Going into 2019, I really only have ONE major goal…to increase my income (mostly via my online businesses). However, I have several intentions/resolutions/habits I would like to work on.
I’ve been obsessed with the idea of improving by 1% daily. I broke down these little intentions of mine by category: personal development, health/fitness, finances, and side hustles. These areas of my life are my main priorities in life right now. Of course I could set some serious goals in each of these areas, however, I really just want to work on the following things without stressing about it.
Throughout the year I want to ask myself, “What can I do today to improve myself by 1% more than yesterday [in health, personal finances, etc.]?” And then I can refer to these lists to see what I can do to get better.
This list shares what I want to do more (or less) of for my finances and side hustles, but be sure to also check out what I want to do for my personal development and health!
Finances
More saving
While I do have a $1K+ emergency savings in place, there are several things I want to save for this year to make my life a bit easier.
I have found that the app Qapital is the best resource for creating sinking funds.
For 2019 I have created sinking funds for gifts, pets, business investments, and maintenance/repairs.
Gifts: Set to automatically save $100 every month
This will be used for birthday gifts and Christmas gifts. I always find that around Christmas time I end up spending a few hundred that I didn’t prepare for (even though I know it’s coming). Actually saving for it will make gift shopping less stressful!
Pets: Set to automatically save $50 every month
Pets can be very expensive (I have 3 dogs with my sister). I paid about $1,000 for one of my dogs to get a deep dental cleaning and extractions. This $50 a month should be enough cushion for annual check ups for all 3. If anything major comes up then I will use my emergency fund.
Business Investments: ANY extra income from my online work will be saved here until I reach $1,000
In 2018 I made about $1200 from my blog and YouTube channel…not much but it’s something! I either used that money to just spend or to pay down debt. However, I think it’s important to invest my income BACK into my businesses. I REALLY want to buy a new “mirrorless” Sony alpha 6000 camera this year. They cost about $600. Once I reach $1000, I will buy the camera and pay/hire someone to create a logo for my brand! After that, the income I generate will go toward my debt!
Maintenance/Repairs: Set to save $30 every month
I have a 2015 Toyota Camry, so I don’t expect any crazy repair bills. I do drive A LOT so I get several oil changes throughout the year and I need new windshield wipers. Other maintenance will include any necessary home repairs/projects!
Use my Qapital link for a free $5 when you sign up!
More investing
I have had a Roth IRA since 2017, but I have not contributed to it since. At this point, I would like to pay off debt more aggressively and then add more money to my Roth. However, in November 2018 I finally started investing in the stock market! I use the app Robinhood because all trades are free. I am no expert by any means, but the best way to learn is to begin. As of right now, I will be investing $100 every month in the stock market.
Use my Robinhood link for a free stock!
More learning about investing
On that note, I would like to educate myself more on investing in the stock market! I’ve learned a lot already but I want to actually understand everything and have a better strategy going forward. I plan on reading a couple of investing books as well as watching YouTube videos.
Pay off more debt
In June of 2018 my total debt increased to about $82,200 after I bought my car. By December 2018 I only paid off about $9000, bringing my total debt to about $73K. I can do better than that. My goal is to pay off AT LEAST $1700 of debt every month (after interest). At that rate, I should be able to pay off my car by December 2019. This also keeps me on track to pay off ALL my debt within about 4 years (hopefully sooner though)!
Take my budget seriously
I set a budget every month, but honestly I slack on keeping up with it throughout the month. I do track my spending at the end of each month, but that is when I realize I went over budget on something and obviously by then it’s too late. The area I need to stay under budget the most is food! I love food so I tend to spend more on groceries. $300 a month on groceries/going out to eat is what I’m aiming for.
Increase income
I am hoping to get a small raise at my full-time job in April 2019. More importantly I really want to increase my side hustle income. I would like to make at least $1000 every month, however I honestly don’t like to set a money goal. I can’t necessarily control HOW MUCH money I make…that all depends on people consuming my content, using my links to purchase products, and buying my course. However, I have complete control of the action and steps I take to help that process (writing quality content, filming more/better videos, promoting more, etc.).
More donating
My plan is to donate $50 every month to a charity. One day I would love to give more but I find that if I’m not making the effort to donate I forget about it for several months. I am grateful for what I have in life and while I do have debt, I am completely able to spare $50 a month!
Side Hustles
Improve YouTube content
YouTube is challenging. It’s easy to imagine how I want clips to turn out or all the content I can film, but it’s difficult to make it come to life. First of all I want to create shorter videos, 10 minutes or less is ideal. I also want to create more valuable content, so people can gain something from me. And I want to work on my editing skills. I’ve gotten better over the last few months but I can do better!
More posting on Instagram
Yes I want to decrease the time I spend on social media but I actually want to post more as well. I know some people find that silly, but my Instagram is also a part of my brand and serves as a promotion platform. I really would like to get over 10K followers on IG so I can add the swipe up feature to my stories!! I like to use IG as my mini blog, so I plan on sharing tips, tricks, lessons, and my life as things come up. I’m going to aim for posting at least 3 times per week, hopefully more though.
Improve SEO
SEO = Search Engine Optimization
I have focused mostly on creating content for my blog this past year, but now I need to start learning the real deal. Improving my SEO will only increase my traffic and Google rankings, all which will take me a step closer to becoming a full-time blogger!
Learn more about SEO
On that note I don’t know much about SEO, just the basics. I am a part of Dare to Conquer (previously Billionaire Blog Club), Scrivs (the creator) offers an SEO course that I’ll be going through soon!
More investing in my businesses
As I mentioned above, I will be creating a sinking fund for my business. First up is a new camera, followed by a custom logo. Eventually I want to create business cards. Those are my 3 main priorities, so after that I may purchases a new course or hire someone for assistance…who knows!
Less stat checking
I check my stats so often because it’s exciting and cool to watch the numbers. I only want to check my blog and YouTube stats every 2 weeks. That way, I can see what my viewers/readers like and I can improve upon that.
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Your goals inspired me to set some business goals of my own!
xo
Yesssss that’s awesome Lisa, thanks for letting me know that!! Best of luck on your goals! ??♀️
Wow two posts a week consistently is impressive!! I struggle with one post! Thank you so much and best of luck to you as well! 🙂