation may or may not drop. That being said, I'm committed to knocking these out + I also want to add in some workouts at home. I recently learned about calisthenics which I'm intrigued by + think would be really great for my overall health. 

+EAT MORE VEGGIES - Alright, back to not generalizing that I "just need to cut back." I most definitely *DO* need to cut back, however sometimes I think the restrictive nature can be counter-productive. Instead, we're going to try to just add in more veggies. The goal is to swap those in place of something less healthy I'd eat otherwise which will also add extra nutrients + vitamins. 

+EAT LESS SUGAR - One area I should be more restrictive on is sugar. Ya'll- it's bad. I have a major sweet tooth and have always been a dessert girlie through and through. I've never related to people who say they don't like desserts or sweets, haha. Give me all the cookies, candies, chocolate. Yum! That being said- we're definitely a little too friendly with each other. I'm also at the point where I know it isn't good in excess and that it can cause inflammation, etc. It's definitely a double edge sword trying to balance + still indulge a little. I know it would be unrealistic for me to completely cut out sugar but I'm going to start with limiting the obvious sugars. Cutting back on desserts and foods that have a high amount of added sugar. 

+CASTOR OIL - Have you tried using castor oil for anything? I've seen several videos on TikTok of how amazing it can be for health. I'm curious to try it out. I'd like to do one of those stomach wraps with it to see if it would help detox my body. 

Do you have any goals for September?

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TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF IS HARD

We’ve all heard “take care of yourself” at some point or other. We also live in a progressive, forward thinking society. It’s an unwritten norm that you have to (or should) look, feel and be your best self. Be the most productive, make as much money as you can. You guys know I’m ALL for those things. A lot of the posts I share here on the blog are centered around self improvement, especially in the health and wellness space. Whether physically, mentally, emotionally or financially, I do believe we should all strive to keep moving forward.

I've also realized that doing all of those things is really really HARD. Some days, I feel energized and excited about life. Other days, everything feels draining and I question “what’s the point of it all?”. It seems like a constant up hill, down hill battle. You feel like you’re making progress one day and the next you get knocked on your a**. Keeping it real with you as always— today's the a** kicking.

Somedays I just don't feel motivated. I need a break, to rest. I wanted to share my thoughts with you because it can feel very crippling at times. I often wonder whether it's just me. Am I the only one feeling like this and do I just dwell on the negativity? I asked my boyfriend tonight if he thought that was true or if we're all struggling and just putting along, trying to get through life. He said he thinks we're all struggling together and just putting along. Lol. He could just be trying to make me feel better, but I know he's right. 😉If you can also relate, I hope you'll find some kind of comfort knowing you aren't alone. 

I follow a lot of motivational speakers and personalities through videos, podcasts and books. There’s a few things they all preach that I think is good food for thought + often helps me to get through the slumps: 

+ IT’S SUPPOSE TO BE HARD - The saying “nothing worth having ever comes easy” is always being thrown around. Logically, we all know this is true. It doesn't always make you feel better in the moment, however I personally find safety in numbers. When I hear the pros talk about this and how they've been through the same ups and downs, it makes me feel a little better. Even I question it sometimes and need a reminder that if they made it, so can we.  

+ DO IT ANYWAYS - You’ll also hear from almost every successful person that even when it’s hard, you do it anyways. You still get up and work towards your goal. I recently heard Mel Robbins say that if everyday you take one small step in the direction of your goal, one day you'll get there. I'll argue that some days a little detox is necessary for me to reset, however I do think it's important to keep going. Maybe that means not going full force on the off days, but just by doing something small. Even if it's one step, at least you're staying the course and not giving up. I also think if you do have an off day or mess up, it's important to start fresh and not let that derail you. 

+ BE GRATEFUL FOR THE GOOD - Having gratitude and focusing on the positive things is another one everyone preaches. This one might be the hardest to do, especially when you're really feeling down. Something Steve Harvey said about gratitude has stuck with me that I think is valuable. He said some variation of "you can't be miserable and grateful at the same time." You can't be both happy and positive while also being negative and down. If you give it some thought, it's spot on. When you feel bad, you feel BAD. When you're on top of the world, you're happy. Finding the positive things in life to focus on is always a good idea, especially on the bad days. I also think maybe this is a tool to manipulate your mind a little. I'm going to actively try improving at this when I catch myself getting discouraged or frustrated. We'll see how it goes! 

It's definitely not a cake wall. Whether you're focusing on goals, your mental outlook, whatever it may be--it's hard. The truly valuable and fulfilling things are hard. There are countless tips, tricks and ways out there on all of this, how to keep going, etc. They can be great tools, however I always say one of the best things you can offer yourself is grace. Give yourself a break at times, know it's normal (and okay) to feel the ups and downs and remember it's just a bump in the road. You aren't alone and you can always try again tomorrow. Try to rest easy, friends. 

5 GOALS I'M WORKING TOWARDS RIGHT NOW

A little over a month ago, I wrote this blog post sharing some of my summer goals and intentions. I was thinking over what my focus has been these past few weeks and how my current progress + goals compares to my starting goals. I always find myself constantly working on the same things while simultaneously adding in new ones. Do we think that's lack of followthrough or a strong commitment to the end goal?? LOL. 

A lot of the personal improvement ones tend to be more along the lines of new habits or "constant goals" that don't necessarily have an end point. Things like drinking more water or reading more books, etc. I always feel like there's never an end to them... like the limit doesn't exist, ya know? The limit does not exist! I think it's just a constant step or positive habit that will ideally become apart of my daily routine. Maybe once it becomes automatic, I'll remove it from the list? Like brushing your teeth. I'll let you know when I get there! 

1. DRINKING MORE WATER - I'm getting by with a little help from my YETI on this one. My bf gave me this cutie for Easter and it's been a game changer. I love the cap design + the color. As silly as it sounds, it makes me excited to bring it to work everyday which obviously encourages me to drink more water. I've found keeping it around where I'm at helps. When I see it, I'm reminded to get sippin. For whatever reason I've always struggled to drink more water on the daily so it's nice to have made a little bit of progress. Right now I'm aiming to drink at least one bottle per day + will hopefully work up to two or three. 

2. TRACKING + IMPROVING SLEEP - Since getting my Oura ring last week, I've been monitoring my data like crazy. I loveeeee love love it so far. I bought it primarily for sleep and the heart rate variability feature which can provide insight on stress levels. Each day I get a sleep score rating my overall nights sleep, how long I spent in each sleep stage + areas of improvement. While you don't have to have a device to make positive changes in your sleeping, it definitely has it's advantageous. When I can see a direct cause + effect, it's much more encouraging for me to make adjustments. 

3. READING MORE BOOKS - I've been really into summer reading lately so this one has been brought to the forefront. I think it's a combination between buying new books + fun beach reads. I love a good romance book and they usually can pull me out of a lull. In case you're curious or looking for some new books, I just finished It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey + now I'm on to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Have you read either? 

4. BOOSTING MY INCOME - In the previous post, I shared that I want to get more into investing and putting my money to work. This is still true, however I've also been trying to put in some extra hours and boost my income too. Every little bit always helps, especially with inflation right now. I feel like this is easier for me during the summer with longer days + nicer weather. 

5. REINVENTING MY LOOK? - I didn't know exactly what to call this one, lol. I've been in a rut lately with my whole vibe + closet if that makes sense. I haven't been loving any of my clothes or style. The saying always goes "when you look good, you feel good" so I've been trying to do a little refresh on my hair, nails + wardrobe. 

What goals do you have for this summer? 

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MY SUMMER GOALS + INTENTIONS

Since we're halfway through May, I've been reflecting on my yearly progress and what my current goals + intentions are. I've been slacking a bit lately and have caught myself pushing aside a lot of these over the last few months. It seems like very time I turn around we're talking about goal setting and consistency here on the blog... we are in the midst of learning it's easy to lose them if you let up. Despite that, it's also normal to need a break sometimes too. If you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed or going through an off season, it's okay to stumble or have to start again. I've found myself going through one of those times lately-- the ebbs and flows.

I always seem to find myself back at my list of the ongoing goals and improvements I hope to make in my life. Whether physically, mentally or emotionally, the list never seems to stop. I'll share some of the small habits I'm working to slowly reincorporate back into my daily routine. If you're looking to build a new habit, starting small seems to be the key. It's like working out at the gym-- you have to keep taking small, consistent action to build up muscle. Baby steps!

+ BACK ON THE VITAMINS - My vitamin routine has been all over the place lately. I missed a few days during the holidays last year and it's been inconsistent ever since. I've always been the most successful in taking them when I keep my pill organizer with me everywhere. It's a simple step that doesn't seem like a big deal but makes a world of difference for me. To get back into my routine, I'm going to start filling it up every Sunday so I'm prepped for the week ahead. 

+ DRINK MORE WATER - I don't think I've ever managed to successfully "drink water" in the way we're told to. It definitely hasn't been a long term habit for me... it's one of those things I've started for a few days and dropped later. Like with the vitamins, I'm going to take the approach of setting myself up for success by being prepared. For Easter I was gifted this Yeti rambler which I love... isn't the color amazing? I'm going to shoot for filling it up everyday + bringing to work. I started off strong today but will keep you posted on how it goes. 

+ READ MY BIBLE - I shared my new Bible with you all in this post which I love. I just started reading Genesis and long-term, I hope to read the whole text entirely and on a daily basis. I need to come up with a schedule for reading both the Bible and other books... do you have a system that works for you? I'm thinking if I set a goal to read X number of pages per day, it will be more doable. 

+ KEEP IT CLEAN - There is a huge correlation between how we feel and our environment. It's all too easy to push off cleaning up around the house or doing "chores" when you feel tired and exhausted from work. I will be the first to admit that when I get home at night, the LAST thing on my mind is cleaning up. I'm bad about pushing things off but I've noticed I feel significantly more relaxed and at ease in a tidier, organized space. The same goes for my car too! I talked a bit about this here, but I feel so much better mentally when my car is clean. As of now I will just do laundry or pick up sporadically so once again, I think I need a designated day or time for this. Seems to be a theme, huh? 

+ INVESTING - Another goal I have for the next few months is to hone in a little bit more on investing. With inflation, the stock market has taken a huge hit right now. I follow a lot of financial blogs + groups and the general consensus is to keep investing right now if you're able to ("buy the dips.") I'm normally pretty hands off when it comes to investing but I'm going to try to engage a little bit more while things have declined. 

+ SELF CARE - Last but certainly not least is being intentional with self care. I have also learned that this is a constant revolving door in our lives. It often looks different, however taking care of ourselves should be a top priority. It's so easy to forget that or put other things first. A lot of my other goals wrap into this one too  but being mindful of it first and foremost is essential. 

What are some of your goals right now? 

I love sharing my unboxings with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

2 WEEK NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION UPDATE!

Have you forgotten about your New Year’s resolutions yet? Statistics show that after two weeks, 71% of people are still going strong with their goals + resolutions. That’s actually pretty good odds, right?? Before looking it up, I thought it would be way less! 

Proof of how it’s going lol... ride or die for Chicky! 

Since we’re at the two week mark, I thought I’d share a little update on how mine are going. I’ve had both some wins + some losses so far! PS- If you want a recap on my 2022 resolutions, check out this post. It can be hard to juggle everything at once so I’m just taking it day by day. I think the biggest thing is small, consistent effort versus getting everything perfect. Here are my top hits & misses:

HITS
+ Vitamins & 10K steps everyday
+ Reading
+ Cutting back on spending & investing in ROTH IRA
+ Treating myself $$$
+ Blog posts 3X week

MISSES
+ Clean eating
+ De-cluttering
+ Beauty routines

I was hoping to get into a consistent routine with my makeup + skincare, however I’ve pushed that off for now. I’ve been dealing with some type of dermatitis on my face that’s been causing tiny red bumps under and on my eye lids. I’ve been using some allergy medicine, however I’m holding off on using most products to hopefully help clear it up.

Any hopes for clean eating have also failed... I will say I have cut back A LITTLE. I’m trying to make lighter meal choices, however I’ve still been snacking too much on the sweets and junk food. Getting back into a consistent routine usually helps me stay accountable, however it’s hard to transition sometimes! Always a work in progress on this one.

Those are the highlights + my biggest wins and losses so far. I definitely feel a shift this year and more clarity when it comes to my goals. I know what I want to do but I don’t feel as much pressure or stress for some reason. I think a lot of it has to do with accomplishing several of my goals last year. Once you start holding yourself accountable and keeping the commitments you make, you gain confidence. In a weird way, it takes some of the pressure off of timelines and doing it all at once.

If you’re struggling, pick one thing to tackle first. Even if you do one small thing for it, start there and keep going. Taking more small steps in the right direction will lead to big end results!

How are your resolutions going?