Happy New year! It’s that time of year when we set our 2022 goals, and reflect on what we learned this past year. I’m not a huge fan of resolutions, because we tend to keep them for a week then revert back to our old ways. For that reason, I’m a big believer in setting GOALS as opposed to making resolutions. Looking back at this year, I accomplished a few I set last year as well.
2021 was QUITE the year, and I know 2022 will only be that much better. I started 2021 in a weird state of mind. I hated my job and worked in a toxic environment, had bad people in my life, and was desperately trying to start our family. Generally speaking, I’m a happy person, but I was not in a happy place in my life. (If this is something you struggle with as well, check out my post on 5 self-improvement tips for a happy life.)
What I learned in 2021
I’m a big believer in the Law of Attraction. Ever since I read The Secret, I became obsessed with the concept and often find it in other books I read. It’s actually pretty easy to master when you view the glass as half full and prefer an optimistic approach to life. However, last year I was feeling beaten down and finding it extremely difficult to find that sense of optimism that normally came so easily. It was difficult to channel the good and believe in it when I felt so stuck where I was both professionally and personally.
One of the concepts of the law of attraction is to make space for what you really want in your life and the rest will follow. I also believe at some point we get so fed up with our own shit that we can’t help but do just that, and we take a leap of faith. And I did so in more ways than one.
At the end of April, I quit my job of 5+ years. I was unhappy in the environment for quite some time, and I knew that it was affecting my personal life. Quitting a job may sound simple to some, but let’s just say that it wasn’t the nicest departure. The news was received with A LOT of negativity, and we will leave it at that because that’s all the situation deserves. Regardless, I was all in. I was unsure if my next venture would work out and unsure of certain “friendships,” but I was more than sure I was making the right decision in leaving. I walked away in spite of it all, and I’ve never looked back.
And it was by far the BEST decision I made.
I started my new remote role in May and immediately found more happiness. Not in the job itself per se, but in the work-life balance that working remote afforded me. All jobs have their shit, so believe me when I say I don’t believe there is a perfect or saving grace. However, you have to know what you want out of it in order to best serve yourself. If someone cant do that for you, then why sacrifice what you truly want by staying?
By June, I was relaxing and settling into my new lifestyle. Steven and I received great news regarding the family we were looking to start and found out after doing some testing that everything was perfectly fine with us both. To be specific, we found this out on June 23rd, which happened to be the exact date of ovulation according to my apps. However, June was the first month in a year that I didn’t pee on ovulation sticks. I was tired and just wanted to spend time with and enjoy my life with my Husband. I felt more relaxed, way less anxious, and genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.
While my testing came back great, my Doctor told me I had a polyp and septate in my uterus, and to increase my chances of getting pregnant I could have them removed. While I’m not a big fan of anything surgical, I moved forward and scheduled it because we were ready to start our family. My outpatient surgery was scheduled for July 23rd, so you can imagine my complete surprise when I found out we were pregnant on July 8th.
The one month I let go and didn’t use ovulation sticks, the moment I gave it to God and the Universe, is the exact month that it happened. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it happened to be right after leaving a very toxic work environment either. At the risk of being too religious, there are moments in life where you have absolute clarity and belief in God, and know that he’s been watching over you and listening to your prayers. This was 100% one of those moments for me. I had prayed so hard to avoid surgery, to get pregnant naturally, and it happened the moment I least expected it.
Now obviously I don’t think you should run out, quit your job, and get pregnant the next month lol. For some, it may not be the wisest way to do things. For me, I think it was the only way it was possible. You have to make space for the things that you want. If you want to start a business, grow your family, make more money, whatever your goal is look at what exactly is holding you back. In my instance, I can’t say it was the job itself. Rather it was my being so unbelievably unhappy with it and forcing myself to stay.
Make a move, believe in yourself, and the Universe will move with you!
2022 Goals
The thing with goals is they really have no meaning or measure unless you make them measurable. I typically like to set SMART goals, which is something I took away with me from a former employer. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Otherwise, you end with something like I want to lose weight, but you don’t identify how much, by when, the means to do so, etc. Oftentimes our goals are also unrealistic, meaning you dont want to say I’m going to lose 100 pounds in 3 months. Instead, you could set a goal to lose 100 pounds in 12, if that were your goal. I have a list of personal goals and professional goals, but these are a few of both that impact my daily life.
Cooking meals at home
This one is an easy transition for me after being pregnant because while I didn’t have a ton of cravings, I had a TON of food aversions. I love Chik fil A and rarely ate it because I could just FEEL the sodium in my body after I ate it. This was the case with many things, and on random days I just couldn’t look at chicken or steak and wanted vegetarian options. Or carbs. I also feel this will happen somewhat naturally seeing as baby boy is due in March, and we will more than likely be spending a lot of time at home the first few months especially. I plan to cook 4 nights per week. I think that’s a realistic goal for myself personally, and I also feel it allows me leeway for take out or something quick the other 3 nights of the week when Im tired.
Lose My Baby Weight
This one is a goal for 2022, but one I cant start on right away. I’m due mid-March, and while little man has been very good to me as far as weight gain and placement, I have put on about 20 pounds currently with about 10 weeks left. I know they say babies grow a ton in the last couple of months and I can only expect I’ll add a few more pounds as well. Honestly, the weight gain hasn’t bothered me like I thought it would. I just look at it as a sign that our little guy is growing and very healthy. However, I do plan to lose it as fast as possible. Primarily because as a “fashion blogger,” my outfits have really sucked the past few months lol. I try to get creative with leggings and wear a lot of stretchy dresses, I just don’t like being limited in my selection. I’ve also never craved a pair of jeans so badly, and maternity jeans DO NOT cut it. I’ve been stalking Revolve for months picking out all the cute tops and dresses I cant wait to wear this Summer. I’ve also added so many cute bikinis to my carts because I cant wait to hit the beach and take our little guy to the water. I do plan to breastfeed/pump for at least 6 months if possible, which should help with burning some of the calories. This one is a bit unknown to me due to the circumstance. I would like to be back to my pre-baby weight by the end of July, but I’m also going to do what’s best for him. I do plan to work out regularly again once cleared, with either at-home workouts or classes at the gym 4 times per week. We will see how I feel once the baby is here, because I may have some serious separation anxiety!
Get Back to Blogging Consistently
2021 was clearly a year of a LOT of change for me, and unfortunately blogging and social media took a back seat for me. I love sharing my thoughts, style favorites, and affordable finds. I just struggled with any motivation this year what with all the change and pregnancy. Pregnancy has been great, I will never complain about this blessing I prayed so hard for. But my biggest struggle has been my energy levels and moving like I did pre-pregnancy. I plan to get back to a consistent schedule, including weekly blog posts, daily social posts, and a few other business goals I have up my sleeve. The best way for me to do this in the past is to batch content once per week. Otherwise, life happens and something always seems to get in the way. I can only imagine that will happen more frequently once we are a family of 3!
Date Night Out Once Per Month
We are BEYOND excited to grow our family, and cant wait to meet our little guy. However, I want to make sure we still have time for us to look forward to each month. Steven and I are big homebodies at heart, but I think it’s important for us to venture out just the two of us once per month for dinner or some sort of adventure. We are fortunate enough to have both of our families here, and a ton of help. Honestly, they’ll probably be begging us to babysit, so I’m not concerned about having a good babysitter we trust. My Grandma also told me don’t stop doing stuff just for you two, and recommended we take a weekend away together every 6 months. It sounds great now, but we will see how I feel once Baby Tanatra is here. 🙂
Wake up earlier, go to bed earlier
Eventually, LOL. With a newborn, I know nothing is off-limits, and I’m sure getting up earlier won’t be an issue. However I know we will be round the clock for a while, and I’m totally ok with that. However, once we start sleep training, I want to get into a routine of getting up earlier and going to bed earlier. I also started to time block my schedule to allow for workouts, work, family, and dinner, as well as time to work on our side hustles. It will be busy, but it’s attainable and I like to be busy. It makes me feel accomplished. I can’t say at what point this will be possible, but I do plan to achieve this by the end of 2022.
All in all, 2021. was so good to me. It was a lot of soul searching, cleansing, firsts, and time getting to know myself better than ever. I feel unbelievably grateful for every second, and I cant wait to see what 2022 brings.
What are your takeaways from 2021? What are some of your goals this year? Are you focused more on professional goals, personal, or both? Share yours with me below!
