I am a planner/goal setter/list maker by nature, so I was really excited and inspired by a recent post by Elsie’s of A Beautiful Mess (one of my very favorite must-read blogs- check it out if you haven’t yet!). She is challenging herself and readers to make and set 4 simple goals to work on my the end of this year that were not just “to-dos,” but things that would actually enrich your life. Click the image below for her original post:

It was surprisingly difficult for me to choose my four goals. I’m definitely the type to try to do too much and bite off more than I can chew, and end up getting disappointed when I can’t do it all. I know that I will need to buy a new car in the next couple of years, I want to go back to school eventually, and me and Phillip are planning on moving to another town next year, so I have been really wanting to work on a larger goal of saving more money and getting my finances in order. I decided to choose four simple goals that both enriched my life and complimented that larger, over-arching goal. So, without further ado, here are my four simple goals:

#1. Make (or thrift) all of this year’s Christmas presents

This goal has the dual benefit of saving money and also encouraging/forcing me to be creative and get in there and make things, one of my favorite things to do. So often, especially with certain people, I’ll just take the easy route and get them a gift card, but this time I’m going to figure out something great to make for each person on my list!

#2. Try a new recipe each week

I enjoy cooking, but I tend to get stuck in a rut and just make the same few recipes over and over. I take my lunch with me to work most days, so I like to make something on the weekend that I can take with me to work in the coming week. My goal is to try a new recipe for my lunches every week (lord knows I have enough options on my Pinterest boards!)

#3. Get rid of as much stuff as I can

My recent move has once again made me realize how much “stuff” I really have. I’m sort of a pack rat by nature, I love cute things, and my frequent thrift shopping certainly hasn’t helped the situation. Recently, however, I’ve started to feel bogged down by all of the stuff I’ve accumulated, especially knowing that I’ll most likely be moving into a significantly smaller place next year. So, in the next four months or so, I plan to sell, donate, and give away as much extraneous stuff as possible. I can’t wait to feel that weight off my shoulders!

#4. Use re-usable shopping bags


In theory, this should be an easy goal, and it’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time.  All I have to do is to remember to bring some bags with me when I go shopping, but somehow I always seem to remember too late though- like once I’m actually in the store. Anyway, our county recently passed an ordinance banning plastic bags and requiring stores to charge at least 10 cents each for paper ones (which goes into effect October 1st!) so I’d better get my act in gear! Talk about motivation- I have about two more weeks to get myself into the habit of bringing bags with me.

I’ll be posting about my progress each week (hopefully!), so check back if you’d like to hear how I do!