Category: Big Goals

Life settled a little this week with the girls returning to academic courses and athletic practices. If you had asked me last March if we would still be working virtually in a year, I would have laughed out loud. But, here we are. I continue to be amazed by the innovation and creativity that our teachers demonstrate as well as the positivity and resilience that our students bring. While this remains less than ideal, I remain positive that we can use what we have learned to transform the future of education to reach more learners.

Amidst it all, I am thankful.
* Thankful for platforms that allow long chats with my daughter in college.
* Thankful for live stream athletics so I can watch my girls’ athletic contests.
* Thankful for students and families who remain positive and give 100%.
* Thankful for my professional PLC who share innovative ideas.
* Thankful for friends who make me smile.
* Thankful for the ability to exercise – it’s my therapy.

01: Get 6 – 7 Hours of Sleep Each Night {Status: 33/35}

This week, I nailed this goal.
Bedtime: How early is too early? Asking for a friend.

02: Learn Calligraphy

With multiple swim meets and lacrosse games (all away, of course), I did not even think about this goal. In fact, it has taken all weekend to catch up on emails!

03: Purge 1000 items {Status: 299/1000}

Still pruning my email lists. 9 more have been deleted!

04: Organize the Attic 

Today, two items are going into attic storage. I will use this opportunity to bring down a couple of boxes.

05: Read 100 Books, including ALL of the DBC books. {Status: 08/100}

Definitely need to pick up the pace on this goal!

In Progress
(1) Radical Candor | Scott {Professional Growth}
(2) Culturally Responsive School Leadership | Khalifa {Professional Growth}
(3) Hacking Questions {Professional Growth}

Complete:
Pleasure Reading: 8 books.

06: Try 52 New Recipes {Status: 04/52}

This week, I fell short on this goal. But, this weekend is the Superbowl. I’m hoping that we whip up a couple of yummy dishes!

07: Get in Shape

Here are some specific action steps that I took this week:

I continued the Running Challenge {Run for America, 1/1/21 – 3/14/21}
This week, I have accumulated 156.4km of my 250km goal. I did slow down a little…it was either cold or rainy (or both) this week.

On Friday, the Valentine’s Day Challenge opened. This one was a surprise.
Of course, I did it!

For another week, I closed the Activity Ring every. single. day. Some days, I closed them twice. The body is an amazing masterpiece.

08: #OneMonthGoals with Michael Matera

Last year, I joined Michael Matera on his #OneMonthGoals journey. I ran every single day for a month – and it was glorious. This year, I am committed to selecting (and sticking with) one new goal each month, which I will document here.

January 2021: Day 31 of my Run Streak! {Done!}
February 2021: Track my meals on Lose It App

09: Write/Send 52 notes/cards {Status: 6/52}

Need to get off of the computer and start writing notes!

10: Maintain a weekly blog {5/52}

Here I am!

11: Simplify my life

As we inch closer to returning to F2F learning, I am working diligently to carve ways to maintain a lifestyle that has protected time to pursue these goals.

I’m open to other ideas on how to simplify my life… send them my way.

12: Organize my mother’s photographs

Still sitting there… laughing at me.

Secret Goals! 

• Secret Goal #1: This one is starting to take shape…
• Secret Goal #2: Parts of this one were assembled this week…
• Secret Goal #3: I have sketched out a paper/pencil plan for this…
• Secret Goal #4: I might just switch this one…

How are your goals going?

Cheers, Holly

This week was filled with emotions – some expected and others caught us by surprise.

While walking our dogs on Tuesday night, my husband heard a horrific car crash – squalling tires, the crunch of a vehicle flipping multiple times, and ear-piercing screams. Knowing that our daughter had driven out of our neighborhood just minutes before, my husband sped off north…not know how far away the crash happened. One mile north, my husband found the accident – a two-car collision where a car, entering the highway, clipped a second vehicle, causing it to slide and flip six times. Tragically, the second vehicle – the one that flipped – included three of my daughter’s classmates. The girl in the backseat of the Jeep, who was thrown from the flipping vehicle, is a teammate of my girls (swimming & across), and she is the most seriously injured. We spent a considerable amount of this week distracted as we navigated this tragic news and the medical updates that her family shared.

This week’s tragic events (and wintery weather and positive CV19 tests) cancelled the opening of LAX season for B.

However, A’s collegiate swim team opened their season on Saturday with a triple-dual meet against two rivals. Admittedly, A was nervous…but, she survived! She swam a 1500m warmup followed by three competitive swims (1000m, 50m, and 500m) and a 300m cooldown. While I am immensely proud of her performance {I mean, who swims 3000m on a Saturday because you love it?}, her 50m PR is a nice bonus!

01: Get 6 – 7 Hours of Sleep Each Night {Status: 26/28}

While most of my week was on track, I struggled to sleep the night of the accident knowing that my girls were sitting – phones in hand – as they awaited updates on the status of their dear friend. I tossed in agony thinking about the long hours and uncertainty that the families were facing. It was a long night…

02: Learn Calligraphy

Still hanging out… this might have to wait until summertime?

03: Purge 1000 items {Status: 290/1000}

This week, the following items from my home found new homes:

Closet purge: 13 items gone!

Oh, and I removed myself from 17 more email lists.

04: Organize the Attic 

Since it snowed this week, we avoided the attic… Next week, maybe.

05: Read 100 Books, including ALL of the DBC books. {Status: 07/100}

This week, I learned that I earned two free downloads from Amazon! I took full advantage, and I even embraced their recommendations due to my previous reads. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, and I am quickly turning virtual pages on the second!

In Progress
(1) Radical Candor | Scott {Professional Growth}
(2) Culturally Responsive School Leadership | Khalifa {Professional Growth}

Complete:
Pleasure Reading: 7 books.

06: Try 52 New Recipes {Status: 04/52}

My girl is trying to swap some of her snacks for healthier alternatives. As a result, she whipped up Energy Balls! Delish! (Although, since they are not on my Nutritional Plan, I only tasted one…but I could have eaten the entire dish!)

07: Get in Shape

Week 4: I have a 28-day food logging streak on Lose It….and, it turns out, Lose It rewards me with some nifty little badges, too!

Here are some specific action steps that I took this week:

I continued the Running Challenge {Run for America, 1/1/21 – 3/14/21} This week, I have accumulated 156.4km of my 250km goal. I did slow down a little…it was either cold or rainy (or both) this week.

On Friday, the Groundhog Day challenge opened. Of course, I did it!

I earned another nifty January badge!

For another week, I closed the Activity Ring every. single. day. Some days, I closed them twice. The body is an amazing masterpiece.

08: #OneMonthGoals with Michael Matera

Last year, I joined Michael Matera on his #OneMonthGoals journey. I ran every single day for a month – and it was glorious. This year, I am committed to selecting (and sticking with) one new goal each month, which I will document here.

January 2020: Day 31 of my Run Streak! {Done!}

09: Write/Send 52 notes/cards {Status: 6/52}

I sent A a gift package in college. I can remember receiving surprise mail, and in a world that relies on text messages, I thought a fun package would be a fun change of pace!

I have started writing notes to every single one of my Earth Science students. That’s 72 students. I just might meet this goal this week!

10: Maintain a weekly blog {4/52}

I do have a few items for professional posts in the hopper. Stay tuned!

11: Simplify my life

This week, my devoted hour to my afternoon runs was sacred, and it took more energy that I anticipated to protect that time. This is part of my simplification plan, so it stays!

I’m open to other ideas on how to simplify my life… send them my way.

12: Organize my mother’s photographs

Yeah… about this goal.

Secret Goals! 

• Secret Goal #1: This one is starting to take shape…
• Secret Goal #2: Parts of this one were assembled this week…
• Secret Goal #3: I have sketched out a paper/pencil plan for this…
• Secret Goal #4: I might just switch this one…

How are your goals going?

Cheers, Holly

Professionally, this was a short week – but, goodness, it was packed! Work presented a FULL calendar with back to back to back meetings, many of which inspired me to connect with educators who are doing incredible work and create professional learning opportunities for the teachers that I serve. While my “List of Tasks” is considerably longer than I’d like for it to be, I am so excited to get started!

On Monday, we dropped A off at college. CV19 cut the fall semester short, so our fingers are crossed that the spring semester will be complete. After two CV19 tests, she was cleared for classes – which remain virtual for the first two weeks. Swim practice, however, started with no hesitation. I think that she has experienced all of the feelings this week – overwhelm (remember the first glance at a college syllabus?), nervous about new courses/professors, struggle to adjust to a new routine, and physically sore from three hour workouts (water, land, and weights). At least she is not having any trouble going to sleep at night!

My youngest, B, is knee deep in TWO varsity sports. CV19 adjusted all of the athletic calendars, so her two sports are happening at the same time. Her twelve hour days include school + 2.5 hour practice + 3-4 hour games. Once you add work to that schedule, her calendar is full, too!

01: Get 6 – 7 Hours of Sleep Each Night {Status: 20/21}

My new nutritional routine + increased mileage on my runs + a great book as part of my nighttime routine = Great sleep! Many days, I am waking before my alarm clock. I had no idea how much I relied on caffeine to provide energy and alertness – artificially. Having removed caffeine from my daily nutritional habits (no diet soda or coffee), I actually have MORE energy. Equally important, I recognize when my body is telling me to go to bed!

02: Learn Calligraphy

Still on the back burner…but I’m thinking about it more.

03: Purge 1000 items {Status: 260/1000}

This week, the following items from my home found new homes:
Books (15), Household items (15), and clothes (30). I love how my girls will create social media posts and sell their gently used clothes. I wish I had the time and energy, but I’m way too eager for items to leave my house! Oh, and I removed myself from 12 more email lists.

04: Organize the Attic 

There are several items waiting to go back into the attic, but I think that this means a few things have to leave. But, it’s so chilly… Next week, maybe.

05: Read 100 Books, including ALL of the DBC books. {Status: 05/100}

There is something so soothing about drifting to sleep with some pleasure reads!

In Progress
(1) Radical Candor | Scott {Professional Growth}
(2) Culturally Responsive School Leadership | Khalifa {Professional Growth}

Complete:
Pleasure Reading: 5 books.

06: Try 52 New Recipes {Status: 03/52}

Not a new recipe, but I did try a new food. My nutritional plan – Fast Metabolism Diet – calls for fresh fruits five days/week. While traveling on Monday, I failed to pack fresh fruits. At various stops, I was unable to find fruit that looked fresh enough to purchase…but, I did happen upon this gem: That’s It Fruit Bars. I enjoyed the Apple/Strawberry one, which boasts one apple + 12 strawberries in one bar. No added sugars. No preservatives. Allergy-Free. It fit into my nutritional plan AND satisfied my sweet tooth after staring at an entire aisle of chocolates. I have already ordered a box to have on hand!

07: Get in Shape

Week 3: I have a 21-day food logging streak on Lose It. I leaned into my accountability partners for help on low-carb breakfasts – as I still struggle to add a lot of vegetables to my AM routine. After two weeks without soda, coffee, and excess sugar, I have moved from withdrawals where I was yearning for a sugar hit to increased energy and lower cravings. As of this morning, the scale reports 6.5 pounds lost.

Here are some specific action steps that I took this week:

I continued the Running Challenge {Run for America, 1/1/21 – 3/14/21} This week, I have accumulated 119.0km of my 100km goal. In fact, I was pretty excited to earn my 100km badge… isn’t it sweet?
I took a leap and extended my goal to 250km by March 14.

I finally earned my January 2021 badge – which required 88.6 miles of steps!

Lastly, I closed the Activity Ring every. single. day. Some days, I closed them twice. The body is an amazing masterpiece.

08: #OneMonthGoals with Michael Matera

Last year, I joined Michael Matera on his #OneMonthGoals journey. I ran every single day for a month – and it was glorious. This year, I am committed to selecting (and sticking with) one new goal each month, which I will document here.

January 2020: Day 23 of my Run Streak!

09: Write/Send 52 notes/cards {Status: 5/52}

I sent a congratulatory note to my dear friend who is moving from elementary school teacher to instructional technology facilitator. She’s an awesome educator, and I am tickled that she is joining our team!

10: Maintain a weekly blog {3/52}

I do have a few items for professional posts in the hopper. Stay tuned!

11: Simplify my life

This week, I booked appointments with myself to get started on some larger, more intensive projects. Creating boundaries for myself ruffled some feathers of my colleagues, who, I guess, think that I sit in my office all day on social media? I don’t know? Regardless, I was quite productive this week – and, I also did very little work outside of office hours.

I’m open to other ideas on how to simplify my life… send them my way.

12: Organize my mother’s photographs

Yeah… about this goal. They are sitting in a pile still laughing at me.

Secret Goals! 

• Secret Goal #1: This one is starting to take shape…
• Secret Goal #2: Parts of this one were assembled this week…
• Secret Goal #3: I have sketched out a paper/pencil plan for this…
• Secret Goal #4: I might just switch this one…

How are your goals going?

Cheers, Holly

January 14: Progress {Week 2/52}

Week two returned me to work full time (and potential changes) + graduate school + fulltime classes for my kiddos… but, I do appreciate this list in keeping my goals in focus!

01: Get 6 – 7 Hours of Sleep Each Night {13/14}

What a great week of evening routines resulted in great sleep! I have settled in with entertaining, pleasure books, allowing myself to drift into a natural bedtime. This week, I implemented a new nutrition plan – and, while this was a huge challenge, it impacted my sleep in a positive way. In kicking my caffeine habit, I am waking up in advance of my alarm clock – making getting out of bed much easier!

02: Learn Calligraphy

No growth here this week…. but, I have an extra day off next week! All eyes are on this!

03: Purge 1000 items {188/1000}

WOW! My inbox is so much easier to manage! But, I’m still deleting…

Digital Clutter: Unsubscribed from 44 more email lists

I also have a huge pile to itemize and take to our local donation center.

04: Organize the Attic 

My oldest is busy packing to return to college – and, this level of packing creates more clutter than I like to see in common spaces. I did not add to it by dragging boxes from the attic!

05: Read 100 Books, including ALL of the DBC books. {5/100}

There is something so soothing about drifting to sleep with some pleasure reads!

In Progress
(1) Radical Candor | Scott {Professional Growth}

Complete:
Pleasure Reading: 5 books.

06: Try 52 New Recipes {2/52}

Our most recent cold snap meant that we all craved huge, piping hot bowls of rich, filling stew! My dear hubby whipped up a variation of Brunswick Stew, and, wow, was it delicious! Served with oyster crackers and a Netflix marathon, we braved the cold!

07: Get in Shape

Week 2 and still going. I have a 14-day food logging streak on Lose It, and I am connected to several friends who hold me accountable through sharing successes, cheering me on when I feel defeated, and swapping recipes. This week, I also overhauled my nutritional plan, following the Fast Metabolism Diet. I planned and tracked every single meal, and finally, on Wednesday, the needle on the scale started to move in the downward direction.

Here are some specific action steps that I took this week:

I continued the Running Challenge {Run for America, 1/1/21 – 3/14/21} This week, I have accumulated 81.0km of my 100km goal. Given this milestone, I am really considering increasing my goal to 250 km. What do you think?

I do love my Apple Watch as I am strangely motivated by badges. January 2021 was no different! This one felt tough – but, it’s done!

Third, I closed the Activity Ring every. single. day. Something about seeing those little rings close every day motivates me!

08: #OneMonthGoals with Michael Matera

This month’s goal is to run daily. Nailed it!

January 2020: Run daily.
January 1 – 14: Ran daily and logged 81.0km. See above.

09: Write/Send 52 notes/cards {4/52}

I really need to write a few this week! Maybe I’ll send a care package to Girl #1 in college!

10: Maintain a weekly blog {2/52}

Here I am!

11: Simplify my life

I took a critical look at my calendar and the tasks that go in it. I intentionally batched tasks based on their cognitive requirement. This practice resulted in insane productivity – and, I was able to “eat the frog” on several projects. It turns out, they only looked more monumental than they really were. One of these huge projects is 1/3 of the way complete!

I’m open to other ideas on how to simplify my life… send them my way.

12: Organize my mother’s photographs

I was able to scan, organize, and label 1.5 shoeboxes of photos. That’s a start, right?

Secret Goals! 

• Secret Goal #1: This one is starting to take shape…
• Secret Goal #2: Parts of this one were assembled this week…
• Secret Goal #3: I have sketched out a paper/pencil plan for this…
• Secret Goal #4

How are you 2021 goals going?

Do you have a WOY2021?

Cheers, Holly

January 7: Progress {Week 1/52}

One week in, and I have jumped into my goals 100%!

01: Get 6 – 7 Hours of Sleep Each Night {6/7}

I nailed this goal as a result of the intentional implementation of earlier dinners, an evening routine that incorporates winding down, and an earlier lights-out bedtime. I found that I woke up with more energy, and I relied less on caffeine. The only tough day was the first day back at work after Winter Break, namely because I could not go to sleep on time! Does anyone else struggle with transitions in their daily schedules?

02: Learn Calligraphy

I have decided to learn Calligraphy on paper and on my iPad. This week, I downloaded ProCreate as a platform to practice. I’m searching for creative youtube or Instagram channels to follow to learn more as well as some brushes to download to practice using this program. Does anyone have tips?

03: Purge 1000 items {145/1000}

Decluttering includes more than just physical clutter! It can include digital and mental clutter, too! This week, I removed the following items from my sight… and, I already feel so much cleaner!

Digital Clutter: Unsubscribed from 122 email lists that no longer brought me joy (most, I rarely opened!) and tossed
10 paper calendars (let’s be honest, 2020 was not the year for the planner…)
1 candle
1 pair of shoes
1 notebook
3 binders
7 books

04: Organize the Attic 

We have experienced a very, very cold snap in our area, which makes our attic miserable. We do, however, go into the attic from time to time, as we plan to bring down one box with every trip to start chipping away at this project. In the meantime, I have plenty of boxes in other places that need my attention.

05: Read 100 Books, including ALL of the DBC books. {3/100}

I love to read, and I tend to oscillate between deep nonfiction reads that focus on education, business growth, or personal growth and entertaining fiction. I’m setting this goal again this year… so please, share your most favorite reads!

In Progress
(1) Radical Candor | Scott {Professional Growth}

Complete:
Pleasure Reading: 3 books.

06: Try 52 New Recipes {1/52}

One of our favorite local restaurants specializes in Poke Bowls. This week, my dear husband perfected a reproduction of my favorite dish – with fresh seafood, vegetables, crunchy onions, and a sauce that makes you want to lick the bowl! Not only are we able to control our portion sizes and ingredients, but this is a huge savings to the wallet! Triple win!

07: Get in Shape

Beginning January 1, I embraced logging all of my meals in the Lose It app, exercising for at least 30 minutes, meeting my active calorie goal (per my Apple watch), and moving at least 10,000 steps (running at least one mile of that distance) each day. While I met each of the goals nearly every day, the needle on the scale was moving in the wrong direction. Have I already failed 5 days into my goals? I perservered. Finally, on day 7, the scale took a downward turn.

Here are some specific action steps that I took this week:

I signed up for a Running (er, Walking/Jogging) Challenge {Run for America, 1/1/21 – 3/14/21} This week, I logged 44.9km of my 100km goal. Given this milestone, I may up my milestone to 250 km by March 14. Should I?

Part of this running challenge includes mini-races embedded within the overall challenge. This week, I completed the Winter Warmup: Resolution 5K. And, despite walking the majority of it, I managed to finish 2nd in my age group! A girl can celebrate!

Third, I closed the Activity Ring every. single. day. I still have no idea why I am so motivated by these silly rings. I’m well on my way to meeting both the New Year’s Challenge and January Challenge for Apple Watch! More badges!

08: #OneMonthGoals with Michael Matera

This month’s goal is to run daily. Nailed it!

January 2020: Run daily.
January 1 – 7: Ran daily and logged 44.9km. See above.

09: Write/Send 52 notes/cards {4/52}

This week, I dropped notes into the boxes of the teachers who won my December 12 Days of Techmas and a quick thank you note to the daughter of a sweet friend who baked, decorated, and hand-delivered some pretty amazing Gingerbread cookies! What coastal girl doesn’t love a Ginger Woman dressed in an icing bikini? Bring on summer!

10: Maintain a weekly blog {1/52}

Here I am!

11: Simplify my life

This week at work, I lived by my calendar. I scheduled my time deliberately, and, I am working on creating boundaries in this area. I am finding that I can either control my day or allow the day to control me. The more control I have over my calendar, the simpler my day feels.

I really don’t know how this goal will manifest itself over the year, but life feels pretty amazing right now.

12: Organize my mother’s photographs

Absolutely no progress in this area this week. I think the boxes are laughing at me. I am also feeling the need to purchase a newer scanner to help this project along.

Secret Goals! 

• Secret Goal #1: This one is starting to take shape…
• Secret Goal #2: Parts of this one were assembled this week…
• Secret Goal #3: I have sketched out a paper/pencil plan for this…
• Secret Goal #4

How are you 2021 goals going?

Do you have a WOY2021?

Cheers, Holly

After a year like 2020, I struggle to justify the need for a calendar, planner, or a grand list of Big Goals. Despite the uncertainty that 2020 brought, I reflect to recognize that 2020 was a year of significant change – for my family and for me, professionally. I learned an enormous amount about myself, gained professional knowledge on the fly, and embraced a more relaxed lifestyle than I have in many, many years. With 2021 right around the corner, I am at a crossroads of decisions: What stays in 2020? What new practices from 2020 will join me in 2021?

01: Get 6 – 7 Hours of Sleep Each Night

As I get older, I am shifting from a night owl to a morning person – if, and only if, I get the right amount of sleep! I also find that my most productive time of the day is the morning. I love to workout in the mornings, too. So, my goal is to hit the hay earlier so that I can maximize my physical and mental productivity every morning!

02: Learn Calligraphy

I have had a calligraphy set for over two years, and I have made no progress in this area. This is the year to set aside time for myself to learn a new skill. Who knows? Maybe I’ll become good at this?

03: Purge 1000 items

In 2020, I removed an enormous amount of STUFF from my house. Clothes, stuffed animals, holiday decor, magazines. You name it, and I had held on to it for no apparent reason. In fact, I even apologized to my husband for packing some items up and moving them into our new home. No more! This year, I tackle the cluttered sunroom and attic! Can I purge 1000 items again? I’m going to try!

04: Organize the Attic 

Once the weather warms up a bit, I hope to finish this task that we started in Fall 2020.

05: Read 100 Books, including ALL of the DBC books.

I love to read, and I tend to oscillate between deep nonfiction reads that focus on education, business growth, or personal growth and entertaining fiction. I’m setting this goal again this year… so please, share your most favorite reads!

In Progress
(1) Radical Candor | Scott {Professional Growth}

I am intentionally taking my Professional growth books slowly so I can savor, learn, and integrate these reads into my life. I hope to blog about my books as I enjoy them!

06: Try 52 New Recipes

Start sharing your favorite recipes so I can try them out!

07: Get in Shape

This one is a BIG one, and it the one that I am the most committing to completing. The Apple Watch and I are going to become really close buddies this year as I vow to move for at least 30 minutes every day. Every. Single Day. I am giving myself the flexibility to allow this one to evolve as the year progresses, so stay tuned to see what this looks like. Who says you can’t be fit in your 40s?

08: #OneMonthGoals with Michael Matera

Two years ago, I joined Michael Matera on his #OneMonthGoals journey. I ran every single day for a month – and it was glorious. This year, I am committed to selecting (and sticking with) one new goal each month, which I will document here.

January 2020: Run daily.

09: Write/Send 52 notes/cards

Who doesn’t love receiving a handwritten note? I am really looking forward to this goal!

10: Maintain a weekly blog

Despite not meeting my blogging goal last year, I’m jumping back into the saddle for 2021. I’d love for you to share which topics you’d like to read more about!

11: Simplify my life

The slower pace of life during CV19 has allowed me to truly enjoy life. This year, I hope to weave some of these lifestyle changes into the new me. I do not know what this looks like, so check back often to see how this evolves!

12: Organize my mother’s photographs

I have inherited thousands of photographs that belonged to my late mother. Knowing that both my sister and I wish to have access, I plan to organize and save in a labeled, digital library. Maybe I’ll even create a bound book of photographs or recipes when I am done!

Secret Goals! 

• Secret Goal #1
• Secret Goal #2
• Secret Goal #3
• Secret Goal #4

What are your goals for 2021?

Live my #WOTY2021 … Invest

Cheers, Holly

My Big Goals for 2020

In setting these super big goals for the year, I committed to weekly pulse checks to measure my progress. With no quite one week under my belt, here’s where I stand. How are your goals going? What are you doing to stay motivated?

01: Get 6 – 7 Hours of Sleep Each Night

Since I am still on our holiday break from school, this has not been a problem. That said, this week will be my first ‘test’ – new habits are coming!

02: Save Money

One debt has been paid off, allowing me to rollover that cash into a second debt. Fingers are crossed that my HVAC unit continues to hold out – as replacing one debt with a different one is not on my list! When I was running on Thursday morning, it did not sound happy 🙁

03: Learn Calligraphy

I’m setting up my iPad today. I promise. No really. I am.

04: Purge 1000 items {Status: 62/2000}

In putting away Christmas decorations and tidying up after the holidays, I have been purging without abandon. So, I an reporting lots of success in this department this week by donating high school science books, clothes, and holiday decorations.
This week, the following items from my home found new homes:
Clothes (26), Books (8), Decorative Boxes (3), Candles (1), Holiday decorations (3), Beauty supplies (20), and Cleaning supplies (1)

Current Status: 62/1000 items out of my house!

05: Organize the Attic

Slight – very slight – progress in this area this week. I purged our Christmas decorations as they were packed to go back in the attic. Plus, we intentionally placed the holiday decorations together in one spot in the attic. This will give us a place to start when I dive deeply into this project.

06: Read 100 Books, including ALL of the DBC books. {Status: 02/100}

Some fun, nonfiction reading during the holiday break towards my 100 book goal.

(1) Don’t Lie to Me | Willow Rose {Fun Read}
(2) The Last Thing She Ever Did | Gregg Olson {Fun Read}

In Progress
(3) The Sound of Rain | Gregg Olson {Fun Read}
(4) Tiny Habits | Fogg {Personal Growth}
(5) Radical Candor | Scott {Professional Growth}

I am intentionally taking my Personal and Professional growth books slow,y so I can savor, learn, and integrate these reads into my life.

07: Try 52 New Recipes {Status: 01/52}

What do you do when your sister gifts you with three very ripe avocados?

Avocado Pasta. Seriously…this was a winner! Loved it! Tossed with fresh seafood that we had on hand. It was a nice break from our traditional holiday food, hearty, and healthy.

08: Get in Shape

This week, I maintained a 5 day run streak, logging 2 miles each day. I also carefully watched nutrition – cutting back significantly on Diet Coke (Yes, I know how terrible it is) and acknowledging my sugar addiction. See #OneMonthGoals below for details!

09: #OneMonthGoals with Michael Matera

Last year, I joined Michael Matera on his #OneMonthGoals journey. I ran every single day for a month – and it was glorious. This year, I am committed to selecting (and sticking with) one new goal each month, which I will document here.

January 2020: Run daily. 31 day running streak, here I come.
January Day 5 – logging 2 miles each day. Each time I lace up my sneakers, I run a little more and walk a little faster. And, I’ve already earned by January Apple Watch badge. I’m such a sucker for Badges!

10: Write/Send 52 notes/cards {Status: 0/52}

I found my stationary… so, I’ll work on that next week.

11: Redesign my sunroom

This begins with decluttering. See #04.

12: Do things that make me feel alive (One per month) {Status: 01/12}

Saying YES to adventures is something that I want to do more frequently. On Saturday night, we joined dear friends and their daughter – whose husband has just begun the next chapter in his career as a Chef at The Blue Point (Duck, NC). We have heard so many wonderful things about this restaurant, but we had never made time to visit. What a perfect time to go!

The Blue Point did not disappoint! From scrumptious appetizers of Warm Deviled Crab Dip, Hoisin Glazed Baby Back Ribs, and a seasonal charcuterie of duck, salmon, liver, and sweet potato bisuits, to a dinner of Pamlico Sound green tail shrimp ramen bowl, grilled bone-in pork chop over apple-cabbage slaw, and seared Outer Banks sea scallops over madras curry lentils, and wrapping up with Warm Southern Pecan Pie over Bourbon Ice Cream, Double Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, and White Chocolate Ganashe Cake with Grand Marnier soaked raspberries, the food was decadent.

Without a doubt, we WILL return. Although, I doubt that I will ever see that many dishes cross the table during one meal… that was such a treat.

Secret Goals! 

• Secret Goal #1: This resumes next week! Stay tuned
• Secret Goal #2: We’ve started this one… slowly but surely!
• Secret Goal #3
• Secret Goal #4

How are your goals going?

Cheers, Holly

My Big Goals for 2020

As many of you know, one of my faults is that I simply cannot live without a well-organized list. So, it would not be January without setting some lofty goals and committing them to paper. After following several blogs for a couple of years, I’ve decided to follow in the footsteps of Mavis and place my ‘mighty big goals’ right here for the universe to see. By updating each week, perhaps I can maintain accountability – and, maybe, inspire others to try their hand at something new, too!

Oh, and I also fully intend to document how I weave my #OneWord2020 into my everyday life here, too.

01: Get 6 – 7 Hours of Sleep Each Night

New responsibilities at work, early morning swim practices, and late night basketball games crashed my sleep habits in the fall, and I felt the wear and tear on my body – physically and emotionally. My goal is to prioritize my time better so that I can hit the pillow earlier!

02: Save Money

Save money and remove debt! I plan to select one debt and remove it from the monthly budget…snowball effect!

03: Learn Calligraphy

 Isn’t that so pretty? In reality, there are people that can create this with pen and ink! I want to be able to do that! I have nice handwriting – so I don’t think that this will be a huge challenge, just time for lots of practice, patience, and a willingness to embrace growth over time. I’m going to share my practicing efforts with you, here!

Oh, and I bought a book to help me out: The Guide to Mindful Lettering.

To add a little pizzazz to this entry, I have also invested in a new iPad with pen and software to practice digitally. Who has tips to share?

04: Purge 1000 items

5 year ago, we purchased a home with less than half of the square footage of our previous home. While many, many things did not make the move, there are far more “things” that I can do without to simplify my life. Further, my father is purging his home – and, gifting many items to me. In my quest to remodel our beach bungalow, I’m beginning with a ruthless attack against clutter! 1000 items are leaving my home!

05: Organize the Attic

As I peek into this disorganized space, I realize that many of the 1000 items that need to leave are stored right here. I plan to tackle this area one box and board at the time. By 2021, this space will be floored, organized, and contain a lot less “stuff”!

06: Read 100 Books, including ALL of the DBC books. 

In 2019, I committed to reading 75 books. By the time that the clock struck midnight on December 31, I had logged 100 books! I am sure that I can do this again. Last year, the book choices were split between beachy fiction (downloadable from my local library) and educational texts that I read with my voxer PLN. As I dive into books this year, I will share my takeaways here!

To kick off 2020, I already have a book stack:

• Move Your Bus | Clark {Emerging Leaders read}
• Permission Granted | Wilkins {Personal Growth}
• Tiny Habits | Fogg {Personal Growth}
• Radical Candor | Scott {Professional Growth/Book Study}

07: Try 52 New Recipes

It is so easy for me to find myself in a food rut, especially when planning family meals around packed athletic schedules and heavy academic workloads. Sadly, our weekly menu started to resemble that of a short order cook as we neared the holiday season. Not anymore! In my commitment to get into better shape, I plan to try one new recipe each week – with a full family review. Hopefully, this will encourage me to dust off some of the cookbooks (maybe purge a couple?) and might even expand our taste palette. Stay tuned!

08: Get in Shape

With so many changes in the life of our family, I have allowed my physical fitness to slide. 2020 begins the year to invest in me! I plan to do something physical every day: A run, Lift weights, Long walk with the dog, Pilates, Yoga, something. Every. Day. Last year, I logged 2019 miles with RunTheYear2018. This year, I am committed to running the entire year: 2020 miles. Anyone want to join me with RTY2020?

09: #OneMonthGoals with Michael Matera

Last year, I joined Michael Matera on his #OneMonthGoals journey. I ran every single day for a month – and it was glorious. This year, I am committed to selecting (and sticking with) one new goal each month, which I will document here.

January 2020: Run daily. 31 day running streak, here I come.

10: Write/Send 52 notes/cards

In our technology-driven, text-based, handheld world, written words are few and far between. In fact, I used to say that the mailbox’s purpose had dwindled to being a deliverer of bills – yet, online banking and e-bills have practically eliminated that, too. This Christmas, like all Christmases, I was delighted to receive Christmas Cards from my family and friends who still send them. I hang these proudly in my home and pour over them for hours – reaching out to those friends about what an incredible year they have enjoyed, how precious their children are, and how happy I am that we remain friends. Why should one wait for Christmas to share these thoughts? This year, I plan to write one note (at least) per week to spread cheer!

11: Redesign my sunroom

Currently, we have a cute little room in our home that is filled with windows, and it is an absolutely perfect sunroom. It desperately needs an overhaul, so I’m giving myself a year to make that happen.

12: Do things that make me feel alive (One per month)

There are things in my life that I absolutely live for: A cloudless day on the beach with a delicious book, a shopping day with my girls that has no timeline, exploring a new place, impromptu road trips… This year, I want to intentionally leave white space in my calendar to encourage more fun.

Secret Goals! 

These are pretty big secret goals that I will definitely blog about once they happen! Until then, know that I am working diligently in the background to share awesome news with you sooner rather than later! 365-day deadline begins…now!

• Secret Goal #1
• Secret Goal #2
• Secret Goal #3
• Secret Goal #4

OK! These goals are out there for the world to see. I plan to check it on Sundays to update my progress – with funny stories and photos, as I’m sure that this will be a hilarious journey.

What are your goals for 2020?

Cheers, Holly