I’m Wishing

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The idea behind the 20 Wishes link-up is that you choose 20 things that you want to do this year, make a list, and then do them.

Hmm…a goals/resolutions/to do/bucket list, you say? WHY DON’T YOU JUST CALL IT THE MEGAN TENNEY LINK UP?

In other words, I’m in.

Last year, and for most of the year before that, I made monthly goals and then reported back at the end of each month. This year I’m doing things a little differently by making year-long goals. I’m going to start reporting on my progress and the things that I’m doing to work toward my goals, on this blog, on a weekly basis. More about that later, a.k.a. tomorrow.

Also, in just four short months, I will turn 30 and complete (sure, yeah, right) my 30 Before 30 list, so what the heck else will I do with my time once that is over with? Clearly I need to make 20 wishes.

I made my 2014 resolutions here, where I stated that I wanted to work on four things this year: my marriage, my faith, my fitness, and my blog. Some of my 20 wishes will reflect those goals, getting more specific about how I will achieve them, and some are just for funsies.

So here is my 2014 20 Wishes “Wish List!”

1. Complete a 5k, a 10k, a half-marathon, and a full marathon
Wow, I went there. I didn’t have these goals before just now when I typed them. Guess it’s official. 5k is done, and the full marathon may actually be at the beginning of 2015, but most of the training for it would take place this year. Here’s to running…a lot.

3. Get out of debt/save money
We are actually exactly one week away from paying off our credit card debt. I think it’s kind of tacky to mention specific numbers when it comes to money, but let’s just say we had a lot of debt and now (almost) we have NONE. Now that we are (one week away from being) out of debt, our goal is to build up our savings account. Again, I won’t say the actual amount, but if we reach the goal we’ve set, we’ll be in a really good place at the end of 2014!

4. Get all my photos and videos organized and backed up

5. Record an album
Two or three years ago, for my birthday, Daniel told me he would help me record some songs. We got caught up in life and then moved, and it never happened. I still really want to record, and if it comes out sounding okay, I’ll post a song or two on the blog!

6. Do something fun for my 30th birthday

7. take a class, any class!

8. Improve our backyard
We have a nice big patio, as well as a decent-sized yard, but it’s mostly dirt and some not-so-awesome landscaping. We are renting, so I don’t know how far we want to go in improving it, but I’d like to do something to make it a little better. In Phoenix, the kids can play outside for the majority of the year, which I love!

10. Embrace 30
I was born in 1984. You do the math.

11. Attend two blogging conferences
Already set for Elevate, and I have my eye on a few scheduled later in the year…

12. Make money from my blog
Last year was the first year that I made anything to speak of from my blog, and revenue has grown steadily over the past few months. Again with the tacky numbers, so I’ll keep my revenue goal to myself (unless you are a blogger who really wants to know, to assist with your own blog financial planning- email me), but I hope to quadruple last year’s earnings.

13. Do something that scares me

14. Overhaul my wardrobe
Right now my wardrobe is a ghastly assortment of clothes from 8 years ago, maternity clothes, transition clothes, clothes that are too small, clothes that are too big, clothes that are not flattering, and one or two things that are flattering but getting worn out! I need a complete overhaul, and it’s going to happen (as long as I keep working on #12!).

16. Optimize all blog posts/optimize my site
I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my blog. I’m in the process of going back and fixing all of my old posts (nearing 800 I think). My switch to WP lost a lot of my formatting, so I have to redo most of my older posts. In addition to formatting, I want to make sure my categories and tags are what they should be, images are good and have the “pin it” function if they are pinnable, and posts are indexed or non-indexed. In addition, I want to make sure my site design is just the way I want it and optimal for ad revenue. I also want to make sure I have a good balance of content- personal posts and posts geared toward others. Feedback welcome.

17. Find the perfect pair of jeans

18. Automate what I can (blog and life)
I hate wasting time, so I want to figure out how I can be as efficient as possible. That means automating everything possible, so that I have time for the things I want to do. Need to brainstorm ideas!

19. Go on an overnight staycation with Daniel
There are so many beautiful resorts in Arizona, and many of them are empty during the hot summer months. I’d love to stay at one that’s not too far away and take advantage of all they have to offer. #6, two birds…

20. Have a 24-hours-of-me day/treat yo self
I’m going on 8 months of nursing an infant, so it’s been a while since I had a true day to myself. I had one last spring when I was pregnant; Daniel took the kids to his mom’s for a night, and it was so nice and relaxing to just be alone and do what I wanted to do for a full 24 hours. If this time around included a solo shopping trip, I’d be okay with it (see #s 12, 14, and 17).

That is my list! What do you think? Can you believe we are already one month into 2014? I’d better get started!