I am so excited about these 12 monthly goals! This is my fifth year in a row to write out small monthly goals, and each year I make some small tweaks so they work better. The intention behind monthly goal setting is to create a bunch of small goals that are so small that I can’t fail. One giant goal for the year feels too hard, but trying something for 30 days is fun.
My goals for 2022 all relate to my word for the year: ENERGY.
I chose these goals because I want to know if they will help my energy levels.
Some will help me save energy, some will guide me to use energy more efficiently, and others will hopefully create more energy in my life. But they’re all linked to my 2022 word.
Why Do I Set Monthly Goals?
I love setting monthly goals because they’re really easy to swap around. If I get to August and decide I don’t like that goal, it’s easy to change. (<- 2018 Kelsey is GASPING at that statement! I used to feel that if I set a goal, I must accomplish it at all costs. Thankfully, that part of myself has softened a bit.)
If I find that it’s not serving me after 30 days, I can release it! And if the goal improved my life, I can choose to keep it around.
Some Goals From Previous Years
2018: this year included intense goals like 31 straight days of workouts, and 31 days of no sugar. Oof. It was also the year that I made monthly goals of meditating daily and writing in a gratitude journal. Those habits have stuck with me for 5 years now!)
2019: this was the year that I learned to put bigger challenges toward the beginning of the year when I’m raring to go, and then put my gentle, fun goals in the middle/end. There were some really fun goals in 2019, like wearing earrings every day, and taking a social media break every Sunday. Oh, and October’s goal clearly didn’t happen because I was 9 months pregnant. 😉
2020: Can we all agree that 2020 was NOT the year for accomplishing our goals? I’m thankful I made it to the end of that year. However, March’s goal was my favorite of this year, and April’s goal is something I’m still trying to learn how to do…
2021: I learned that I need to look ahead in my calendar for monthly goal-setting, and it worked beautifully. For instance, my August 2021 goal was to “take a social media break and rest” because I knew my due date was mid-August. And my September goal was “set up two dates with girlfriends,” which was a really fun thing to do at 1 month postpartum when I was missing social time.
If monthly goals are fun for you, I hope these inspire you to create some of your own. Regardless, enjoy reading through my hopes and dreams for energy levels in 2022:
12 Monthly Goals For 2022
Jan: circadian intermittent fasting (IF) 4X a week // IF has been a buzzword for the past few years, but I’ve mostly ignored it. I’m not sure why? Maybe because I associated it with the keto diet, which isn’t something I’ve been interested in. (I know that it’s not strictly a keto thing, I’ve just somehow associated those two together.)N But I decided to give IF a try in January as a way to improve my sleep.
I’m going to be fasting with my circadian rhythm, which basically means that I stop eating when it gets dark and I start eating in the morning. My goal is to do a 12-hour fast, from 7 pm to 7 am. I’m going to do this 4 nights a week in January.
Most nights, I have dessert or a beer or a snack around 9 pm while Nate and I are watching a show together. I’m curious: if I drop this and don’t eat after 7 pm, will my sleeping hours be more effective? Will I wake up feeling more rested?
Feb: 3 daily servings of veggies // “goals so small you cannot fail” is the theme this year, ha! 3 servings of veggies isn’t a lot, but I want to do it every single day. Kale in smoothies, lots of cruciferous prebiotic veggies in the evening, big salads….Feb is the month that I looooove my veggies.
March: get coffee consumption down to one cup per day // I’ve had a mixed relationship with caffeine over the years.. Sometimes I love my coffee, and other times I resent it because I feel dependent on it.
I don’t think I ever want to cut it out of my life completely, but I’d love to be able to wake up in the morning and think clearly even before I drink it. Right now, I drink two cups each morning, and sometimes a third in the afternoon.
April: give my beauty products an overhaul // Ooh, I’m excited for this one! In April I will work on cleaning out my bathroom cabinets and replacing my beauty products with “clean” versions. I have a list of certain makeup items, lotions, soaps, etc. that I’m going to replace.
It’s fun to start researching this stuff, because as I use search engines for “paraben-free body wash” all of my instagram ads start showing me clean beauty brands, too. Haha.
I asked for a clean beauty products for Christmas, and my sister gave me this beautiful beauty stick in “lady bird.”
May: 5 daily minutes of meditation // You know I can’t let a year go by without this goal. 😉
June: buy 5 new pieces of sustainable clothing // I’m slowly working on this, but since June is when the weather changes to really hot in Texas, I figured this would be a fun time to buy 5 summer clothes from a sustainable clothing company.
I believe that having fun clothes in my closet that are beautiful AND good for the planet will improve my energy. In simple terms, it will save my energy to not have to overthink what I’m wearing. (I love the idea of only having things in my closet that I LOVE!) And I also believe that filling my closet with sustainable clothing will improve my overall energy and love for the earth.
July: put my phone to bed at 9:00 each night// Ugh, screen time! Y’all, this has been a challenge for me and I still haven’t gotten in the habit of putting my phone to bed.
I know it would help me sleep better. I know I’m not accomplishing anything or even having that much fun scrolling through my phone at night.
But do I still do it? Yep.
July is a month for breaking that habit.
August: try some fermented foods // Are you into miso, kefir, and sauerkraut? I know that fermented foods are good for my gut, but kombucha and yogurt are the only two I regularly consume. In August I would love to try some adding fermented foods into my regular diet.
September: buy 3 new (to me) herbal teas // Teas are so fun! I like that there are various health benefits linked to herbal teas. I’m going to buy 3 new infusions to sip on while I’m working. This one is on my radar.
October: enjoy booze on weekends // Hmm, I’m curious to see how this one goes! (And if I still want to try it when October rolls around.) The goal is to avoid alcohol on weeknights and save it for weekends only.
November: explore supplements// I don’t currently take a lot of supplements: just zinc and omega 3s if my skin feels like it might break out, and a daily vitamin D supplement. In November I’d love to explore supplements to see if there’s anything I can add it to my daily consumption to boost my energy.
December: enjoy an in-person yoga class and a massage // December is a high-energy month. It’s typically fun to spend lots of energy doing festive things, but I can sometimes wear myself out.
So I’m going to do two things that bring me calm, peaceful energy: take an in-person yoga class, and get a massage.
Those are my goals for 2022! Do you have any fun monthly goals? Feel free to share them with me in the comments.
This is my final post of 2021. I’ll chat with you in the new year! I am so, so thankful to you for being here to hang out with me. I love sharing my life and the city of Austin with you. I’m wishing you all the happiness and peace for your new year, friend! xx
