My Goals for 2021
Is this photo too pretty and hopeful? Ha! I’m going with it, you guys! Happy official 2021, everyone. You know, maybe your heart is heavy today. Maybe you’re overwhelmed. Or maybe you’re not at all, and you feel as joyful as these balloons, still filled with the fresh air that comes with January and loving the bright, blank calendar laid out ahead of us. I know this year has already brought us an early dose of sadness and weight, but we can’t let it hold us down! I’m actively asking God to pull me out of the ongoing narrative that everything’s still sinking, fast! I’m here to help lift your chins, sweet friends—to hold your hand and keep you chasing the light with me.
One practice that always encourages me, motivates me, and pushes me toward brighter days is—yep—setting my goals for the year! Sometimes I also pick a word for the year, but I haven’t been struck with one yet. I am always faithful to set my goals in the following six categories, though—a practice I learned in Corporate America years ago and don’t plan to stop doing, ever!
Faith
Family
Firm
Fitness
Finances
Fun
Okay, I added “fun” to the mix, but I think it’s every bit as essential for survival as the other five!
Anyway, since I’m sure everyone’s craving all the positivity and inspiration we can get right now, I thought it would be fun to share some of my personal goals for the year! Just in case you’re making some, but feeling stuck, or hate goals, but still want to see some, or simply just want a peek into another mom’s life because isn’t that what blogs are for?!
Well, I am here for you! I love you all! This certainly doesn’t cover them all, but these are most of my significant goals for two-thousand-twenty-one. Holding them loosely, but also staying hopeful enough to dream.
FAITH
I’d like to grow intellectually in my faith this year. To have more thoughtful and rational words for the faith so deep in my bones. The emotions, spirituality, and miraculous signals of proof are ever-flowing for me—but I’m feeling the need more than ever to be able to articulate WHY I believe what I do. Why do I stand, really, on the Bible as the living breathing guidebook for everything? Rather than just sit growing frustrated and sad at absolutely all of the issues and polarizations in our world right now: I want to have words with which to express my views with both logic and love, when it’s time for those conversations in a mutually respectful space. As a new incredible friend of mine put it recently, I’m wanting more “verbiage or ways to use reason/logic to back up the intangible belief.” She inspired me to read “The Reason for God,” by Timothy Keller for the first time, so I will be this year! I love him. Any more book recs on this topic would be wildly appreciated!
FAMILY
We have a few really BIG family goals this year! Many of you know that we’re in the process of planning the build of Our Dream Home (or rather, the extra-large-scale renovation)—to be complete later this year! Ideally by next fall. This is such a huge wish come true, and we just want to take every step with wisdom, gratitude, and creativity. The style will be Coastal Modern Farmhouse, and I’ll be tracking every step of the way over on Instagram! This incredible home is our #1 goal!
My second major goal is a bit more personal and involves my intentional quest for better balance with work and motherhood. To be clear, I don’t believe perfect balance exists, and I find that life, work, and my season with kiddos are constantly changing! But I always know in my gut when a certain approach isn’t working. For the past seven years, I have worked through most of the years, part-time, in some capacity—freelance writing and editing for various companies—though I’ve taken big chunks off, too! For quite a stretch recently, including while writing my book and through COVID times, I have had no set structure for all of my many work hours. I mean: NONE! I have risen early, stayed up late, and pounded away during naptimes, done anything to just get it done. And this worked! Until… it didn’t. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment, but with book deadlines looming and other fun projects mounting, Doug and I had a come-to-Jesus moment as I felt myself start to really and truly burn out. I needed to make a schedule. And so, for 2021, I will be working on Tuesdays and Thursdays! I can’t even tell you the peace this brings me, just knowing I can compartmentalize things a bit, and be present where I’m needed when I need to be all-the-way-in. I’ll let y’all know how this goes!
Finally, I want to go on at least one family vacation this year. We’ve had to cancel several trips within the last year, but we’ve also escaped a few times. We’ll see what we can make happen with the ever-evolving state of things, especially here in California.
FIRM
“Firm? Huh? What’s that?” Don’t stress, guys, this one just means WORK! Firm as in business, or whatever you might consider a work-like endeavor or hobby. In 2021, I want to launch my first book. Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it! This is such a culmination of lifelong visions and dreams for me. I am so giddy to share it with you. I want to release it with all my love, and open hands. I want to remember that the outcome is not up to me, and all I can give is my best as unto the Lord. I want to listen as readers tell me what my book means to them; I want to thank God for bringing me here and remember He’ll always be faithful. I have some secondary, super-fun work goals as well, but my contemporary romantic women’s fiction novel tops the list!
FITNESS
First of all, find me on Peloton if you’re a member! I’m @StephanieNMack, same as my Instagram handle. I haven’t identified specific output goals or anything yet, but I plan to! For now, I have a goal to do at least three rides per week: one 20-minute ride, one 30-minute ride, and one 45- or 60-minute ride. I find that the variety builds my endurance and also gives me important, more restorative days. Cody Rigsby is still my favorite instructor with his LOL one-liners and killer playlists, but I’m also on a Kendall kick! She is so motivating, gorgeous, and strong! Also, she went to USC, and I learned recently that she has OCD as well as clinically diagnosed anxiety and depression. This just made me love her more! I’m obsessed with seeing people push through their deep, dark struggles to rise up, shine, and inspire thousands of others. Fine, it straight-up just makes me cry! (I cry a lot on my Peloton.)
For fitness, I would also like to keep making strength training and weights a priority. GAH. I honestly (still, but especially lately!) hate lifting weights, and doing burpies and squats. I really do. But all of these makes me feel so much stronger, so I’m slapping them on the goal list!
FINANCES
I saw a quote recently that hit me so unbelievably hard: “What does it take to blow $10,000 a year? Just $27.40 a day in miscellaneous spending. Yep.” I would like to cut my miscellaneous spending way downin 2021. I will be the first to admit that my tap-happy, fashion-loving, make-up-junkie fingers got a bit carried away in 2020. Between being stuck at home and the temptation to numb-out with online shopping, I spent more than I would have liked on plenty of things I didn’t need. (Nope! Didn’t need three faux fur coats or those five gorgeous Free People dresses because, well, #2020.) I want to be slower and much more thoughtful before I enter that credit card number. I might even delete ApplePay!
Additionally, we want to make the wisest decisions possible with the new house and not exceed our set budget! I know this will be so difficult (but that tile! those faucets!)—but also will be so necessary. We don’t want to go into more debt. We’d also like to save more. And GIVE more!
FUN
What do I want to do for FUN this year?! So many things! But I’ll pick just one. I really want to go on a girls’ trip. I’ve done at least one girls’ trip per year, no husbands, no kids, since I can remember, but it didn’t happen in 2020 for obvious reasons. I’m hopeful that things will be open enough at some point in 2021 for me to convene with some lifelong besties for deep talks, bright sunshine, belly laughter, and actual hugs. I think La Quinta and Scottsdale are both fabulous options!
And this about wraps it up, friends! I hope this was fresh and fun. Wishing you all the best year!
Based in Orange County, California, Stephanie Mack is a longtime writer, wife to one, and mom of three little girls. She has been blogging at MOMentary Insanity® since 2014. Her work has also been featured on Scary Mommy, Faithit, Coffee + Crumbs, and more. She holds a Master of Professional Writing degree from USC. When We Blinked is her debut novel.
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In 2024, one specific piece of writing advice has persisted in reaching my ears. Through the Booked Solid podcast, landing my dream agent, and my ever-trustworthy author friends, the message echoes: Get out of the slush pile.