Some Goals for 2017

I love setting goals at the beginning of the year (and sometimes around my birthday too) and this year it feels fun to make them public.

 Goals-setting felt hard this year because, in case you missed it, I am pregnant and expecting our second baby this June. As I was thinking about what I want to accomplish this year, I panicked because of the way that babies have of a dropping a bomb on your life and how it takes months to feel like you've found a new normal (at least that was my past experience- maybe this time will be better). It felt weird to set an exercise goal when I know that any progress will be shot after June and I'm aware that I probably won't care about crocheting while I'm dealing with a newborn, but I'm not letting myself write off the year as a complete loss. While my life will change drastically, there is still much I can improve.

Here is what I hope to accomplish in 2017:

1. Always have a craft project in the works
To be clear, to me a craft project means crocheting or cross stitching, which is the limit of my craftiness. I've noticed how much happier crocheting has made me these past few weeks as I've been working on a blanket, and I want to continue that habit. I want to cross stitch a stocking for the new baby, and probably crochet more blankets, so I'm going to make sure there is something for me to work on.

2. Read at least 50 new books
About three years ago I set a goal to read at least 50 books a year for 10 years, so this one is a continuation of that. Each year I've surpassed that goal (first year I read 72, next year I read 66, and this past year I read 87), so I'm crossing my fingers that having a baby and a boisterous 2.5 year old won't derail my reading too much and I can still reach 50.

3. Reread at least one book a month
I made this goal last year because I realized I miss rereading, which I used to do constantly as a kid but do much more rarely as an adult. Last year I reread 16 books and it was so fun to dive back into books I had loved. I'm already in the middle of Brooklyn on audiobook and have Our Souls At Night up next, so I'm off to a good start.

4. Make our apartment into a home
Right now, the only furniture we have in our living room is a couch and a small storage box for shoes. It doesn't feel very cozy to me and coziness is something I long for in our home. I want to get a lamp, houseplants, art on the walls, a rug, and a glider (yes, those are technically for a baby's room but we want a nice one to go in our front room). I don't want to spend too much money on do this (which means Craigslist), but I really want a nice, cozy home.

5. Practice hand-lettering on Tuesdays
I wanted to learn hand-lettering last year and practiced a few different nights after watching some YouTube videos on techniques. It never stuck and my hand-lettering is only a teensy bit better than it was before. I finally decided that this year, I'll pick one night a week (Tuesdays) and just sit down and practice. It's not a huge commitment, but it's consistent and after a year I bet my hand-lettering will look a lot better. Also, if anyone has suggestions of videos or tutorials for beginning hand-lettering, let me know!

6. Go to the gym on Saturdays 
I feel comfortable with my established exercise routine of walks and yoga but I want to take advantage of the gym we have in our apartment complex. Saturdays are the best option I have because I'm so worn out at nights that I have not once made it to the gym in the four months we've lived here. I'm hoping to get comfortable with the weight machines and maybe work in more cardio than I get by walking.

What goals have you set for 2017? I always love hearing about them.