My Goals for 2022

Confession: I do not enjoy goal setting.

I don’t like the disapointment that comes from not hitting my goals.

I don’t usually find goals to be motivating. Instead, I feel guilty that I’m not doing enough to meet them.

You could say that I don’t have a great relationship with productivity, goals, and possibility of failure. Eeek. Did this just turn into a therapy session???

It is pretty rare that I am inspired to sit down and write out a list of goals, and when I do, it is usually a list of very specific and manageable tasks.

I lean more towards a detailed to-do list rather than big picture, life changing goals.

Time for Insane Goals Again?

Yet even with my odd to-do list style goals, it has been a long time since I’ve written any. For 3 years starting in 2011, I regularly shared progress on a list of goals I called my “Insane Goals.” They were called insane goals because there were a lot of them, not because they were crazy or hard to accomplish. Again, I don’t like to set myself up for failure.

After being in pure survival mode for the last two years, I am ready to do more than just survive. I want to start making forward progress again. I’m ready for a little, maybe just a gentle, kick in the butt.

I am ready for some goals – even if they are my weird to-do list style goals. I’m sharing them here for some accountability (I’ll update you on my progress throughout the year) and as possible inspiration if you struggle with goal setting like I do.

My Goals for 2022

Body & Mind

Gynecologist Check Up & Mammogram – It has been a long time (years!) since I’ve been to the gynecologist. It is time to get a check up and to have my very first mammogram. Hello, 40th birthday. (The picture above is from my gynecologist appointment earlier this month. I’m already close to crossing this off my list!)

Fix My Shoulder – My shoulder has been bothering me since July 2021. I went to the doctor in November, and he said I need physical therapy or acupuncture.

Get New Glasses – I am truly dreading this one, but I’ve had the same glasses since August 2018. It was a big deal for me to get the ones I have now. I was switching from small metal frames to thick plastic frames. I about lost my mind trying to pick these out, but it is time to get a new pair.

Move My Body 150 Days – As a writer and podcaster, it would be very easy for me to slip into a sedentary lifestyle. I’ve never been great about regular exercise, but I at least need to move my body. I’m making the very low goal of intentionally moving my body 150 days this year.

Listen to Worship Music 200 Days – Music has always been the best way that I connect with God. For the sake of my spiritual health, I want to increase how much I listen to worship music. I know many people have music on all day long, every single day, but we do not. This will take an intentional effort on my part.

House

Fix Bedroom Door Knob – We have weird old house door knobs. (Our house was built in 1856.) My bedroom door knob stopped working a long time ago. We tried to fix it on our own, but it is time to call a locksmith.

Add Shelves to Kids’ Closet – We have a spare closet that isn’t being utilized well. If we added shelves to the closet, we could use it as a much needed linen closet.

Stain The Deck – Our deck is overdue for fresh stain. I actually purchased new stain for the deck, but it turned out really red. I was so mad at the color that I stopped using it, and went on ignoring the deck.

Paint Front Door – It is overdue for a fresh coat of paint.

Replace Kids’ Mattresses – I would love to surprise our kids with new mattresses. The ones they are sleeping on are pretty awful, but shhhh! They don’t realize that, so don’t tell them.

Replace Microwave – Ours still works, but the handle broke off. We have to pry it open with our fingers. LOL

Replace Dishwasher – The dishwasher broke in September 2021. I thought we would replace it right away, but I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. I still want to get a new one this year.

Declutter The Playroom – Honestly, the many spaces in the house could use a fresh decluttering, but the playroom is probably the worst. Grace’s interests have changed, and she has a lot of Barbies in there that she doesn’t want anymore.

Make $400 on Facebook Marketplace – I love selling my decluttered items on Facebook. Setting a goal of making $400 means I will be getting things out. of. my. house. Plus, that money will go towards paying for things to improve the house (updating furniture, paint, etc.).

Family & Photos

I take documenting our family’s story seriously, and it is for the good of the whole family. That that is why photography goals are included with family goals.

Professional Family Photoshoot – We haven’t had professional photos taken since Isaac was a baby.

Chatbooks from 2021 – I love using Chatbooks for my photo books, but I’ve gotten behind. I need to get my 2021 books printed.

Chatbooks from 2022 – I want to stay on top of my photo books this year.

Finish (?) my Pandemic Photo Book – I created a photo book dedicated to our family’s experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. I am really proud of it, but it isn’t quite finished. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how to finish this book when the pandemic hasn’t ended, but I would like to finish the pages I have dedicated to 2021.

Use my “Line A Day” Journal – Years ago I was given this journal. I used it in 2013 pretty consistently and briefly in 2014. Realistically, I know I won’t use it every single day, but I want to use it most days in 2021.

Read to Isaac 200 Days – I believe that reading to kids is incredibly important, but I don’t have a good daily reading routine with Isaac. It is time for that to change.

Use Gift Cards – For Christmas in 2019, we leaned heavily on gifting our children experience gifts. We never expected that the world would get shut down, and many of those gifts wouldn’t be cashed in. I would like to start using those gift cards (to take advantage of the money saving and to make family memories) as well as many others that we have collected from charity auctions and birthdays.

Media & Entertainment

In 2020, I fell down the rabbit hole of romance novels. They were the perfect, love-filled, happily-ever-after, distraction that I needed from real life. That year I read 50 books.

In 2021, I read 84 books. That is an insane number compared to the 10 or less books that I used to read in a year.

I’ve always been a fan of reading, but these past two years I have pretty much stopped watching movies, TV, and YouTube. The only shows I’ve kept up with have been Big Brother and The Bachelor franchise.

I don’t want to give up my reading habit, but I would like to add in some TV shows that I used to really enjoy. So my goals for this year’s media and entertainment include a little less reading and some TV watching I want to catch up on.

• Read 50 Books
• Listen to 1 Nonfiction Audiobook (which may inspire more!)
• YOU (season 3)
• The Handmaid’s Tale (season 4)
• Grey’s Anatomy (seasons 17 & 18)
• The Resident (seasons 4 & 5)
• Schitt’s Creek (seasons 3-6)
• Emily In Paris (season 2)
• FBoy Island (season 1)
• And Just Like That (season 1)
• Under The Influence podcast
• Secret Tapes podcast
• Rise & Fall of Mars Hill podcast

Work

Hit 6,000 Followers on Instagram – I started the year with 5,274 followers on Instagram. I currently have 5,315. Growth on Instagram can easily feel like 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Please follow me! I have a lot of fun over there.

Publish 12 Brand New Blog Posts – After taking an unintentional 9 month break, this feels like a big goal.

Increase My Income – As the amount of time I’ve been dedicating to work has diminished, my income has also diminished. I want to break that cycle, and have this year’s total revenue equal more than my revenu in 2021.

Not A Complete List of Goals for 2022

While this is quite the list of goals for 2022, it clearly doesn’t cover every single thing I want to accomplish this year. Nate and I are constantly looking for ways our kids need to grow and are teaching them new skills. Plus, this list doesn’t cover every space I want to declutter or a list of foods I want to preserve.

The purpose of this list of goals isn’t to name every single thing I want to do, but to inspire me to do more. After two years of barely holding on, I am ready to pick myself up, dust myself off, and start doing again.

At least that is my hope.

Want More Goal Setting Inspiration?

• Daily Goal Tracker Printable – This is what I’m using for keeping track of my 200 days of worship music and reading to Isaac. Sign up for Elise’s newsletter to get the free printable.
• Habit Tracker Printable – If you are looking to create a new daily habit, download this habit tracker from Donna.
• My Previous Insane Goals – Get inspired to make your own goals by reading about some of my past goals from 2011 and 2013.

What are your goals for 2022?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Top image by StockSnap via Pixabay.