1/8/2021
2020 really ruined my goal setting and plans for the year, as it did for everyone. As someone who is really goal-oriented, this flipped everything upside down for me. For 2021, I obviously still wanted to make some goals, but now I know how to manage my expectations a little better. So, here are my 21 goals for 2021.
- Read 1 book per week. My little brother did this last year, and I really do love reading. I just don’t make time for it. I have a lot of books that I want to read, and I have been loving finding gems in the library (for free!) so I want to incorporate this into my routine this year.
2. Read a daily devotional each morning. I found a super short devotional book on Amazon called “Be Still” and have been spending a few minutes reading it and dwelling in prayer each morning before I even check my phone, and it has been very grounding so far!
3. Decrease my screen time. I have had limits on all my social media apps for a long time, and actually do a pretty good job following them. This year, I have also set a limit on everything so that I cannot use my phone from 8 PM-7 AM daily, except for GPS and texts/calls. This has surprisingly freed up a lot of time for me so far, and I have been enjoying having quiet time before bed and when I wake up. I also have realized that I really don’t care as much as I thought about social media; I am not going to die if I miss some posts on Instagram.
4. Post a weekly blog post & YouTube video. This is obviously my first one! I go back and forth on being consistent on posting, and I really want to make it more of a priority for my schedule this year. I already have topics scheduled for several months, so stay tuned for many more posts!
5. Be able to run a 5k. Brandon and I used to run 5ks all the time, but I definitely cannot run the whole time. It’s more of a run/walk combo situation. I feel like it’s totally within my capabilities to actually run a full 3 miles without walking. When COVID first started and we were in quarantine I actually worked up to running a full mile in pretty good time (for me), and this year I want to end it even better!
6. Take daily walks with Nash (our adorable puppy). He is a golden retriever and he has a lot of energy so we want to make sure he has an outlet! We also love taking long walks and want him to be able to keep up with the distance. Hopefully this will be a little easier when the weather gets warmer (he hates the rain) and we live somewhere that has more walkability.
7. Go on a hike every weekend. We have been doing this for several months now, and we have LOVED it. But it will be even more fun now that we have a puppy to join us. We went on our first short trail hike with him last weekend, and it was glorious! We like to explore new places every time, and I just got hiking boots for Christmas, so I’m ready!
8. Workout twice a week. I like to do strength training in addition to all the cardio I’m getting from the walks/hikes. My goal is to do this twice a week this year. I usually follow YouTube videos, and I have several apps I like to use as well to guide me. Hoping that this gets easier when we have a more dedicated workout space if we move.
9. Finish didactic curriculum with a 4.0 GPA. I somehow, by some miracle have been able to maintain a perfect A average throughout pharmacy school so far, which I know is not that important in the grand scheme of things, but I would love to finish strong and keep that GPA going into rotations if possible.
10. Hang out with friends at least once a week. I get very wrapped up in studying and work during the semesters and sometimes forgo social opportunities. This year, I want to try to host more too! We did this way more when we first got married, but now we rarely have people over, which is sad!
11. Have smooth leadership transitions for all the professional organizations I am involved in. I am currently on two exec boards and will have to pass the reigns on this semester. I also will begin training the next President of the GPhA Student Leadership Board.
12. Make positive changes for student involvement in ACVP. I was recently appointed as a board member of this organization, and my main goal is to increase student involvement. I luckily have a committee helping me, and we are super excited to get going on all our various projects.
13. Start solid study habits for the NAPLEX. After didactic curriculum finishes up, the studying is NOT over. A lot of my P4 year will be devoted to studying for the licensing exams I will be taking right after graduation. Mercer gives us the RxPrep book and requires us to meet certain benchmarks throughout the year and I want to be sure I am very prepared!
14. Go to the beach with Nash! I think it is going to be so adorable to watch him play in the sand and waves. We are actually marking this one off early as we have a trip to Destin planned for MLK weekend with my family.
15. Rent an RV and take a weekend trip! We have looked at actually buying a little trailer one day because I am not a big fan of camping with actual tents on the ground, but being able to spend a weekend in the trees in a comfy indoor space sounds great! It’s not super expensive to rent a driveable RV for a few nights, so hopefully, we will try it this Summer.
16. Move to a house with a yard! I’ve already mentioned several other goals that are somewhat tied to this one, so this one is obviously a big priority for us. We have been looking at rental houses/townhouses for a few weeks now, and are still waiting to find the perfect fit. Now that we have a puppy, the thought of a little bit bigger space and a big contained outdoor space for him to run around in sounds AWESOME.
17. Apply for a receive a scholarship! Every year, I apply for a ton of scholarships. I don’t get a lot of them, but sometimes I actually am chosen for one or two. I would love to get a new one this year to help offset some costs for the last 1.5 years of school.
18. Be creative for one hour a week. I really want to write, draw, or dream about things totally unrelated to school more. I find that I become more creative when I am not focused on school work during breaks, and I like that version of myself, so I want to start incorporating it into my routine.
19. Take Nash to training classes. He is already very well behaved (he came that way!) but I want him to learn some tricks and good behavior in various settings. He has his first class next week, so wish us luck!
20. Get research published! I had one study published in 2020 and it was so exhilarating! I am working on several other projects right now that I would love to find a journal to publish in 2021.
21. Go on a date with Brandon once a week. We have had this in place for quite a while, and it is one of our favorite parts of the week. We spend a good amount of time together, but setting special time in our schedule for a nice dinner or outing is always very important to us and our relationship. We will be celebrating 3 years of marriage and 7 years of dating this year!
