Why Goals Matter

If you’re anything like me, Sunday is the day that you get your life together. It’s the meal prep, laundry, cleaning and planning day. The day where you look over your schedule for the week and start to lay out what the week will look like for you. Basically, I try to pull all of my sh*t together in about three hours on Sunday night #relatable

A Sunday night a few weeks ago. I was sitting at my desk and looking down at a long, long to do list. And I was overwhelmed just looking at it, not to mention thinking about actually getting it done. And obviously, I knew the solution to the overwhelm was to prioritize what was most important. BUT. It was late. And I was tired. And frankly, I didn’t want to think that hard.

Luckily, my subconscious sent me a reminder at the moment when I was ready to just call it a night. JUST DO THE THINGS THAT GET YOU TOWARDS YOUR THREE GOALS. Ah yes, those three most important things I promised myself that I would work on in 2020.  It was simple thought, but right at that moment it was the perfect nudge I needed to focus.

I went through that huge long list and I starred the things that were directly related to my top three 2020 goals. And those were the first things that I scheduled into my days for the week. If I did nothing else except for those few things this week, it would be a success and I could actually say that I made progress towards making my goals happen. 

We’ve all had experiences where we’ve set goals and forgotten them. It’s happened to me many times. The place where we tend to get lost is not in the goal setting but in the goal GETTING. Doing the actual work, the actual things (habits and actions), that will give us traction and make us move forward- that’s the hard part. Because life gets in the way. We’re busy and tired and have a lot to do. And that’s why having goals matter. Because they help you identify the way that you should really be spending your time. 

They say that the way you spend your days becomes the way that you spend your life. Use your goals in 2020 to turn your to do list into the life you truly want to be living. 

If you liked this post, check out my recent posts on How to Keep Your Goals on Your Mind and Tools to Change Your LIfe in 2020 

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

My 2020 Goals

It’s New Years time! I’m not gonna lie- I love this time of year. A fresh start always feels so new and promising. As I reviewed 2019 and reflected on where I’ve been in the last year, I decided to really pare down my list of goals for 2020 so that I could really focus in and finish each one. Here’s what is on my goal list for 2020:

1. Confidence- I have a weight loss goal for 2020 as well as some to dos for creating more confidence in myself in 2020- like cleaning out my closet, investing in new clothes and setting regular appointments for dentist, hair dresser, etc. so that I can feel good in my body and in my clothes next year.

2. Content- I am so excited to share that in 2020, I will be launching Morning Coffee on a new platform that will make my content even easier to enjoy. I have goals around producing regular content there, as well as social media and here on the blog.

3. Finances- I have set some financial goals for us this year that include paying off debt and increasing our emergency savings and saving up for fun.

Outside of those three main focuses, I have some mini goals as well:

• Take a week-long domestic trip with my husband this year

• My 2020 Reading List

• Decorate the lower level of our house

• Organize the storage spaces in our house

• Create our wedding photobook

This year, I am trying to really simplify and focus in on what I’ve decided my priorities for the year. What are your thoughts as you head into 2020? Comment below!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Reviewing 2019

My big three goals for 2019 were:

• Start A Blog- CHECK! Not only did I start one, I maintained it all year. I didn’t miss one weekly post. I’m super proud of myself for setting this goal and following through on it consistently. It can be really hard to meet self-imposed deadlines when no one is holding you accountable, so I am so happy I came through on this one! 

• Take  A Big Trip With My Husband- CHECK! We celebrated our first wedding anniversary in Ireland and it was incredible! I am so happy that we made this happen this year. 

• Remake my Routines- I am realizing that this was more of a resolution than a goal- it’s not something that you can simply check off of a list- this is more of a work in progress. I do feel like I’ve settled into my routines over the past year, but I still want to continue to make them even better and more impactful for my life. 

My other goals were to:

• Curate my home. I did spend time decorating our house this year, but progress was much slower than I anticipated. I was hoping to tackle a room a month, and that was honestly just unrealistic considering all of the other things I was working on at the moment. I am continuing this project into next year. 

• I want to make a photo book and a gallery wall of our wedding photos. I have completed a gallery wall for our hallway and I have another one for our wedding 50% done.I have outlined a photo book and will carry these projects into next year.

• Take some online courses. The intention behind this goal was to learn more about managing an online business and social media. While I do think that I did that, it was through other means than online courses. 

• My 2019 Reading List. CHECK!  I read four of these five books, as well as several work-related books too! I am going to continue this in 2020, with my 2020 reading list. 

• I want to explore my style and have more fun with my wardrobe. This was a fun part of my year! Taking note of clothes that I really love and feel good in was a great way to make decisions on what I was buying to put into my closet and what to take out fo my closet. I will do more of this next year as well.  

 Looking back on the year, I’m happy to say that I accomplished some of my biggest priorities and I think the biggest thing that I am taking away from the year is that it’s better to focus on a smaller number of items that are most important so that you can see them through to completion as opposed to having a ton of goals that get partway done. I will be taking that lesson learned into 2020 for sure. 

Cheers to a new year and a new decade!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

Tools to Change Your Life in 2020

As 2019 comes to a close, I’m sure I’m not alone in getting excited about the prospect of a new year and a fresh start. You’ve probably already been thinking about what you want to do with your time and your life in 2020. (pssst- if you haven’t check out this post for a few quick things you can do to get ready for 2020). The thing about goals and resolutions are that they are super easy to set and not so super easy to actually achieve. Today, I am going to share the tools I use to keep moving forward on my goals.

1. The Start Today Journal by Rachel Hollis- This journal is part gratitude journal and part goal journal. It is designed to be used daily and there is space to write down five things you are grateful for and ten life goals you want to achieve. It’s intended to be used in the morning, but I actually use mine at night (you gotta do what works for you!) and it’s a really simple and quick process to find time for.

2. The Artist of Life Workbook by Lavendaire- GAME CHANGER ALERT! This workbook literally changed the way I set and tracked my goals and was a huge help in making progress in 2019. The workbook starts by helping your review 2019, setting goals in every aspect of your life as well as lifetime goals, and THEN- the most important part- it has sections for you to break down those goals into quarterly and monthly goals, and spaces to track your progress along the way. If there was only one tool I could recommend to you to get your goals in 2020, this would be the one.

3. Daily Planner by Day Designer- Making and planning out your goals is only half of the battle. The rest involves actually doing the work. And for that, you need a planner. You need to have some sort of system to take the action steps you need for your goals and assign them to a day and time frame to actually get done. Some people could use a digital calendaring tool for this, or maybe like me, you’d prefer a paper option. Lucky for you, I wrote a whole post on finding the right 2020 planner for you, in case you are in the market for one.

4. A habit tracker- I’ve learned that the little things you do everyday are what determine whether you make progress on a goal or not. If I have a goal to cook dinner regularly at home, tracking how many times per week I actually do cook at home reminds me to plan ahead so that I can accomplish that and get me back on track when I can see that it’s not happening. I track my habits in my Artist of Life Workbook, but in case you just want a tracker- Here’s a free habit tracker from Day Designer.

As the new DECADE approaches, these are some of the tools that you can use to turn your to do list into your dream life in 2020. Happy goal getting!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

Keep Your Goals On Your Mind

As we wrap up this year and look forward to 2020, you’re probably thinking about your goals and resolutions. About the ones you achieved, the ones you made progress on, and then let’s be honest- the ones you failed at or didn’t even start. I’m with you!

Goals are easy to set, and hard to follow through on. Here’s some of the ways I keep my goals on the top of my mind. 

• Make It Visual- Making your goals VISUAL is super helpful- check out this post I made about my 2019 vision board so you can make your own. You can go digital and then print it out like I did or do it all in paper form, but either way, having a collection of images that represent the life you want will help you subconsciously be aware of your goals every time you see it. 

• Revisit Them Regularly - Remind yourself of your goals by rewriting them regularly- either every week as you prep for Monday or even every day as part of a quick journaling exercise. I use Rachel Hollis’ Start Today journal for this- shop here! 

• Break Down Goals to Quarterly and Monthly Tasks- Tracking the progress I make on my goals has literally been a game changer for me. I use this workbook to set and review annual, quarterly and monthly goals. When you take apart your big goals into little achievable action steps, it’s easier to actually make progress. 

• Track Your Habits- I’ve learned that the little things you do everyday are what determine whether you make progress on a goal or not. If I have a goal to cook dinner regularly at home, tracking how many times per week I actually do cook at home reminds me to plan ahead so that I can accomplish that and get me back on track when I can see that it’s not happening. Here’s a free habit tracker from Day Designer.

Hopefully, those ideas can help you ACTUALLY meet your goals and resolutions for 2020. Comment below with one thing you really want to achieve next year! 

Have a great week, 
Meghan 

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

How To Spend the Rest of 2019

Welp, here we are. It’s October. I have no actual idea of where September went- how about you? We are now officially in the last quarter of the year- the last 90 days of 2019- and this is the perfect time of year to stop and reflect on how your year is going and where you want to be on December 31st. 

Last year, right as I prepared to launch this blog, I wrote a post about how I used the month of December to get ready for the new year. It was inspired by Rachel Hollis’ Last 90 Days Challenge and am using it as motivation for this year as well. The idea is simple- “What if we ended the year with as much intention as we usually begin it?” With that in mind, here’s what I’ll be doing in Q4 to end 2019 strong and get ready for 2020:

1. Get those goals- When you started the year, what was on your to do list? What was on your resolution list? How have you done with those things? You have THREE MONTHS to still get them those things done, and that’s a lot of time. For me, one of my goals for 2019 was to make a photo book and photo collages of our wedding photos. I have started on the photo collages, but haven’t made much progress, so after revisiting my goals, I have made that item a priority on my list for the end of this year. I also plan to spend some time writing down my routines to see where I am with creating them for myself after so much change last year. 

2. Reflect on the year- Near the end of the year- December probably- I will start looking back over 2019 and basically recapping where I’ve been and where I am at. Life can be a blur sometimes, so even flipping through your planner or the photos on your phone can help give you a big picture of what you’ve spent your time on in the last twelve months. It can help you decide what you want to do more of, what you want to do less of, and what you want to start or stop doing all together in the next year. 

3. Start on 2020 NOW- You’ve probably already had already had a few thoughts run through your head about things you wish  you were doing or plan to start in the New Year. Don’t wait to start until January- begin building now. If you want to work out more in January, join a gym or find a fitness class NOW and start going. Give yourself a head start so you can start 2020 with some traction behind you. I’m launching a new piece of content for Morning Coffee in 2020, but I am working hard at it right now so that I am ready to hit the ground running in January. 

   
   If you’re having a hard time figuring out where to start with your last 90 days, here are some questions you can ask yourself to give you some direction.
   

Hey, I’m Meghan

I love coffee, yoga pants, planners and color coordinating markers. Sound familiar? Yes! Let’s be internet BFFs. I am here sharing content on all things organization, productivity, goal getting and personal growth. Welcome!

5 Questions for A Better Year

YOU.GUYS. It’s freaking September today, SEPT.EM.BER. How did we even get here? Wasn’t it just May yesterday? I swear the time goes by faster every year. We are officially in the last part of 2019, but it’s not too late to make the most of the year that you have left. We often get so caught up in living the day to day tasks and responsibilities of our lives that we can forget to stop and take a step back and ask ourselves if we are really living our best lives. (And not the Instagram version of your best life. Your ACTUAL best life). 

As I am taking some time this week to get clear about my plans for the end of the year, I thought I’d challenge you to spend some time thinking about creating the life you want as well. 

Here’s five questions to ask yourself: 

1. What do I wish I did more of?

2. What things make me feel the happiest? How can I do these things more?

3. What constitutes a life that I am proud of?

4. What is draining my time or energy?

5. What kind of people do I want to surround myself with?

Literally take out a piece of paper and write down your thoughts. And most importantly, use what you’ve learned from this exercise to plan your September. Pick a date. Plan the time. Make it happen. I know you can! And your future self will thank you for it.

Have a great week ahead, 

Meghan 

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

How to Make a Vision Board

If you’ve delved even slightly into personal growth and development strategies, you’ve likely heard of a vision board. If not, here’s one of my favorite videos from YouTuber Lavendaire that explains the idea behind the exercise. I made my first one in September as I was starting my new job and as I started the new year, I wanted to create another one that aligned with my 2019 Goals. I’ve shared mine below, so tell me- have you ever created a vision board?

You can find tons of resources on YouTube or Pinterest if you want to know more about making your own. I created mine digitally, but you can also go the hands-on route and use newspapers and magazines to find the images that you think represent what you want for your life.

CHECK OUT My 2020 Vision Board Video on YouTube!

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!

What Should Your Goals Look Like?

What do I have planned for 2019? A lot of awesome stuff, that’s what! I feel like I finally have the right tools in my life to not only set goals- BUT- to actually DO THEM. I’ll share more about my favorite goal planning resources later, but for now- here’s my 2019 goals.

BIG THREE:

1. Start A Blog. Now, I could technically count this one as achieved (as you are here, reading said blog), but I can’t actually cross this off my list until I actually upkeep and maintain Morning Coffee all year long.

2. Take A Big Trip With My Husband. We love travelling together. Our last ‘big’ trip was to the East Coast in 2016. We travel locally often, but this year, we’ve decided to finally take that international trip we’ve talked about taking for quite awhile now.

3. Remake my Routines. (Especially my morning routine). I went through a lot of change last year. We got married, we both got new jobs, and we moved to a new city and a new house. While I am better at embracing change than I used to be, I also crave routine and structure. This year, I want to revitalize all my routines- money, cleaning, morning, grocery shopping and meal prepping, exercise, seeing my friends and family, etc.

Other Goals:

1. Curate my home. I want to spend a good amount of time decorating and organizing our new house.

2. I want to make a photo book and a gallery wall of our wedding photos. We spent so much money on those babies! I want to be intentional about using them well!

3. Take some online courses. I want to learn more about managing an online business and social media.

4. My 2019 Reading List. I want to read these five books, plus more I’m sure!

5. I want to explore my style and have more fun with my wardrobe. I have more freedom with my style now and I want to embrace and simplify wearing what I really love.

This isn’t a fully encompassing list, as there are many components to each of these goals, but this is the general list of what I want to get done this year. What’s on your list?

Hey, I’m Meghan

Welcome to Morning Coffee, a place where I’ll be writing every week- about my life and my goals, my house, things I love, resources I have and tools I use. It’s not only a place where I can feel joy in sharing my thoughts with the world, but hopefully a place where someone else, maybe you, can find entertainment, inspiration or camaraderie. Let’s be internet friends over a good cup of coffee, yeah?