2019 has blown in, and I can hardly believe it. I am a huge fan of fresh starts and opportunities for reflection and growth. And while you might not be a huge fan of making resolutions, I am. Completely. Last year I talked about the proper way to set goals and resolutions, and if you aren’t doing it right, it may contribute to why you may feel they are pointless. But I assure you when done correctly, with the proper attention to both reflection, growth, and measurable outcomes, you can find magic in resolution setting. 2019 = New Year, Elevated Me!
Every year I choose a few goals across many categories, and each is broken down into measurable and actionable steps. This year I wanted to add a theme to my mission… that theme can be summed up in one word: ELEVATE.
elevate | ˈeləˌvāt | verb [with object] raise or lift (something) up to a higher position.
For 2019 my goal is to elevate across all aspects of my life. I want to elevate my relationship with both my loved ones and myself. I want to elevate my blog & social media presence through consistent and helpful content. And I want to elevate my health and wellness practices to better support my goals of weight loss, gut health, and flawless skin. (A girl can dream!)
I’m loosely following the concepts on a “Level 10 Life” as outlined in Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Here’s where I hope to focus.
No. 1 – Elevated Routines for better productivity
This category focuses on establishing routines that can streamline my daily/weekly life so that I can be more productive in the long run. This effort means I’ll be trying my hand at the bullet journal method (again), tweaking various routines, figuring out the sweet spot for meal prep/planning vs. total spontaneity, and even looking to incorporate some aspects of the KonMari method into my life.
It comes down to this: there are a LOT of moving parts in being a mother of 3, with a husband who travels and being in the trenches of building my little spot on the interwebs. Ya girl could use some calm… asap! And I thrive when I have routines set.
What you can expect from me: I’ll be sharing these routines with tips and tricks as I nail them down. I’m excited to share updated routines and my journey to a more organized (#bossmode) situation.
2018 was about expanding and growth. To really allow those seeds to continue to thrive 2019 has to be all about honing in, reducing noise, and elevating. 2019 is the year of the tweak.
Areas I’m tweaking:
- Establishing an Early Morning routine that includes meditation, movement, self-care, and dressing for success. (2018 included a ridiculous amount of loungewear.)
- Creating better weekly schedules: cleaning, writing, and publishing.
- Establishing Daily productivity practices: nightly time blocking so I greet each new day with a grasp of what’s ahead. Operation: HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
No.2 – Elevated Health + Wellness Protocol
I have been pregnant, breastfeeding, or otherwise supporting tiny humans with my body for the past decade. DECADE. In that time I have made small strides to take my body back, but I have never entirely sealed the deal. And as much as it feels vain AF to admit this… my self worth is directly related to how I feel about my physical body. And right now, ya girl is operating on a 3/10.
What you can expect from me: More nutrition + wellness content as I share my wellness journey. Recipes I’m tweaking to fit my nutritional needs, more wellness 101 content (like THIS) as I work on nutrition courses, and more fitness content as I find the routine that fits my lifestyle.
Areas I’m tweaking:
- Mom-friendly meal prep – smoothies, juices, moderate protein, good fats, low carb, real food fast.
- I am figuring out how to incorporate my nutrition goals with the nutrition goals of the family.
- Establishing a supplement protocol (lots of content on the science behind supplements + which).
- Establishing a workout routine geared toward weight loss, muscle toning, and cardiovascular health.
No. 3 – More SELF-care
In 2018 I had fewer than three mani appointments. I didn’t have a single spa day, and I spent less time alone than any other year since becoming a parent. I… was… depleted. Towards the end of 2018, I was so drained my patience was nil, I found myself being grumpy all the time with both my husband and my children. Basically, mama wasn’t happy.
This has got to stop. And I knew that unless I made this a top priority, nothing was going to change. My children need me, and they love me. My husband depends on me, and he loves me. Everyone else will always need as much of me as I’m willing to give… but it isn’t selfish to give to yourself first. So after a long conversation with my husband I’ve decided that 2019 is going to include a whole helluva lot of me.
Self care is not selfish: a mantra
I’ve already written about how self-care and motherhood can be sticky, but even knowing this I still struggle to push pause. I excelled at finding ways to incorporate self-care into my daily routine (skincare, masks, and moving meditation), but the fact of the matter remains, I barely spent any time ensuring that my cup was full. I sat down at the beginning of the month and thought about what brings me joy, and I plan to do as much of that as possible. Because not only do I deserve to be happier… my children deserve the patience and tenderness that follows. And trust me… my hubby benefits, too. 😉
What you can expect from me: More BTS (via Instagram stories) on how I indulge in self-care and more me time. You can expect a lot of it to be extra bougie, for sure. I’ll also be sharing some posts on how I had this conversation with my hubby and what taking care of me looks like in practice.
Areas I’m tweaking:
- Reading more – I’ve got a goal of at least 12 fiction books in 2019. I tend to read a lot of non-fiction, but it doesn’t feed my soul quite the way fiction does. Expect to see some book suggestions.
- One “me day” a month – I’m talking 4-6 hours alone. This might be a full spa day, or a mani-pedi + solo lunch situation. In February I have a spa day planned with
- Re-establish regular yoga practice: I’m using an awesome app to wake up with a short yoga practice every single day. Also, working on rebuilding my teaching repertoire and attending a few classes weekly.
No. 4 – More intimacy
My hubby and I have been together for ten years. We have three small children. In 2018 he traveled a ton, and by the end, it started to feel a lot more like best friends living together than lovers. But intimacy with one’s partner is an essential part of strengthening the relationship, and it plays a huge role in your wellbeing as well.
And I’m not just talking about hanky panky… intimacy is so much more than that. Honestly, I’m terrible at intimacy. I’m not good at PDA. I forget to hug, and touch, and kiss, and my love language is silence. Please don’t ask me how I landed such an awesome husband; I’m still trying to figure that out. But after a decade I’ve decided I’m probably not going to get better at intimacy unless I actively challenge myself to work on it. So that’s where I am.
What you can expect from me: Sharing the journey as I read books, ask questions, and make an effort to flex this muscle. I’ll share the tips and tricks I learn along the way, and if you happen to be good at this, I’d love to hear your tips and tricks.
Areas I’m tweaking:
- Regular date nights – starting with monthly, hoping to increase this to bi-weekly.
- Love notes – I’m starting this with my children, too. Monthly notes where I share everything I love about them.
- More touch (the hubs love language). Making an effort to focus on hugs + hand holding.
Voila
And there you have it. There are other goals that I’m working on in 2019, but I they all fall under the umbrella of one of the above categories. I’m excited to share this journey and I would love to hear how you plan to elevate in 2019. And if you have another theme, share that, too. I love hearing how people plan to move through the year with intention.
Xo, Kimberly Fe'Lix
