Hi girlfriends! I know I’m about a month behind on sharing my 2017 hopes & goals, but I totally blame it on the wedding and our honeymoon! Bridal brain is a real thing. Like I know January happened, but I wasn’t thinking about anything other than getting married, getting my buns to the beach, and getting my hands on a cold can of Pacifico Light. Side Note – we can’t find Pacifico Light anywhere in Nebraska, so we get pretty giddy right before our trips to Mazatlan, knowing that Pacifico Light dreams are ahead!
Okay, back to the present! I’m declaring this new year the 2017 Takeover. Not in the sense that I’m taking over the blogging industry. Though growing my business is at the top of my list! No, what I’m taking over is MY LIFE. There are so many areas in my life that I’ve been half-assing it. I’ve been using too many excuses. And while 2016 was an amazing year for so many reasons – I traveled to Paris & London, I started my business (in the legal sense, becoming an LLC), I then quit my full-time day job to pursue SS in June, was asked to be a Keynote speaker at a blog conference, planned my Vegas bachelorette party & dream wedding, got a tattoo, and then married my best friend and favorite person ever – I didn’t push myself like I know I should/could have. And I didn’t follow through with some commitments. And I didn’t make the best use of my time.
In all aspects of my life, I want to be better. I want to become a morning person (Lord, help me!) and to seize the day! If you know me, then you know I love my sleep and detest alarm clocks. Like, for real, why can’t I get up? It’s not like I’m going to bed at 4am. I think my bed is just too comfy haha! But in all seriousness, if you have any tips or tricks that help you rise and shine, please do pass them my way.
I want to become a better #bossbabe. In the business sense, July – December 2016 was a pretty solid 6-month start to my new career! But after surviving growing, I’m now ready to THRIVE! I need to be more knowledgable in regards to back-end “techy” stuff (aka SEO) that pertains to my website. I, of course, want to grow in the monetary sense, but also grow as a business owner is just as important! Creating & producing consistent content, learning how to film & edit videos & create a YouTube channel, attend two blog conferences, work on more monthly collaborations, and grow my personal styling/wardrobe consulting business, to name a few, are my top professional goals of 2017! So if you had to break that all down, it comes out to this – I want to connect more. Because YOU are what makes my heart happy and my drive strong!
I also want/need/should/must grow my personal relationship and journey with God. Back to that whole getting out of bed thing… I want to get back into attending Church on Sunday mornings. I need to make more time for bible study and daily reflection. I put so much faith and confidence in God’s plan for me, so it seems pretty crummy that it’s currently a one-sided friendship. I know He knows my heart, but I need to make the time to share it more.
In terms of health & wellness, I am looking to find some kind of exercise or workout regimen/class that makes me excited! I played soccer and many other sports for pretty much my entire youth & adolescent life, so being active is important. But back to those pesky excuses, I need to stop having them! I DO have time to workout; so get moving. It’s my goal to find something this year that gets my buns moving and excited! I also need to drink more water and less beer. But I’m not making any promises! 🙂
I mentioned on my Instagram (@sarasab) that I’m having major wanderlust feelings! After reminiscing about my Paris & London trip last March, and being in Mazatlan for two weeks on our honeymoon, I’m realizing that travel is much more important to me now than it ever has been. Growing up, we didn’t do many vacations. Or I should say we didn’t do any vacations that required an airplane. I had a GREAT childhood and for not having a lot of disposable income, we always had fun little getaways and those memories I cherish so much! My dad traveled a bit for work when we were younger, and my mom is actually a California native. And my parents lived in Washington State for six years after they were married, so they both have experiences of travel and trying something new. But sports, girl scouts, and school/grades were our priorities. Even in college I didn’t get excited about the opportunity to travel. I became such a homebody that I really had no desire to go anywhere outside the US. But after our first trip to Mazatlan, Mexico in 2010, I was bit by the travel bug and never looked back! Since then, I’ve been all over the US and abroad, with my favorite places being Mazatlan, Chicago, NYC, Hawaii, Paris & London. I want to make travel more of a priority in 2017, especially before we have kids, so I’m hoping to see new places and visit old favorites! I’m going to Dallas in April for a blog conference, and Tony and I are headed back to Mazatlan in November. It’s Michelle’s 30th birthday in September and she wants to take a huge trip to celebrate the milestone, and we’re throwing around Italy, so I’m pretty excited!
I also want to read more books and do less scrolling on social media; mostly Instagram. And speaking of Instagram, I vow to stop playing the comparison game. It can be tough to not compare yourself to other women in your industry! Because everyone is darling, and everyone has the cutest clothes, bags, shoes, etc. But the one thing that everyone does not have is me! I believe in community over competition and that we must be happy for other’s successes. Stay in your lane, run your own race, and just keep at it! Good things come to those who hustle – and pray.
And along the lines of community, I want to carve out time to volunteer. I’m a huge animal advocate and it’s no secret that animals, especially dogs, have my heart and that is definitely where my passion lies. Rescuing Roger changed our lives and we learned so much about the huge need for rescue and adoption. And not just in the literal sense of adopting a dog, but also made us aware of the need for advocacy and awareness. And while I can share the heck out of Facebook posts about abuse, cruelty, and dogs that need homes, I know I can make a difference by doing some lobbying work for stricter penalties for abusers and to also help local rescue groups get funding. One of my favorite sayings is “If you have the ability, You have the responsibility” and I’m taking that to heart this year!
And to sum up my 2017 do better, be better list- I want to be the best wife I can possibly be. This is our first year of marriage, and though we’ve been together for 9 years, being his wife and spouse is a responsibility and honor that I don’t take lightly. I am beyond blessed and thankful that I get to share my life, love, passions, dreams, and future with Tony, and I want our first year of marriage to be the best it can be. He’s such an awesome partner and I think I do take for granted how much he does. I’ve always said that I want to be in a relationship that is an equal partnership and to share in all aspects of duties and responsibilities. Well it never occurred to me that I would be the one not holding up my end of the deal. I’m so lucky to have such a hands-on husband and puppy dad! I should be a better wife than I was girlfriend or fiance, because that’s what I expect of him, and that is what he should get from me.
I know this was a long winded post, so if you’re still reading, thank you! And I would love to know what your aspirations are for 2017 so we can keep one another on track and accountable!
And as always, if you have any questions or want to request certain topics, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email or leave a comment. I LOVE hearing from you! xoxo
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