goals – Adventures in Polishland

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My 2020 Reading Plans | The #MyYearofRereading Project

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Adventures in Polishland

As 2020 began today, I did not expect to find myself creating a list of reading resolutions or goals for this new year. Yet as I was resting on this holiday off from work, I spent some time looking at my bookshelves and realized I do, in fact, have some exciting reading plans as the year gets underway. I recently shared with you the #MyYearofRereading Project that I created in my last blog post. I will absolutely be continuing on with that project, but I also have a few other goals that I would like to share with you.

First and foremost is the Goodreads Reading Challenge that I participate in every year. This challenge is purely about quantity – how many books do you want to read this year? I decided to do some math and figure out a goal that is challenging yet still based on reality. Since I mainly read on my commute now, I created a formula based on how many hours of time I spend commuting a year, how many pages I read in an hour, and how long the average book I read is. The result was about 58 books, and I decided to round that up to 60 for a bit of a stretch goal. You can follow me on Goodreads here to see how I am getting along with this challenge throughout the year.

My next goal is to empty my physical TBR (To-Be-Read) bookshelf by the end of the year. Notice I did not say that I want to read my entire TBR shelf. That is because I may end up decluttering some books that I decide I no longer have the desire to read. I fine-tuned this shelf a lot during 2019, and I now have 31 books that I consider on my TBR. This does not include my Stephen King collection, my Rick Riordan collection, and my Puffin Classics, as these are all books I plan to read and own over the course of my lifetime. That being said, I believe I can empty out my entire TBR shelf in 2020 by either reading or decluttering all 31 of those books!

Speaking of Stephen King, I would like to continue on with my journey in reading his entire bibliography in publishing order. In 2019, I reread both Carrie and ‘Salem’s Lot, and I look forward to picking up The Shining sometime this year. Ideally, I will read at least two Stephen King books in 2020, but I would love to read more! His books are often quite long, and I am sometimes intimidated by the time commitment each book requires. I’ve heard that The Shining is a fast read despite its length, though, so I am excited to get to it soon.

Lastly, I hope that 2020 is the year I finally get my book buying in check. I did a great job in 2019, and this was 100% thanks to the #MyYearofRereading Project. Since I was focused on rereading books, I did not spend a lot of time acquiring new books. My main concern is not with spending money on books, but on buying books in large quantities. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve lost interest in books on my TBR shelf before making an effort to read them. Instead, I plan to use my library to read new-to-me books. If I love a book I read from the library, I can always purchase it for my bookshelves later!

I hope you enjoyed hearing some of my reading goals for 2020. Please share any of your reading resolutions for the new year with me in the comments. I love hearing from other readers! I hope you will also join me over on my bookish Instagram account, @PolishlandReads! I regularly update my story with my current reads, and I post mini-reviews and wrap-ups somewhat regularly. Here’s to a great reading year in 2020!

2016 Reflections & 2017 Goals

Posted on January 13, 2017January 9, 2017 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I wanted to check in with the New Year’s Resolutions I made for 2016, and also share my goals for 2017. I go through different phases in my life where sometimes I want to make very specific goals, and other times I don’t want to make any goals at all. When 2016 began, I definitely had specific goals in mind. This year, however, I would much rather focus on overall themes than particular resolutions. What I’ve decided to do is check in with the five resolutions I made for 2016, and then share with you what I hope to accomplish in 2017.

If you would like to see my original 2016 New Year’s Resolutions blog post, you can read it HERE. I will be mentioning each resolution as I share my reflections with you.

My first goal for 2016 was to paint my nails more often and try out more nail art. The main reason I made this resolution was because I began this blog to talk about nail polish, and I felt like I needed to use the polish in my collection and share more with all of you. While I did blog a good amount about nail polish in 2016, I did not wear polish much in my daily life. However, I did a fantastic job at decluttering my nail polish collection and getting it down to a somewhat reasonable number for me. I’m at the point right now where if I don’t feel like painting my nails, I’m not going to, and there is nothing wrong with that. I will not attempt to force myself to paint my nails more, nor try any new nail art.

My next resolution was to nail down a skincare routine. While I definitely did not achieve this goal, I did focus on skincare more than I had in the past. I still struggle when it comes to taking care of my skin, and I know I need to make skincare a daily habit. I see a huge difference in my skin when I use skincare products regularly, and I know taking care of my skin is important. I hope that in 2017 I can make my skin a priority.

Wow! I can’t believe how much my health has changed in one year. In my 2016 Resolutions post, I mentioned how I didn’t aim to go vegan yet, but as it turns out I made the switch in June. I began seeing changes in my health after a few weeks on a vegan diet, and I’m sure that is attributed to eating more products, whole grains, and legumes. I would still like to exercise regularly, as I majorly struggle with being active. I did go on a lot of walks in the fall, but I want to prioritize movement more in 2017. Health is very important to me, both physically and mentally. In 2017 I hope to care for myself mentally by journaling regularly and connecting more with people in person rather than online.

I also wanted to become a more organized person in 2016, and I made great strides with this goal. I got rid of many boxes and bags of my belongings, and I continue to declutter my space on a regular basis. I’m especially proud of the work I’ve done in my bathroom – I no longer hoard products, I only buy what I need, and everything has a place. I even got a lot of products and tools off of my bathroom countertop! My organization was aided by my paper planner, and the dedicated journals I began for my reading and my blog. In 2017 I want to continue to declutter my space. In particular, I want to get rid of the things I own for purely nostalgic reasons.

My final goal for 2016 was to read 40 books. I achieved this goal early in the year, and ended up reading 67 books total! This year I’ve decided to challenge myself to read 50 books. I should easily be able to accomplish this, but I wanted to keep the number on the small side to encourage myself to read longer books. I also want to read more adult fiction this year. I still love young adult, but one reason I love reading is because of the shared experience I can have with other people. My real life friends tend to read popular adult fiction, and I would like to be able to discuss those books with them.

Overall, I am happy with the progress I made in 2016, and I am looking forward to the strides I can make in 2017 as well. I am constantly reminding myself that every day is a new opportunity, and we are in full control to better ourselves at any moment. It’s okay to fail at goals, and it’s okay to change your goals and your direction. I hope you will join me as I discover what adventures 2017 has in store!

New Year’s Resolutions 2016 | Quarter 1 Update

Posted on April 7, 2016March 19, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! We are now a few months into 2016, and I wanted to share an update on my New Year’s Resolutions for this year. I know a lot of you might be feeling disgruntled about your resolutions if they haven’t been going very well, so I hope that if I share my journey and experiences you will feel more inspired to keep going. Resolutions don’t happen overnight – they take hard work and dedication. As long as we are working towards our goals we are being successful! Today I’ll be sharing a quick update on each of my five resolutions, and grade myself on my progress. You can see my New Year’s Resolutions announcement HERE if you missed it!

1. Paint My Nails More Often & Try More Nail Art

Grade: C+

I’ve done really well with blogging more about nail polish this year, especially during Manicure March! However, I’m still not wearing nail polish often on a daily basis. I have been swatching a lot lately, so I haven’t painted a full manicure because I know I’ll just have to take it off to swatch. I know that’s an excuse, so I need to get over it and paint my nails more! I’m ready to put my newly decluttered collection to use.

2. Nail Down a Skincare Routine

Grade: B

I’ve been doing much better at taking care of my skin this year, but I’m not at the point of a daily routine just yet. I probably do a full morning and evening skincare routine about 4-5 days per week. That is a huge improvement for me, so I’m happy with my progress!

3. Focus on My Overall Health

Grade: C

My health goals were broken down into three main categories: taking my daily vitamins, exercising regularly, and eating healthier. I’m doing really well at taking my vitamins. I’ve made it a part of my day, and you can see in my Health Star Jar above that there are a lot of purple stars! Unfortunately, I’ve slacked off big time when it came to exercise. I got sick in January and took some time off, but that time off turned into a couple months off (big oops!). I’m going to try to start with exercising once per week to ease myself back into a routine. Finally, I’ve been eating somewhat better, but my sweet tooth has been overpowering me. I need to conquer it!

4. Organize My Life

Grade: B

A general goal of mine is to become more organized in all aspects of my life. I think I’ve done a good job at this so far! I’ve created some new systems that work for me, such as keeping notebooks for certain purposes, coming up with a functional clothing organization system, and storing my makeup. Decluttering has been on the forefront of my mind, and getting rid of unneeded things in my life has helped me become more organized for sure. I’ve also been working on budgeting my money by making sure I buy with purpose. I also keep a spending log to keep track of every dollar that comes in and goes out. My main priority now is becoming more productive and motivated in my daily life.

5. Read 40 Books

Grade: A

As of writing this blog post, I’ve read 17 books in 2016! I am well on my way to completing this goal. I was a reading machine in both January and February, and in March I slowed down a bit to focus on longer books and books that require more brain power. I am also writing non-spoiler book reviews for every book I read, so check out THIS section of the blog to see them.

All in all, while there is definite room for improvement, I think my New Year’s Resolutions are going well. It’s important to check in with yourself and be honest about how you are progressing. It is okay if you haven’t even begun work on your resolutions yet! Just don’t give up! I know it can be really hard to motivate yourself, so let’s cheer each other on in the comments! Share your resolutions and progress with me!

New Year’s Resolutions & Goals for 2016!

Posted on December 31, 2015December 29, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday, and Happy New Year’s Eve! Today I thought I would share some of my New Year’s Resolutions and Goals for 2016. These resolutions are ongoing lifestyle changes, some of which are serious and others are just for fun. I also like to set a few specific goals to motivate myself to complete certain challenges. I’ve put together five general resolutions to share with you today!

New Year's Resolutions & Goals for 2016! | Adventures in Polishland

1. Paint My Nails More Often and Try More Nail Art!

Holiday Lace Nail Art | Adventures in Polishland

You might be surprised to find out that for the past couple years I haven’t been painting my nails on a regular basis! While I swatch a lot of nail polishes for my blog, I only wear polish about once every 1-2 months. That is so crazy, especially considering how much I love polish and how much polish I own. I want to try to paint my nails at least once or twice per month. I also would love to try out more nail art techniques to share with all of you!

2. Nail Down a Skincare Routine

The Body Shop Haul Skincare, Scrubs, & More! I am so bad when it comes to taking care of my skin! One of my recurring makeup bad habits is not taking off my makeup before bed. I know, it’s terrible! This year I want to make sure I go through an entire skincare routine both morning and evening. That way I can put my best face forward!

3. Focus on My Overall Health

Beachbody Piyo Review | My Current Fitness Routine It’s a cliche New Year’s Resolution, but I definitely want to focus on my overall health more than ever. For me, this includes taking the daily vitamins recommend by my doctor, exercising on a regular basis, and eating better foods. As you may know, I am a vegetarian, and this year I want to truly embrace my vegetarianism by focusing more on produce and less on grains and dairy. I don’t aim to go vegan right now, but I know that putting good foods into my body will make me feel a lot better. To go along with this, I want to continue trying new recipes on a regular basis!

4. Organize My Life – Budget, Space, and More!

Erin Condren Ready to Ship Rose Gold Horiztonal | #PlanWithPolishland

Despite loving the idea of being super organized, I can easily be a messy person both when it comes to the physical space I inhabit, and the systems I have in place for the different aspects of my life. I’ve been using my Erin Condren Life Planner for the past six months now, and I’m slowly becoming more on top of my game. I want to continue to create workable systems in my life. That means keeping on track of my finances, having a cleaning schedule, and all of that fun stuff. I look forward to sharing more on this with you in future posts!

5. Read 40 Books

Christmas Book Haul | Adventures in Polishland Last but not least, I always set a reading goal on the website Goodreads. This past year I was able to read 50 books, and I’m setting my goal at 40 for 2016 so I don’t put pressure on myself. I also want to make an effort to read longer books, so I should have a nice cushion with a goal of 40. Here are the books I received for Christmas this past year. I’m so excited to get to them all!

That wraps up my New Year’s Resolutions for 2016! Please share your resolutions with me in the comments so we can cheer for each other. After a difficult 2015, I’m so excited for the future and what is ahead for me. Have a wonderful and safe New Year’s Eve, and don’t forget to enter my 4th Annual New Year’s Eve Manicure Contest – details HERE!

My New Year’s Beauty Resolutions for 2014!

Posted on January 1, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday, and Happy New Year! Today I’ll be sharing my New Year’s Beauty Resolutions with you, and encourage you to participate as well. Whether it’s budgeting money, taking better care of your skin, or simply trying out some new products, New Year’s is the perfect time to set some goals for the year ahead, even when it comes to beauty. Let’s celebrate the start of 2014 together with some beauty resolutions! Make sure to stay tuned to the end of this post to learn how you can get involved, and share your resolutions with the beauty community!

MY BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS

Always Remove Makeup Before Bed

I’m usually pretty good about removing any makeup I’m wearing before bed, but there are those nights when I find myself under the covers ready to catch some z’s and I’m not getting up again to wash my face. While I know it’s best to go through a complete nighttime skincare routine, I’m pledging to at the very least use makeup remover wipes to get makeup off my face before bed. Did you know that for every night you don’t remove makeup your skin ages 30 days? I’m combatting that with PONDS Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes at the moment.

Take Better Care of My Hands and Cuticles

Despite being a nail polish blogger, my hands are far from perfect! My cuticles deserve some extra TLC, so I’m hoping to get moisturized this winter and stay that way throughout 2014. I received this Burt’s Bees Honey & Grapeseed Hand Cream as a gift, and it’s the perfect product to help me begin taking care of my hands. It smells great, and is 99% natural!

Use an Eye Cream in My Skincare Routine

I’ve received a few eye creams as samples in the past, but I recently purchased this full size tube of First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream. I may be a bit young to start an anti-aging skincare routine, but I’ve noticed that I do have a lot of wrinkles under my eyes, and that is most likely due to dryness. I’m hoping this cream will help take care of that sensitive area that I’ve been neglecting.

Floss Teeth Daily

A beautiful smile starts with healthy teeth! I think many of us are guilty of not flossing daily, and that is going to stop. I’m grabbing this floss that I already have, Reach Cleanburst, and starting a new daily flossing routine!

Reorganize My Nail Polish Collection and Try the Untrieds

Last but not least, I want to tackle my nail polish collection! I’ve let it get all jumbled and disorganized the past several months, and I hope to go through it, weed out the polishes I don’t want, and try all of my untrieds. Above is a photo of just a few untried polishes I have laying around. Keep an eye out on my blog – you’ll probably see them soon!

SHARE YOUR BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my New Year’s Beauty Resolutions for 2014! Now it’s your turn! Share your resolutions with me in the comments, or use hashtag #NewYearsBeautyResolutions on social media so I can see your posts. If you’re a blogger, you can add your link to the inlinkz widget below. Let’s start a movement of positivity in the beauty community as we ring in 2014! Happy New Year!