Oprah Winfrey says, The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams. And you know what? This is the year I intend to do just that.
I have so many exciting things planned for this year, I can hardly stand it. Setting goals, it’s kind of a big deal. Setting goals and telling other people about them, is even a BIGGER deal because it helps hold you accountable. So if you have things you want to accomplish in 2018, I highly suggest not only writing them down, but sharing them with those close to you. I know it sounds totally cheesy, but if you believe it, you can achieve it. All you have to do is SHOW UP everyday and work hard. Your dedication will pay off.
So without further ado, here is my list of 15 goals for 2018:
Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.
“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~ Barbara Kingsolver
I came across that quote in early 2017 and immediately wrote it down. I had it taped to the office door, and then to my desk and I felt like I was really living and breathing that quote for a while. I was feeling more like myself over the spring of 2017 than I had in some time. But then something happened that pretty much sucked the life out of me, and I was done writing as freely as I had been. The walls went up, the thermostat was sent to CRANKY, and I could feel myself shutting down inside. So I did the only thing I knew how to do, set my mind to auto pilot, and took every day as it came. {I’ll tell you all about it when we get the story about the HOA house}.
Yada yada yada, this year… this year is going to be a little different. And that’s a good thing
Goal #2 – Slow Down
If this year is anything like I think it’s going to be, I’m going to need to pace myself. And that means, fewer blog posts, more time to take care of myself and my husband, and more time to spend on personal projects.
Goal #3 – Shop Small
Make a point to buy more from my neighbors, or small town stores {mom and pop preferred} than big box stores. Which sounds easy enough, right? Well, actually I think it’s going to be hard {at first}. We don’t actually buy a lot of stuff and most of the things we do buy comes from Amazon, The Home Depot, or the grocery store. So I really just need to figure out how to make this goal work.
Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day
Make {most of} our meals for the week on one designated day. I plan on being VERY busy once spring rolls around and spending the least amount of time in the kitchen is going to be high on my priority list.
Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden
The new place doesn’t have a designated vegetable plot and so carving out the new space will be at the top of my “to do” list once the ground thaws.
Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area
I’ll talk more about this when I share about plans for the new place.
Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables
I think this might just be one of my favorite goals for this year. Back at our old place I LOVED keeping track and weighing all the food I grew in the backyard. 500 pounds seems like a pretty hefty goal for the first year, but I say go big or go home.
Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs
I am having a BLAST rug hooking these days so instead of setting a dollar amount this year, I decided to give myself the goal of hooking 100 rugs.
Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls
When The Girl was little I used to make the cutest Raggedy Ann {but totally not Raggedy Ann} dolls and sold them in a few local shops. I’ve been wanting to make another set for sometime now but never had a good reason to make one. I still don’t have a reason to make a set, but I don’t care, they were so much fun to make that I’m going to make another set anyway. 😉
Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall
I’m probably going to go blind doing it too. Seriously, cross stitch is hard man. I tried stitching a sampler a few years ago but gave up because I miscounted and the piece of linen I was stitching on was then too small. So this time around I’m starting with something MUCH smaller… We’ll see how it goes.
Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries
Last year one of my goals was to visit 52 bakeries in one year. Who knew it was going to be so hard? Since I was only able to visit 30 bakeries last year {shame on me} this year, we are going to finish up that goal.
Goal #12 – Start a Collection
I’m not a frivolous shopper but the new house almost demands some sort of collection and I’m thinking Yellowware and/or wooden spoons might just be the perfect fit. Although if I decide to collect yellowware, I think I’m going to go for the bowls with the green glaze instead of the classic yellow.
Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books
That works out to one every other week. Even with a busy year ahead of me, I should have no problem checking this goal off my list.
Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes
I feel like it’s been forever since I tried a new canning recipe. And that makes total sense because I’ve already covered all my favorites, and then some. So this year, I am aiming for 12 new canning recipes. The more unusual, the better.
Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project
I’ve been wanting to do this for YEARS…. and this year, I’m going for it. 😉
So there you have it. Those are my goals for 2018.
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? If so, we’d LOVE to hear about them.
~Mavis
Sarah L. says
You inspired me to set goals, and in the past 2 years I have blogged about them! Your goals look great this year and I have a solid 10 that I have set so far!
jennifer says
I literally made a list of goals for this year BECAUSE YOU INSPIRED ME!!!! I posted them to my FB and am surprised that folks seem to gravitate to this goal or that goal. So here is the excerpt from my FB post. There are many more things i plan to do for the year, but i’m in school full time, so a girl can only have so many official goals.
1. Reduce plastics use. I realized I haven’t added any major new environmental efforts to my lifestyle in a few years. I ditched paper napkins and paper towels about 12 years ago. I’ve learn to grow, preserve, and make more of my own food. I learned to raise chickens for eggs and meat. I’m now learning to drive less and walk/bike for my errands more. But plastics. Plastics gotta go.
2. Build a garden. New house=new lessons in gardening. We may not live at this house past me getting my degree in early 2019, so we want to *do* without *overdoing* it.
3. Learn to code Python. Already learned some in a climate class, with more to come. To make it more of a usable job skill, I need to put in more time on my own. Computers are my nemesis, as many of you know. But I have a secret affinity for coding. Truth.
4. Lose a few pounds. I’m short and small. So every pound matters, at least according to my jeans.
5. Get rid of 400+ things. This is easier than it sounds. Donate, recycle, sell, regift, whatever… We don’t keep as much whatnot as the average family (house fire in 2004 taught some lessons in what you really need/want in your house), but stuff seems to trickle in or stay longer than it should. I already have a box of stuff ready for a run to goodwill tomorrow.
6. Use fabrics I’ve been keeping. I have a handful of specific projects that I’m still interested in starting/finishing that involve sewing fabrics I already have.
7. Try 26 new recipes. I have probably 150 recipes saved on Pinterest. And they look great! And I enjoy cooking! So come on! One new recipe every other week on average.
8. Toby’s addition to my list: familiarize myself with at least one new meme a week (guess I need to keep up with pop culture more than I do). We began by ensuring I really knew what a meme is. Totally nailed it.
Laura says
Seeing you track and achieve your goals the past few years has motivated me to set and track 12 of my own this year. Thanks for the inspiration! I hope I can be as successful as you have been.
Jennifer says
Can’t wait to hear about the new place. I am in the process of figuring out my goals for this coming year. This year I will write them down.
Mel says
I’ve been sick since Christmas, so I’m delaying goal-setting and officially starting the New Year when I feel a bit better.
But, I love reading your goals, and they helped me keep mine in mind last year. I accomplished everything I wanted last year, and I think reading your progress really helped me stay focused and reevaluate each week. I came to the same realization about knitting that you came to about crochet, so that was especially fun.
Mel says
Also, depending on how you want to display a collection, wooden butter molds might fit the bill. We have a few we inherited that we display.
Mavis Butterfield says
Oh Mel!!! You are on to something.
Mel says
I know, right? I was using one of my grandmother’s molds over Christmas, and I realized it might have actually been a way to save money for her. My little mold presses a stick of butter into lots of individual servings (12? 16?), but they still look pretty and generously-sized. I’m wondering if the molds started as a way to stretch food without it looking stretched.
Stephanie says
You can also count ME as one of the people inspired by your public goal setting! I decided to share my goals on my blog this year: Become a once-a-month grocery shopper, declutter my house with the KonMari method, grow a garden in 20 minutes a day, and lose the weight I gained during chemo. I have also set the goal to celebrate (literally) every day in 2018 – one wacky, made-up holiday at a time.
Thanks for the inspiration! I look forward to hearing about your new place!
Suzanne says
My goals this year are…
1. Drink more water.
2. Work out at least three times a week.
3. Try 12 new recipes.
4. Read 24 books.
5. Have one screen free day a week.
6. Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
They are small but I hope I can
Amanda says
I used to love to cross stitch! It inspired my love for sewing. I may join you in that goal, Mavis! P.S. every sampler I have vet done had a miscounted somewhere! I either took it all back out of reworked the pattern somehow to my advantage! Happy cross-stitching!
Teri says
You are a big inspiration! Thank you for sharing your life. Can’t wait to hear all about your new place! Happy New Year Mavis!
Dawn says
I always look forward to this post. I posted my goals on my blog. They can be found here: https://ahomeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2018/01/2018-goals.html
I am also working my way through the book “52 Small Changes”. Each week is a different small change for overall health.
Jennifer says
Cross-stitching is my thing. My grandmother taught me when I was very small. After I got better at it, she told me the back should be just as neat as the front…it won’t have crosses, but should otherwise look like a reverse of te front…with no long runs of thread and no exposes ends. I’m still working on that! It kept me quiet while she worked, tough…so I am guessing she was successful in her goal 😉
I’m still working on my goal list, and it might change in February if my hubs decides to transfer 🙂
Jennifer says
Ugh, fat fingers in the cold. Sorry for typos.
Tanya says
Have I got a canning recipe for you! Decades old, very unusual. You are going to need a lot of cucumbers and some red hots! My HH aunt has made “cinnamon pickles” or “candied pickles” for years and they are awesome! Mavis, Let me know if you would like the recipe and I will send it to you.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes please! You can email me or send it via the contact tab at the top of the blog. 🙂
Nancy W says
Those pickles are delicious, I have a friend that makes them every year!
Beth says
A suggestion for the Cinnamon Red Hot pickles. Instead of using the small red hot dots, use the cinnamon disk candy. The red hots have a white center which sometimes leave a film on the pickles. Also, use large cucumbers, as it is easier to take out the seeds. These are really delicious pickles. Good luck!
KC says
I personally loathe cross-stitching, *but* if you want to do it, I’ve heard good things about marking a grid beforehand – basically, you count 10 across and then do a loose running-stitch through the linen base all the way down in a contrasting color, then start at the top, count 10 down, and do a loose running-stitch across the linen base. So you end up with big graph paper that you can use to count off relative position – and then as you work up to each, you take out the “position” lines (or apparently some people can work over them without piercing the threads and hence take them out after the whole thing is done).
But starting small sounds like a good plan, and if it’s small enough, you may not need a grid!
Maxine says
Love Barbara Kingsolver. Don’t know your story but I’m finally ready to move beyond my “experience” in 2018 and I’ll take encouragement from all sources. You writing and letting us know when you can will give me strength too. Write! I promise to read anything you share and I have absolutely no doubt it will be wonderful based on how much I love your posts.
Sue R. says
I’ve used a magnifying glass when cross-stitching at times…the kind that hangs around your neck. I know it makes me look “old” but so much easier on my eyes!
Dara says
My mom calls her’s the “big eye”!
tia in boise says
After being inspired by you, I created a short list of goals for the year last year. I did well in January….and then got too “busy”. (I’m not even sure I could remember all 5 goals…..)
This year my goals are a bit simpler:
1. Everyday–
Do something healthy (this may be exercise but could also be avoid soda, sleep more, etc)
Do something organized (clean something, donate items, complete a work project…) My plan to make sure I’m not overwhelmed with large tasks, I’m allowing myself to either finish a job in a day (junk drawer) or work for 15 minutes on it (guest room, closet…)
Do something that makes someone happy (this includes ME)
2. Keep track of “financial windfalls”–this one is really just for fun. It’s to keep track of freebies (Kroger, items purchased with JCP’s coupons, grocery coupons…) Also, I’ll keep track of “found money”–money found on the ground, etc–not in my own house. I started doing this in 2017–but late in the year–March or so. I found $8.07 last year! (The bulk was a $5 bill I found, majority of quarters, and lots of dimes.)
3. Pay down one of my credit cards.
I’m making myself accountable by creating a spreadsheet to write down activities completed each day–day 1–check!
Love to hear everyone’s goals!
Elizabeth says
1. Walk 500 miles this year
2. $5 challenge-see how many things I can donate to charity each week using just $5. So I see lots of yard sales and hunting down the best grocery sales/coupons in my future. This fun idea came to me when I was thinking how little it takes to buy essential food/clothes if you are a bargain shopper. I found a local charity that gives 2 complete outfits to local school children on an as needed basis as well as backpacks of food for the weekend, so that’s where I will give my finding:)
3. Read 12 nonfiction books this year
4. Have 2 date nights and 2 family game nights a month
5. Try to only to buy used items this year (except for a few things that I only buy new)
6. Have one no spend week a month
7. Continue eating low carb and blog about one new LC recipe a week
Carrie says
I love following along with your goals. I have never written down my goals so I almost never complete them. I wrote down my goals for this year and plan to check in on them weekly.
1. Complete 30 days of yoga (following YouTube channel Yoga with Adrienne). It started today and is free if anyone else is interested. I haven’t practiced in months and it made getting up 30 minutes earlier worth it!
2. Read 20 books. Last year my goal was 12 and I read 20 so I wanted to keep pace.
3. Visit a national park. I bought a national park annual pass in September when I visited Arches and Canyonlands in Utah. I want to make the $80 purchase well worth it so I’m hoping to visit another park this year.
4. Save $2000 for house updates. I am thinking windows this year. Manfriend wants to redo the insulation in the crawlspace and attic but he will pay for that.
5. Save $1000 towards a new car. I’m hoping to pay cash for a new car in 5-10 years. After I paid my current car loan off I had big plans to keep paying myself that $200 but fell off the wagon when I bought a house two years ago.
6. Add 3 chicks to my flock. I have 3 hens (ages 3-4) right now and their egg laying has tapered off.
7. Cut back my food budget to $300/month. I am only feeding 2 adults why am I spending $400 on food??? I need to get creative and make cheaper meals. I still want to buy good quality meats and produce. I plan on using only cash to help rein in this ridiculous habit of overspending on food.
8. No buying personal clothing and other items other than the following few items. I have plenty of clothes, makeup, toiletries, etc. to last a year. I am giving myself $300 to buy a pair of hiking shoes, a pair of running shoes, a tube of mascara, a new bra and 5-ish pairs of undies and for haircuts. I’m hoping to find those items on sale and have some money left over. I actually found a pair of practically new Brooks running shoes at REI’s garage sale on 12/30 for $30 so I am counting that as a 2018 purchase since I haven’t worn them yet.
9. Complete a third round of Whole30. I am thinking about starting this soon once the candy is gone from my house. I am bloated from the holidays and 5 extra pounds makes my clothes so tight and uncomfortable! Not sure I can keep with my food budget while on this diet since you can’t eat rice and beans but I will make a exception for the month for my health.
10. Have a more efficient garden. I hate weeding. I avoided the weeds by avoiding the garden. My garden was a wreck last year and everyone knew it (I have 4 beds in my front yard!). Since my garden is small I need to maximize space and plan ahead.
11. Sell excess produce, honey and eggs at my neighborhood farmers market. It’s free and way better than all those cukes going in the compost pile. I just need to be motivated enough to wake up early on Saturday.
12. Be a better beekeeper. I need to check in on my hives more often this spring and summer. Every other week should be good.
Nancy W says
I too love following your goals and seeing how you complete them over the year! You are an inspiration! My goal is to write down my goals this year! Last year we had a Blessing Jar where each and every day we would write down a blessing. Some days were easier than others but we managed to get 365 blessings in our jar. Now we are reading them every day which is so much fun. Figure if we could do that every day I could write my goals down for 2018!
– Nancy ( Nancy On The Home Front )
Deborah says
I have never set goals before, but you have inspired me to this year. I’m giving myself until the 7th to come up with 5 for this year. If I get those 5 done, I’ll set 5 more. I’ll let you know when they are all set.
# 1 is to make all of my Christmas gifts this year. For everyone!
Idaho Girl says
Check with your utility company about your windows. They may have an incentive/rebate program if you go thru their program.
Ellen in Clackamas says
I am still considering my goals for the year but definately want to put at least 5 on the list. The one I know for sure is to de-clutter–one room/drawer at a time. This may end up being the only one but I will be so glad to get through it. I also want to refurbish my raised beds and be more on top of the upkeep (ie weeding). Haha–look at that. I already have two on the list!!!
Sara Talbot says
Goals for 2018
1. Never miss a Monday workout (52 weeks!) 1/52!
2. 3 family hikes
3. Meal plan 7/12 months
4. Read/listen to 12 books
5. Purge 150 items
6. Tulip festival LaConner
7. Finish 3 projects
8. Surprise a friend/stranger with something kind 6x
9. No spend month 2 months
10. Try a new recipe 1x/month
11. Electronically purge to 50% – clean out FB & Gmail
12. Take an FPU class
Secret goal #1, #2, #3
Marie says
We moved away from the craziness of city living last year. At first, we were all about shopping local with a little Amazon thrown in for items unavailable near us. It’s easy. Life is much richer for us as we meet and appreciate those who are still in business to provide for our community. We have found that you can always drive to purchase from the big box stores & pack it home. The real question is “Do we really WANT to consume?” I’m very happy living on less and loving it!
Julie says
I’m guessing the cranky auto pilot had something to do with the HOA and the chickens because you haven’t mentioned the chickens in quite a while. I hope that isn’t the case. Excuse the Bewitched tv show reference, but hopefully you won’t have the Mrs. Kravitz type watching you at your next home! Just know I follow a couple of hundred blogs and yours is one of the few I look forward to reading every day. Keep doing what you do because I LOVE YOUR BLOG!
Carol Hager says
Mavis if you don’t mind “cheating” as some would call it this website http://www.countrystitching.com has a very nice selection of reasonably priced stamped cross stitch samplers. I love cross stitch but my non- mathematical brain can’t deal with the counting so I do stamped.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you!!!!
Kimberly says
Hi Mavis. I’ve been cross stitching since I was a girl. It’s a lot of fun once you really get going. I suggest starting with something really, really small. You might already know but Country Living magazine features a free cross stitch pattern each month. Here’s a link to the digital downloads for them all.
http://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/a6380/cross-stitch/
They are so cute and would be a great place to start!
They are also offering them in kit form now for a price if you go to https://www.easy123art.com/country-living-counted-cross-stitch-kits ..
Happy Stitching!
SandyF says
Ah Ha! Clue-you mentioned the ground ending to thaw. So-East Coast ? Are your kids still on the West Coast? I have grown adult children-and so want to move-but, they still seem to “need” us. Maybe moving away will force some independence perhaps??
Happy Trails!
Heather says
I saw the frozen ground comment too. She is definitely not talking about Nevada or California! I wonder if her husband is changing jobs.
Cross stitch is fun. I haven’t done it in a while.
Jen says
I’m pretty excited that you’re moving to a hardiness zone that’ll most likely be closer to what I have here in Colorado. I used a ton of your advice while growing in DuPont, WA, and now I can use it here too! Best wishes, Mavis.
Annabel says
Maybe combine #3 and #12 and make a collection by a local artist?
Angell says
I ditto a lot of what others said. You have definitely modeled a realistic way of setting goals…and you’ve also shown how to handle when we don’t meet them (like you did with the bakeries).
I laughed at myself that I’m always checking someone’s blog to see how they’ve made on their goals lol. This year I have a few, and I bought a special journal to write about them and to check up on them. My weekly check up will be pretty much based on how you do yours on here
Your an inspiration Mavis!
BTW, I have officially bought all 12 of your Dig For Your Dinner books…yay!