We’re almost halfway through 2017. Yes I had to google that to make sure.
Doesn’t January feel like FOREVER ago?? There’s something about that time of year that made me feel like anything is possible. I was dreaming big ass dreams. Feeling like I could conquer the world.
And now, 5+ months later I’m like Resolutions? Da fuq are those?
Why You Should Revisit Your Resolutions
Imma guess you TOTALLY forgot about the resolutions you set on January 1st too. No shame, my friends, no shame. I’m a bit terrified to look back at the resolutions I set and publicly discuss my progress (or lack there of).
As terrifying, eyeopening and plain embarrassing as it might be to look back and admit Yeesh, I’ve failed big time, it’s also so important to look back.
What’s the point of setting big ass goals if you’re not going to take the proper steps to achieve them?
Make a plan.
I’m a believer in fail to plan, plan to fail. And cheesy, cliche quotes like “goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Saying you want to start working out, lose 5 pounds, cook more, read more, whatever it is isn’t enough. You gotta make a plan. I always recommend setting SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely.
For example don’t say I want to cook more. Instead get specific: Starting next week, I’m going to cook dinner 3 times a week instead of ordering in.
Now take the necessary steps to make it happen. Schedule the time you’re going to sit down and research new recipes and go food shopping. And don’t forget to look at your schedule and plan ahead. If you know you’re going to be working late one night, maybe that’s the night you get delivery or pick something up.
And maybe it’s time to reevaluate.
Sometimes I let go of resolutions. I realize that they no longer serve me and my current goals in life. That doesn’t mean I failed, it means things have changed.
A Look Back at My Resolutions- How am I doing?
Here’s how my 2017 goals are going. For full explanation of each resolution, check out my original post here.
✨ BLOG / PERSONAL BRAND
▶︎ Make pinterest my bitch. In progress! I’m currently working my way through Melyssa Griffin’s Pinfinite Growth course. My goal is to finish it before grad school classes start back up in July.
▶︎ Hit 10K instagram followers by my birthday on May 16. Didn’t happen. Some of the recent changes on instagram have been messing with my growth (more on that in an upcoming blog post). I’m reevaluating and figuring out the best new growth strategy and where to go from here.
▶︎ Keep my eyes on my own paper. Always a work in progress. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it stings when some new blogger gets big, fast. And I’m here like okay, I’ve been at this for 5+ years, what am I doing wrong? But I remind myself to keep on chugging along.
✨ PROFESSIONAL
▶︎ Continue to grow and learn as a yoga teacher. I’ve had a few exciting teaching opportunities in 2017 but it’s been tricky to find a studio that feels like “home”.
This summer I’m going to reach out to a few yoga studios as I’d love to add more weekly classes to my schedule. I love teaching and I’m slowly but surely moving past the “holy shit this is TERRIFYING” stage of being a new teacher.
▶︎ Take advantage of opportunities in grad school. I’ll be honest, I probs isn’t going to happen.
Most of the events at Pace are geared towards “traditional” students. People in accounting and finance that wear business attire.
Not me, this weirdo in yoga pants that plans to never write another cover letter again. I also feel fortunate that I have a strong network outside of school. A network I’ve fostered thanks to social media. I’ve found a way to network that works for me, and that’s all that matters.
▶︎ Attend one conference focused on blogging. I had a blast attending Foundermade and am looking forward to attending The W.E.L.L. Summit in the fall.
✨ BUSINESS
▶︎ Be on track for self employment post-grad school. YES!! It’s hard to gauge whether I’m doing as much as I can to make this dream a reality. What I know is, I’m definitely on the right track. And definitely have a year or so before I graduate anyway.
I’m excited about this and believe it will all work out.
▶︎ Continue to grow and find new opportunities for Holistic Happening. 2017 has been freaking wild for HH. I pinch myself that we’ve had the chance to work with incredible companies (hi, Sweet Green and Modell’s!)
With growth comes growing pains, though, and it’s something Leslie and I are now figuring out. How do we continue to grow and expand our audience?
✨ PERSONAL
▶︎ BE PATIENT. Ooooh, girl. This will always be a struggle.
I’m actively working on being more patient. Especially when it comes to the long road ahead in grad school. I’m accepting where I am right now. And while I’m allowed to plan for the future, I am still grounded on focused on the present.
▶︎ Be better with names. UGH STILL SO BAD. Like, I’m mortified when people come to Holistic Happening events and I don’t remember them. Please share your tips for remembering people’s names.
▶︎ Stop staying yes to shit I hate. Always a work in progress. Whenever I’m invited to an event or asked to review a product I make a conscious decision to stop and think about it. Am I excited about the actual opportunity or the fact that I was asked in the first place? If it doesn’t excite me, I say thanks but no thanks.
✨ RELATIONSHIPS
▶︎ Continue to bring online friends offline. Yes! So far so good.
▶︎ Accept that not all friendships are forever. Yup, yup.
▶︎ Continue to network in a way that serves me. I used to fear that I’d never be good at networking. The thought of approaching strangers at a networking event SCREAMS anxiety attack. Cue Kayla sweating profusely.
But I’ve found a way that works for me. And you know what? It’s paying off, big time. Even my parents have said they’re impressed with the little wellness network I’ve built.
✨ FITNESS + WELLNESS
▶︎ Three pull-ups. GUYS, I CAN FINALLY DO ONE BOMB ASS PULL-UP! But after that I fall apart.
Pull-ups will forever be my arch nemesis. My brain just doesn’t understand how to activate the right muscles. But I’m making progress!
▶︎ Regain strength. I wasn’t super focused on this during the first half of 2017. My schedule was such a hot mess that I signed up for whatever group fitness class fit into my schedule. Which wasn’t the end of the world.
With my more flexible schedule this summer I’m focusing a bit more on get that strength back to where I was.
Tell me: What were your resolutions for 2017? How are they going?
Jasmine Eclipse says
These are awesome, awesome goals. My one and only goal for this year was to incorporate JOY into everything, be more grateful, appreciative, thankful, positive.
But after looking at your goals, I want to adopt some! I moved to Canada a few months ago, and I’m having trouble finding “real life” friends. Yes, I’ve got my online buddies, but sometimes I want to go get lunch with someone, you know? I’m working on this, but it’s tough. And I also need to be more patient! I’m terrible at this, and it will always be a work-in-progress.
Thanks for sharing your goals and inspiring some new ones in me!
Erica Lindeman says
Wow, your new years resolution really taps into each aspect of your life. I only have one…guess I should have added more. I am on track on my goal of eating more healthy food and less of the processed and canned ones. Been doing more home cooked meals now, and I feel great.
Kayla says
I usually try to make it a point to hit every part of my life — that’s what works for me! But I also think it’s great to just focus on one big goal too.
Amanda @amanda-isms says
I LOVE your blog and find it super inspirational to this new blogger 🙂 Love your personal/professional goals. My main goal was to read a book a month (which, I realize is not a lot for most people haha) and to do 2 pull ups!! Not doing greaaaaaat but we’ll get there! Great idea to refocus back on them! It’s so easy to forget!
Kayla says
Thanks so much, Amanda.
Ugh pull-ups!!! Forever a work in progress for me.
Kendel says
Ah, SMART goals. I remember learning about those in my public relations and marketing papers. I live by those rules. I am TERRIBLE with names, which is bad for me to admit. You know, as a PR graduate. I really, really need to work on that. I have terrible patience, but it is a LOT better after having a baby. Maybe that’s all a person needs to do haha. I can’t remember if I made resolutions or not, but this has made me want to go back or set some mid-year resolutions!
Kayla says
I learned about them in my personal training certification, it sounds SO silly but it’s actually such an accurate goal setting method.
And yay for mid-year resolutions! I’m a believer that you don’t need to wait until January to conquer some new goals.