Goal Setting for 2021

December 15, 2020 1 Comment

Category: Home Life, Organization, Personal
Tags: Goal setting, Goal tracking, Goals, Goat planning, 2021

As a busy, working mom, I need to be deliberate with my time and energy. (There aren’t enough hours in a day, am I right?!)

To help direct myself, I outline annual goals. These goals account for every part of my life from my career to my finances to my health to my family. I believe clearly articulating your thoughts, intentions and ambitions to paper is the first step to making them happen.

I also recognize the importance of being flexible and accepting that some things may be out of my control – hello, 2020! So I’ll simply do my best to achieve these goals and adjust / prioritize if necessary.

Here’s what I have mapped out for 2021. I will keep these goals next to my desk so they are not overlooked.

2021 Goals

• Work / Life Balance

When I started my business in 2016, my goal was to not only make over 6 figures doing something I loved, but to have a lot of flexibility with when, where and how much I worked. I was able to achieve this after 1 year and now my goal remains to keep my work / life balance as my top priority for 2021. Whether I have to work more efficiently, delegate or turn down work, my  #1 goal is to balance working on my business, while managing my health and spending time with my children.

• De-clutter my Inbox  

Last January I did an inbox “clean out” and it was AMAZING! I was ruthless with unsubscribing from promotional emails which freed up lot of my time in the end. I intend to do the same overhaul in January and throughout the year as I receive emails that I am not interested in.

• Attend Therapy Weekly  

If 2020 taught me anything, its to make myself, my relationships and mental wellness a priority. I started therapy this past summer and commit to continuing weekly sessions that have been incredibly helpful.

• Spend 20 Min at the End of Every Day Catching up with Bill  

It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life, so we have committed to a meaningful 1:1 “catch-up” every day. Whether we do this over dinner or in bed at night, we aim to debrief each other on our day, how we’re feeling and what’s going on.

• Diversify my Income

95% of my income comes from SocialChow, my social media agency. 5% comes from affiliate marketing, Etsy, and my blog. I want to more smarter – not harder – to increase my passive income in 2021.

• Plan a Trip for September 2021

We need something to look forward to when this is all over right?? Bill and I are planning to go on a vacation together (sans kids!) in fall.

• Max out my Retirement Accounts 

Every year I aim to contribute the limit to my SocialChow 401K ($19,500) and my ROTH IRA ($6,000).  I make this a priority because 1) it reduces my taxable income 2) the impact of contributing now has massive implications on my future wealth (thank you compound interest!!). I also set up an automatic payment from my checking account to our brokerage account to ensure that I am consistently contributing (even if the amount I am contributing needs to be low).

• 1:1 time with Chloe & Jack 

This past summer’s adventures with Chloe taught me that nothing is better than spending quality time with your child. I aim to do this with both Chloe and Jack next year.

• Read 1 Book a Month and Finish Investing Course I am Taking Now

I’m a big advocate of continuous learning and have taken a recent interest in personal finance. Books on my list include: The Millionaire Next Door, A Simple Path to Wealth, and Zero to One.

• Take a photography class 

I take so many pictures on a regular basis, I want to learn how to take better pictures! (If anyone has a reco on a good one, pls shoot it over!)

• Budget monthly

At the beginning of every month, I write out a budget for our expenses and at the end of each month I reconcile with the actual numbers. This is something I started in 2020 and want to push myself to continue to do, as it keeps my spending and my goals in line.

• Remember Birthdays and Send Cards

Being thoughtful and kind to those I care about it is really important to me so I keep track of birthdays in this spreadsheet and put reminders in my calendar to recognize these important dates.

• Investigate Other Areas to Live

Moving has been on my brain for a few months now, so I want to continue our search and figure out what our options are for city / suburban living. The biggest piece of this puzzle is education for the kids and finding a long term schooling option that I feel confident in. Other items on my wish list: back yard for kids, walkable area / close to stores and restaurants, bigger than current house and close to family (15 mi tops).

Goal Templates

Because it’s more fun to write out your goals in a nice template and keep them on display, I created these below. You can access them all on my Etsy page or click on each template below.

As always, thank you for your support in 2020. This blog – and the community I’ve built with it – have remained the biggest blessing of my MS diagnosis.

If you could achieve one goal next year, what would it be?