20 for 2020

I debated doing intentions again this year because I did pretty terrible with my intentions last year. The only one that really stuck was eating at the dinner table every night which I am proud of accomplishing.

This year I decided to do intentions because I just can't resist setting goals in order to grow and challenge myself. Better late than never, right?

In order to have success this year I plan to review my goals every Monday. Monday is the start of a new week. A fresh start. My own little New Years Day each week. The perfect day to assess and plan ahead to make sure I accomplish the below intentions.

1. No meat one day per week. I eat way too much meat so I think it will be beneficial to eliminate it one day a week. Bonus: This is an easy way for us to help save the environment. 

2. Get in the best shape of my life. I heard a podcast recently that said goals have to excite you. Losing weight doesn't sound exciting, but getting in the best shape of my life excites me. I am going to work out four to five times a week. Eat cleaner. Cook more. Drink less. Move more.

3. No phone usage the first hour I'm awake and the last hour before bed. I have implemented the nightly ban on phone usage and I sleep so much better. It shouldn't come as a surprise that I am also loving not looking at my phone the first hour I'm awake too. My day starts much more intentional and positive.

4. Read my Bible four times a week for twenty minutes a day (per my dad!). I've been doing this the last few weeks and it's the best way to start my day. We are going through Hebrews at church so I'm reading through Hebrews during my morning devotional time right now.

5. Read a devotional or self-help book one day a week. I'm currently working through my dad's book and it is full of so much wisdom. I'm enjoying it so much.

6. Sign up to be pre-marriage mentors at church. We signed up and G and I need to fill out a few forms, but we are registered for the next training session. I'm excited! 

7. Read 36 books this year. I read 29 last year so I want to beat that number this year. I'm on pace to read 36 if I keep reading three books per month.

8. Find an organization I'm passionate about. I want to get involved in a local organization I can get behind to get more connected with the community.

9. Volunteer for that organization. Once I find that organization I want to volunteer time and money to the cause.

10. Document my life weekly. My Life Weekly posts have been such a great exercise in finding the beauty in the mundane, helping me be more present, and it's fun to look back and reminisce.

11. Plan two big vacations for the year. We are hoping to do a beach vacation in late spring and we are talking about a trip to Nashville in the fall. I'm open to suggestions though!

12. Go to church every week or listen online when we can't make it. So far so good! I bought a notebook to write notes in during each sermon and it's really helping me stay accountable.

13. Only drink alcohol on the weekends. We did this January through April the last two years and I'd like to implement it again and stick to it the whole year. I sleep and feel so much better when I cut it out.

14. Memorize one Bible verse a week. I really slacked on this last year and I know it's important so I am going to make it a priority this year. Coloring a verse each week via this Bible is definitely making it more fun.

15. Open a credit card. I know I'm leaving money on the table so I will sign up for one this year.

16. Be present. It's easy to zone out or let my mind wonder instead of just being in the moment. This is a discipline I've gotten better at, but it's something I need to continuously work on daily.

17. Plan a girls night once a month. I've been trying to get one on the calendar this month, but my sweet friends have been sick so it's been hard to nail down a date, but I think it's happening this week. Woohoo!

18. Paint my nails once a week. It's the little things like this that make me happy so I want to make time for it.

19. Limit social media to 20 minutes per day. This will be hard to implement on the weekends when I find myself mindlessly scrolling, but it's such a time suck so I know this will be an important habit to stick with to be intentional with my time.

20. Only watch television on the weekends. I did this last year and I intend to do it again because I feel less guilty binge watching shows on the weekend when I haven't watched anything all week long, ha! This habit also helps me read more during the week and spend quality time with G which is always a bonus.


What are your intentions this year?