the year of achievable goals

I'm sick of making New Years goals that I never keep or reach. It's dumb. I know I'm not the only one who is guilty of this. 

I decided this year I'm going to switch it up and make 3 goals that are generic enough to not be intimidating, and reasonable enough that I actually have a chance at reaching them. Genius!

So, here are my goals of 2017...

1. Get behind the lens more. I love photography. I've grown to love it even more now that I have someone willing to teach me (my hubby)! It's been such a joy to watch Chris grow as a photographer year after year, and spending time together learning his craft sounds like a win-win to me. 

2. Focus on being present. Nothing is worse than when you're in the room where your child is playing, you look up from your phone, then realize they've been looking at you--waiting for you to engage. 

No more of that. 

From now on when I'm getting down on the floor to play with Graham, the phone is going up on a shelf, in a drawer, under my Christmas tree (yes, it's still up)--wherever! I want Graham to grow up and remember that mommy was always present. 

As Chris worded so perfectly: "Instead of telling him not to play with the rocks, you get down there and play with him."

3. Be healthier. I don't consider myself the most unhealthy person in the world, but I could definitely clean up my eating habits a bit more (no more Trader Joe's cookie butter!), and find some motivation to get to the gym more than once a year (until someone figures out the secret to getting a summer body in one day). 

What I'm not going to do is say, "I'm going to lose 20 pounds and be in the best shape of my life!" In other words, the resolution I've made (and failed to meet) the last 4 or 5 years. Oops.

If I can simply work on eating healthier and exercising on a semi-regular basis so that I feel good and strong, then I'm happy with that. 

Something else I'd like to do in 2017 is clean out my closet and only hang on to pieces I really love and wear all the time. 

This Michael Kors leather jacket was a little bit of a splurge, but I wear it all the time and it's a classic staple. (Nordstrom no longer carries the one I'm wearing, but ​​​​​this one is really similar.)

I was in need of a good pair of brown leather booties that I could wear everyday, but I also wanted them to be comfortable. So, I ordered these cognac leather Born boots and they are my new favorite shoe. I wear them constantly. 

I love big, chunky sweaters in the winter. I've been trying to quit my habit of buying cheaply made sweaters every winter, because they never last and I usually don't like the way they wear. This gray sweater from Ellie & June has an oversized, thick neck (which keeps you super warm) and has zippers at the elbows for a little edge (and it's on sale right now!). 

I hope you made some goals for yourself that are achievable and pressure-free, too. If so, let me know what they are in the comments below!

Happy new year, everyone!