Waste Not in 2017 – Goals for Time, Money, Opportunity and Words
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1.use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose.
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1.an act or instance of using or expending something carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose.
Let’s just say I’ve totally been pretty wasteful in so many areas. In 2016 I chose the word Receive and focused on the verb of the word which is to suffer, experience or be subject to. In reading over my post I have to say I’m fairly proud of how being willing to open my heart and receive from others and from God helped me a grow up just a little more. I noted a quote from Ann Voskamp “real change comes when we receive life with thanks and ask for nothing to change”. Reading these words again makes me feel peaceful about where I am in my life.
Now, time to grow up just a little bit more in 2017 by cutting out some waste. I’ve thought about the categories I feel should receive the most focus and I kept coming back to a few areas over and over that led to these words.
Time
Evaluating the things I’m spending time on that do not provide an adequate return is hard to admit. My biggest time wasters are honestly social media and choosing my outfit every day. I squander away hours sometimes without even realizing it scrolling through feeds and even if I don’t want it to, it takes up precious space in my mind.
For some reason putting together and outfit every day has become a huge time waster too! For several weeks in the fall I cleaned out a small section of my closest and used it to plan my outfits for the entire week; hung together complete with accessories and suddenly the morning was smoother. Finding time to really evaluate my closet and purge to make it a little more manageable is definitely a must. I’m definitely the queen of holding on to certain items for longer than necessary “just in case” I “need” it again.
Opportunity
One of the phrases my kids love from their summer camp is don’t waste fun. I have been accused more than once of being a fun waster. In 2017 I really want to make the most of the opportunities I have to be with my family and friends. I want to be present, receive what they are willing to give and use my time with them to make a positive influence. Being able to put the housework on hold for a date with my husband, some one on one time with one of my kids or an unplanned family outing will insure I don’t miss the opportunity for a special memory. I want to ignore the unfinished projects and worn furniture and invite those friends over for dinner anyway!
Professionally, there are definitely some areas I have an opportunity to grow and bloom this year and I really want to put my heart into my work and see where it might take me!
Even here on the blog, I want this to continue to be a space I love and enjoy but the time involved can be daunting. Figuring out a blog calendar which is manageable (and realistic) and allocating specific blocks of time for writing, responding to comments and staying up to date with reading other blogs will help me not miss the opportunity to connect and grow this space.
Money
It really hurt to even type that word! While I know it is not realistic for me to say I’m going to stop all spending, cutting back is definitely a priority. The positive and the negative is I do track every single thing we purchase in a spreadsheet (yes, I know there is probably a better way) so I do know how we are spending and wasting money. Really scrubbing our expenses and creating a budget for those things we consider frivolous and actually staying within that budget is a huge goal for 2017.
We have lived in our house for 13 1/2 years and not one room is “finished”. This is an area I want to divert the income we’ve been blessed with to actually make a dent in finally turning this house into the home I know it can be!
Early in the fall I set a goal to only go to the grocery store once a week and it was amazing to me how much less I spent on groceries and how much better I was at intentionally planning our meals for the week. Now that our HEB has curbside delivery I fully expect to get back on track with meal planning for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Less dining out = more money in my pocket and healthier living!
Blogging is not free either. If I really do want to continue to focus on sharing fashion here, it’s unrealistic to think I will never spend any money on clothes. While the income I receive from advertising and affiliates is not much to report, I would like to see 100% of it poured back into the blog with an updated design, giveaways and time saving items such as social media schedulers that will save time.
Words
I’ve mentioned before I can be somewhat of a hot head. In 2017 I really want to work on not wasting my words. Using my words to build up instead of tear town; to encourage instead of judge. Being a hormonal 47+ there are weeks when this is easier than others but I really want to try to not waste my words. This also means using silence when I need to!! Maybe even shutting up and just listening or leading through my actions versus my words. I’d love to remove phrases like “you always” and “you never” from my vocabulary!
All of this to say, my actions in 2017, when relating to time, opportunities, money and my words, need to all have purpose!
I love this !!! Money is something we are really focusing on this year also! Have a great weekend. Xoxo
These are all so good, and I found myself shaking my head in agreement for all of them. Social media is the worst time waster, and it is so tempting. I'm really trying to swap out reading a book for scrolling this year, but I have to really force myself to do it. With money, I also found that trying to stay out of the store and just shopping once a week is so helpful. I was doing good with this for awhile in the fall, and now need to get more disciplined again. And how much better all my relationships would be if I didn't say you never and you always! Thanks for giving me lots to think about with this post!
What a great post that so many of us can relate to!! I start doing something around the house and feel like I get nothing accomplished, just wasting tie so this helped me to be more mindful of that. Money…I LOVE Spending it, I do, buying new things for me and for those I love makes me happy but I MUST think of our future too. Have the best weekend beautiful, soak in every relaxing second!!!
You got this! 2017 is gonna be a great year!
I love this idea…it makes so much sense to me..so much more sense than the I won't do this or I wont' do that. This is so much more mindful!
Love this approach. i think it is so doable because there are many ways to accomplish what you want.
I love your post, so much great advice that I could relate to and really need to do myself!!! I love your heart, thank you so much for sharing.
Great choices! I really am appreciating the trend I've been seeing this year for resolutions – to scale back and find more time to do what you love. I'm rooting for you and trying to waste as well this year!
Hey friend! Can I share that I went on a no spending (for stuff we want) on January 1 and I have been successful thus far? I realize I have goals that are way bigger than a shirt I'll like for a month and then be over. I also realized that there are more to life than things – like experiences as you highlighted above! I'm loving this post so dang much. It is just awesome – like you! Happy weekend! xo
Such a great idea. I really love the way you're going about your goals!
Oh I love this theory! I can relate to the wasting of time and money. Both I am far too free with. I'll work on that with you this year!
Great update! I like that you're focusing on not wasting. I recently gave up social media for a week, and it was so refreshing and I got so much more done! I, too, track all of our expenses and am always looking for ways to save.
You have a lot on your list but they are all such good things. I'm focusing on some of the same things…money and time. I'm also reevaluating my blogging. I love it so much but spend far too many hours per week on it. Time to cut back and spend life more wisely. 😉
Happy New Year!!
Me too Stacey….I definitely need to be more proactive in my blog planning and stop thinking I need to participate in every fun prompt thrown out there. I think I'm still struggling to really brand what I want to be here. 🙂
It's crazy how when we had nothing I was sooooo good at saving but letting that area go was the first thing I dropped as the $$ pressure eased up a bit. Time to get back on track!
Yea! I love an accountability partner. 🙂
I really do want to be more intentional with purchases….and challenging myself to a no spend month would be huge. baby steps…not sure I'm ready. haha….probably like quitting smoking though and I should just go cold turkey!
Quality over quantity Katie….that's where I need to be! Happy weekend!
Thanks for reading Karen!! I really do want to make this a year of quality over quantity…..and then I get distracted by a pair of shoes. 🙂
I definitely am going to need to drill down on each one of these and make some to do lists to keep me accountable.
Well…let's see if I can do it Deena! Haha….definitely some work to do for me!
Lord I love spending money! It wasn't like I was deprived when I was young but I never felt I had the wardrobe others had and it's like now I'm afraid of NOT having an outfit. Hell I could go a month without wearing something twice if I wanted to…ridiculous!
Oh girl…I'm the queen of pointing the "you never" finger!! Thankful my family gives me lots of grace but really hoping this year they don't have to so much. 🙂
There are just so many more fun things I would really like to do and I have plenty of clothes to wear when I get there. haha
What a great area to focus on and all of the little ways you have broke it down are perfect. I waste a LOT of time doing things that just don't really matter. I need to work on that. I think 2017 is going to be a great year for you friend.
I just get so sucked in Beth! Let me tell you…taking two 15 year boys out of town will give you plenty of time to get lost in social media because they want nothing to do with me lol
Fabulous post, Shelly. I recently have been more conscious of how I could be more productive with my time and I am also trying to be more fiscally responsible. Best of luck with your list!
I cleaned out my closet and talk about WASTE! Oh. My. Word. This year I am going to make more thoughtful purchases so I stop wasting time and money.
I need to get better about laying out outfits the night or weekend before. I love your idea of not being wasteful on all areas of your life. I need to be more aware of all the waste we have as a family too!
I really love this spin on a resolution. I'm very guilty of being wasteful in so many areas. You gave me a lot to think about, thank you!
We all are Lana! It really is crazy when I look around at the "stuff" and how much of it I thought I really had to have…still think I really have to have and to know those things that are most important are the people in my life. I want to spend more time wtih them!!
Laura….my 11 year old is so put out every single day with how long it takes me to pick out my clothes!! Haha
More thoughtful for sure! I'm working on rules for myself…like just because you like it and it fits well does NOT mean you need it in every color offerred….EVEN if it is on sale. Gah…I'm terrible.
Time and money Jennie…isn't that what drives us all the dang time! Let's be smart in 2017!! 🙂