2016 Goals, Dreams and Ambitions

Let’s have a chat about our goals, dreams and ambitions in the year of 2016!

When the clock struck midnight, marking the start of 2016 – I felt a spark of excitement! 2015 felt like a complete misfire of a year in my world, and I welcomed a fresh, clean slate with open arms. I know many poo on the idea of “new year, new you”…but I happen to think the start of a new calendar year is the perfect time to sit back and reflect on your accomplishments over the previous 365 days, while laying the land for the year to come.

Since January 1, I’ve taken time to think over things in my work and personal life in 2015. While it wasn’t the year I hoped it would be, I think there were a lot of lessons in 2015 that make me stronger and more capable in 2016. Sometimes we need an off-year, to explore and identify what really matters to us, and I now feel more equipped to face the future.

Here is my short-list of objectives, to make 2016 a much better year!

Maintain a Better Work/Life Balance: My work life in 2015 was a stressful. I was frequently the last one working in the office, prioritizing a gazillion deadlines while putting myself last. Quite regularly, I left the office long past dinner – starving and dehydrated, because I couldn’t bring myself to step away from my to-do list through the day. Eventually I did wise up and stocked protein bars and raw almonds in my desk, while sipping on large bottles of water…but that’s not enough. In 2016, it stops. Constantly going the extra mile made me feel accomplished, but in the end — didn’t do much for me. It put me in the position where I was canceling on friends, having to pass up opportunities for Dream in Lace and generally making myself miserable. In 2016, I firmly draw the line and commit to leaving the office on time to enjoy that much-needed (and deserved) personal time. Taking care of myself will be a priority, so I can take charge and be most efficient during regular working hours.

Explore and Accept New Opportunities: Last year, I turned down many exciting invitations and partnerships of Dream in Lace because I was simply too busy overworking myself at my day job. I was literally standing in my own way, which was completely foolish and a big regret of mine. I won’t dwell on lost opportunities, but I do amend to accept new opportunities that come my way and actively seek them out. I want to make more time to explore the possibilities and build Dream in Lace to become a hub of creativity and acceptance, for fashionable dreamers everywhere!

Save More, Spend Less: I feel like I need to take a trip to the bookstore and buy a book by Suze Orman. That woman seems absolutely brilliant when it comes to personal finance! I did something for the first time recently — I looked at the balance of my 401k. Suze Orman would be shocked! While I have been pretty good about stashing money away in it, I never paid attention to what my balance looked like. That was the first step in shifting my mindset to focus more on money coming in, and less on money going out. Let’s face it, the world is expensive and it’s only going to become more expensive as time goes by. To make big things happen, you need money…and this year I’m going to prioritize building my savings over building my closet. Suze would be proud! I have to admit I’ve struggled financially at some points in the past 12 months. I did manage to learn what kinds of loans are available to me and which suit my needs the most. I also received some invaluable advice from my friends too, and it was particularly useful during my financial struggle. Some of them had found themselves in a similar position before and they were unable to apply for a typical loan due to their low credit score, so as a result, they had to turn elsewhere. Family Title Loans was actually mentioned on a couple of occasions. Apparently, they allow people to apply for a loan by using the value of their car, the higher the value, the more you could be entitled to. This could be particularly useful if you only need a small amount of money to help you get by. My own personal research and their advice helped me to get out of this struggle, and for that, I’ll forever be grateful.

Take Adventures: I took a few vacations in 2015, that ignited the desire to want to ‘get away’ even more in 2016. Even if that means simply visiting a nearby city overnight, or exploring new things around the city I live in. A new adventure does not mean a new stamp in your passport. As it turns out, there are plenty of cool things to do…everywhere. It’s just a matter of getting out there and finding them!

There you have it, my four objectives for making 2016 a better year! Rather than amending to change a million things at once, I wanted to focus on key areas that I think could really use the most work. When I keep my list smaller, it’s more manageable and the odds of making progress increase!

Please, take a moment to let me know what you’re striving for in 2016. As an avid dreamer, I’m always eager to learn about others’ ambitions. As well, leave a comment if you have any requests for content in the new year. Do you want more fashion? More lifestyle? The sky is literally the limit.

Thank you so much for reading! I wish us all a very merry and productive 2016.

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