2018 is going to be the best year of my life

This photo is pretty accurate about how I feel about life right now. I'm tired and feel beat down by life, but I love this little nugget and my little family.

2018 is going to be the year that my baby turns 1. She's going to learn how to talk, how to feed herself, how to walk and how to do a million little things that will be a great surprise and joy to me as they happen.

This year is going to be full of change and growth, not just on her part, but on my part as a person as well. I want to embrace the change and learn to better live in the moment so that none of them pass me by.

Right now, things are a struggle, tbh. My mom, who watches Lazy Baby while Mr. LL and I are at work, has to have surgery and won't be able to watch her anymore (at least for 5-6 months) so we are having to put Lazy Baby in daycare. The cost is overwhelming to think about, but my mom has offered to help us some with this burden (though I really don't want it to be a burden on her). We had hoped to save to buy a house this year, but I guess life had different plans for us.

Then there's also just finding a daycare that can take her at all. Sigh.

But, it's only January and there is a lot more of 2018 to come, so I'm not going to count the year as a wash just yet.

2017 Goals and Theme

This year, more than goals, I am setting a "theme" for myself and 2017. Some people do similar things where they have "one word" they choose that they want to have as a mantra or focus in the upcoming year. For me, I want to embrace change and not fear it. The unknown leaves me feeling very apprehensive, but as we get ready to become first time parents we are having to brace ourselves for a whole new world of unknowns. I want to remember to just stop, take a deep breath, and embrace life and its changes as they come.

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I do still have some goals I'd like to work on this year, of course.

1. Have a healthy baby via a healthy delivery. A lot of this is just out my control, but I can hope for it and do what I am able to help this become a reality.
2. Figure out our taxes. Because I did pretty ok with my freelance work this past year, our taxes just got a whole lot more complicated.
3. Get a (damn) grill. Repeat offender from last year's list.
4. Continue to grow LV Book Design. I'd really like to grow my freelance business this year.
5. BECOME. A. BUDGET. BOSS. Also a repeat offender, but with a new member of the family on her way, this is a MUST.

Do you have any goals for 2017? What about a theme or word for the year ahead?

Goals for 2016

I figured the first Goal Getter of the year should be about my BIG goals for 2016 in addition to my goals for just this month ahead.

2016 Goals

1. Get my first LV Book Design Client — I haven't had the time to really work on my book design business past launching the site. Even though I've had a few nibbles, no book design clients have come through yet. I'm going to put in more effort this year and hopefully get the ball running.

2. See my mom get married — My mom and her partner are getting married in January!!

3. Go to Colorado — Or some other "big" trip. Mr. LL and I are thinking about Colorado right now, but that may change.

4. Become a Budget Boss — If we want #3 to happen, then #4 has to happen first.

5. Live a healthier lifestyle — Both Mr. LL and I are ready to make some big health changes in our lives.

6. Try out turquoise hair — I loved having purple hair, then pink hair as it faded. Now I just have my bleach blond tips and I'm ready for some more color!

7. Get a grill — This one is really for Mr. LL 😉

8. Save for Xmas all year long — See #4

9. Create more personal art — Even if it's just a doodle, I need to be creating more.

10. Try Whole 30 — See #5

11. Use Instagram at least once a week — I want to get into this social media more.

12. Try to do Project 365 again — I really want to improve my photography skills

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I've made some changes to my monthly goals, too. I'm reprioritizing my life and I felt my goals should reflect that shift.

FAMILY (0%)

• Be the photographer at my Mom’s wedding (0%)
• Plan a weekend to go see Mr. LL’s family in February (0%)

NOTES: Over the holidays, Mr. LL and I realized that we really need to put our families as more of a priority in our lives. We live close to all of our immediate families, so really we have no excuse.

 SOCIAL LIFE (0%)

• Plan a D&D night with my friends (0%)
• Go out for my Birthday with Mr. LL (0%)

NOTES: Just like our families, we have been neglecting our friends and ourselves. I want to make sure we don't become complete hermits.

 HEALTH (0%)

• Meal plan every week (0%)
• Stick to said meal plan every week (0%)
• Walk Bigby at least once a week (0%)

NOTES: I'M GOING TO WALK THE DOG, DAMN IT. Now, to find his leash...

 FINANCIAL (0%)

• Build a budget with Mr. LL (0%)

NOTES: I'll probably be adding to this category after we work out a budget.

CLEANLINESS  (0%)

• Get a handle on the laundry (0%)
• Get back in control over our dishes (0%)
• Pack away Yule decorations (0%)
• Take tree out (0%)

NOTES: The holidays destroyed all the progress we made with keeping our house clean. Sigh.

 BLOGGING/FREELANCE  (0%)

• Clean out my affiliates (0%)
• Get posts ready for the month (0%)
• Write some posts for LV Book Design (0%)
• Get a newsletter for Lazy Lady (0%)
• Photo day (0%)

NOTES: I'm combining both my blogging and my side hustle here, and took "Career" completely off the list. I've reached about as far as I'm going to go at my day job and I don't have any intentions of looking for any other place to work for the foreseeable future.