Rockstar Series – 2018 Goals Edition

Erica’s a total mover and a shaker – rocking campaigns for some of the most promising and forward looking politicians in the biz. (I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these days we find her in office. If that day comes, you can bet I’ll be cheering her on the campaign trail!) To bring it back to present day, Erica is a young woman with a demanding career. Like most of us, she has to balance personal and professional commitments while chasing her goals. I love that in spite of it being a midterm election year, Erica’s not afraid to set lofty goals and get after them. I hope that she’ll inspire you, as much as she inspires me!

Erica: I’ve been looking forward to 2018 since November 2016, mainly because I work in politics, but 2018 has so much more to bring than the midterm elections. 2018 has brought me a new job, a new apartment/city, and with all these changes, I have a few goals I want to accomplish. Some of them should really just read “stop being lazy,” but some are a bit more lofty than me getting off the couch on the weekends.

Editor’s Note: In my experience, Erica doesn’t have a lazy bone in her body. I think we are all too hard on ourselves, so to Erica and to all of you: just because you’re not Gal Gadot’s version of Wonder Woman, doesn’t mean you’re not a wonder woman!

Back to Erica: One big all encompassing goal I have for 2018 is to get stronger. I want to physically get stronger. The last half of 2017 I stopped exercising and it really impacted my day to day on all levels–I stopped eating well, my energy was off, my mood wasn’t great, my face broke out, and overall I just didn’t feel like myself. Not only do I want to get back into my rhythm, but I also booked/am in the process of booking an amazing trip to South America for a month that involves quite a bit of hiking. I don’t want anything to slow me down while I’m there and hold me back from seeing everything on my trip. I’ve always been able to run and run and run, but I want to get faster and stronger. I’ve signed up for a few races this year, and when I have a race on the books I am much more motivated to train and get in shape. Aside from running, I’ve also started doing more weight training. I also started using this AWESOME new app called Aaptiv while working out. It’s like taking a fitness class by yourself, but with the motivation of an instructor getting you through the class. I don’t know about you, but I hate the treadmill with a burning passion, but when I use this app, I’m actually able to get through an entire workout on the treadmill without thinking “this is the worst thing ever” or cutting it short. I’m already feeling great. REI’s #optoutside campaign is also really intriguing and something I’m hoping to embrace, when temperatures aren’t below zero 🙂 I’m going to try a different outdoor activity each weekend, when time permits. Skiing and snowshoeing are on the list, but I’m starting to compile some more ideas to stay active outside and explore my new home here in Upstate New York.

Editor’s Note: Has anyone else tried Aaptiv? I too, loathe the treadmill. Would love to hear what y’all think!

Erica: Mentally, I want to get stronger, stop sweating the small stuff and give myself a break sometimes. We’re all human, right? I want to start reading more, absorbing more knowledge and getting lost in creative stories. I’m sick of watching Netflix after a long day of work and am aiming to start reading as a way to wind down from work. Sure, it might take a little more energy, but after staring at a computer screen all day, I want to do something different than stare at my tv. Any recommendations?

Editor’s Note: Readers, please share your book recommendations in the comments so we can all build a solid reading list for the year!

This last one doesn’t really fall under my big goal of “get stronger,” but I want to keep my apartment cleaner. I normally go through waves of being super clean–putting my laundry away (and actually doing it…), washing my dishes and putting them away in a timely manner and vacuuming my apartment on a regular basis. I hate feeling dirty, and when my apartment is dirty it bugs me, but then I get lazy and don’t do anything about it. Honestly, I’m not really sure how I’ll accomplish this other than making myself not be a lazy ass and make an effort to put my laundry away once a week and wash my dishes after I use them instead of letting them pile up.

I’m looking forward to seeing how I take on each of these goals and what I actually do to accomplish them. After all, talk is cheap! 2018 is going to be a great year (don’t we say that at the start of every new year?), and I’m excited for all it has to offer.