Goals – Live Laugh RV

As I switch out the calendar hanging on my wall, I’m saddened by the thought that 2019 has come to an end. I had a fantastic year, a year filled with good health, mingling with friends old and new, lots of time connecting with family, and traveling in a relaxing sort of way. So, as I reflect on the passing of yet another year, I look toward the future.

Not only is it a new year but a new decade. 2020 sounds so George Jetson like, doesn’t it? And although we may not have a Rosie in our lives, we do have Alexa, Siri, Roomba, self-driving cars, smartphones, and all the other gadgets out there that supposedly make our lives easier. I’d say, we’ve come a long way in the past decade and it’ll be interesting to see where this new decade takes us.

spreading your wings. a sculpture with wings out stretched — Spreading our wings in 2020

Resolutions are made up of goals.

Yeah, 2019 was a good year for me, an excellent year, but there’s always something refreshing about changing out that calendar. With a new year and a new decade in front of me, I feel a sense of a blank slate that needs to be filled with hopes, dreams, and goals. I don’t usually do the whole New Years Resolution thing per se, but I do think about loosely set goals. However, goal setting, in general, is something I consider regularly and not just yearly.

Hmm, I wonder what’s the difference between resolutions and goals?

While there is a difference between goals and resolutions, they are intertwinded. Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something. Goal: the object of a person’s amibition or effort; an aim for a desired result.

Goals provide a direction to follow to achieve a desired outcome. Goals involve planning, preparing, and taking action. Ah, I do have goals indeed and perhaps even a resolution thrown in the mix just for fun.

My top five goals for 2020

Eat healthier and hopefully lose a few pounds (isn’t this on everyone’s list?)
Exercise more – get more physically fit (again, popular)
Save more, spend less money (this should be on everyone’s list)
Blog consistently – for fun and to provide helpful information
Embrace cooking and try new recipes regularly.

blueberry coffee cake baked in a cast iron skillet — I wonder, will I be baking as much in 2020?

Ah, I’m sure those top three goals aka resolutions are on most peoples list and usually are every year. Guess I’m not being too original, but I’m ok with that. However, seeing these goals down on paper (or rather computer screen) seems like a lot to be working on all at once. I know I’ll have good days and bad days achieving these goals, but I’m hoping by writing things down via a daily journal that I’ll have more successes than failures. I assure you my computer’s cookies are loaded with how-to “bullet point journal”. Did someone say cookies? 🍪🍩🍪

It also helps that Al, darling husband, shares these same goals … well, except for #4 and #5. First, he doesn’t blog, and second, he doesn’t cook, but rather encourages me to cook and him to suffer through the taste testing. Don’t you feel sorry for him? Actually, he can cook when he has to, but not the kind of dishes I’d eat … very bachelor/guy kind of stuff. Between you and me, I don’t think even he likes his own cooking. He much prefers encouraging me in the kitchen and he’ll even run to the grocery store to help me out. Awe, isn’t he sweet? Did someone say, Sweets? (Diets suck!)

So now that you know my goals for 2020, I’m relying on you to help keep me accountable 😆

a mysterious path in the forest — What does your path look like in 2020?

2020 Travel Plans

Having lived and traveled in our RV fulltime since 2013, we’ve slowed down the last couple of years … not that we ever crisscrossed the country like some RVers or had any specific travel goals in mind like visiting all 50 states. No, we’ve always planned our travels more on a whim and keeping visits with our children in mind.

Now that both kids live in Phoenix, Arizona, it makes travel planning super easy, at least the winter plans. We enjoy spending the winters in Phoenix and the rest of the year is determined by the direction we point the RV.

Last summer, we spent three months camped on Al’s sister’s property near Hayward, Wisconsin … lakefront property I might add. We had a great time, so much so, that we’ll be doing a repeat this summer. We do have a few out and back trips into Minnesota and the Upper Penisula of Michigan planned, but we’ll have to see how that all plays out. Ya know how that goes … plans written in jello with lots of wiggle room.

The main difference between last year’s travels and this year will be the journey between Phoenix and Hayward. Last summer we took almost four weeks to drive the nearly 2,000 miles. This year we don’t plan on meandering but rather focus on the destination and hightailing it in about four days. Our route will be determined by spring storms and the avoidance of running into Dorthy and Toto aka tornados. Yeah, the month of May can be a dicey month crossing the Great Plains and keeping an eye on weather conditions is paramount.

reflections in water — reflecting on life

Happening around our RV

Even though we’re only five days into the New Year, I’m down a pound. My meal planning has been successful and my legs are feeling the activity. So far, so good! And things on the blogging plan front? Well, that still needs a ton of attention. I’m still suffering from a creative block. That’s a real thing, isn’t it? I haven’t been out with the camera much and I certainly haven’t been writing. Perhaps I just need a nudge and if that means staring at a blank computer screen for thirty minutes or just taking random photos of something, that’s what I plan on doing to try and get myself back into a creative mood … ya know, get those creative juices flowing again. After all, that’s when I’m at my happiest; when I’m creating.

I’m excited about the possibilities, goals, and plans for 2020. Whether I’m exploring new places or revisiting some old favorites, my hope is to start the new decade on a positive note and keep it going throughout the new year and beyond.