Oh heyyy, 2021!
My expectations for you are LOW. Like, really low. This year isn’t going to be my “go get ‘em” year. I did that in 2019. Tried again in 2020 and, naturally, let those goals go by the wayside in favor of survival. Which brings us to now. A fresh year. A new start. But, like I said, with not the highest of expectations.
This year I’m going to survive in a very calculated way thanks to a few, reasonable mini mom goals. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing that will make headlines or turn me into mom of the year. Just a handful of benchmarks to keep me going.
So bring it on 2021 – this mom is going to rock her mini goals no matter what you throw her way.
Document 100 picture books with my preschooler
We read lots as it is, but I thought it would be fun to snap a photo of my preschooler and his favorite book(s) as we discover new top picks. Our goal is to capture 100 photos of books we’d both recommend.
Execute a weekly breakfast meal plan
Dinner meal planning has never been my jam. It’s just… complex. But breakfasts? Those I can do! To start off, we’ll be rotating cereal, smoothies, scrambled eggs, oatmeal (with fun toppings!), and pancakes on our weekday mornings. See? Starting small.
Have a baby
This is quite the given as I’m due in February, but since I already know it’s going to happen, I’m going to add it to my goals as an inevitable checkmark. Have something you KNOW will get done this year? Add it to your list to lock in a met goal. Yes, it's kind of like adding something to your to-do list after you've already done it, but the same feeling of accomplishment can't be beat — and we need all the wins we can get this year.
Give away my temperamental house plants
I have enough people/things who need me. Plants who keep trying to die just aren’t going to make the cut. So, who wants to adopt a plant baby or two?
Play the 1,000 hours outside game, but with my own spin
Have you seen those 1,000 hours outside charts? I almost signed up and then realized that I live in the Pacific Northwest and sopping wet clothes (AKA more laundry) was NOT part of my 2021 goals. So, rather than commit to almost three hours a day outside, we’re going to track our outside time in 100-hour allotments. I bet we will log hundreds overall, and that’s good enough for me.
Do the dishes every night
You know I had to add in a chore goal. Here’s the thing, when I wake up in the morning and the sink is empty, I start my day 10 times better. So this year I’m aiming to load and run that dishwasher of mine every night so the morning starts nice and tidy — at least when it comes to the kitchen.
Mail one letter/note each month
Snail mail is fun and encouraging! My sisters, mom friends, and a few select others deserve a little “hello” out of the blue, and I’ve already mapped out the 12 who will receive a little note from me this year. If I get my act together, I hope to even tuck in a little coffee card treat!
