My 2019 Goals

As the year begins, and everyone thinks about their goals and resolutions (or shuns them because they are cliche), I have been thinking about some of my goals for the year. I have shared my blogging and some personal goals in years past, and even my Word of the Year a couple of times. I kinda skipped sharing my goals last year - although I did mention wanting to lose weight (which I did, and then regained some towards the end of the year). This year I wondered whether I want to go through the process of sharing my goals on this platform. And at the end of the day, I have decided that while I may not share some of the more intimate things I'd like to accomplish this year, it doesn't hurt to list out the others.

FINANCIAL GOALS
As you know I'm currently enrolled in the Clever Girl Finance program. I don't think I've gotten specific before, but through the program, I have been able to pay off thousands of dollars in debt in the past 2 years. I don't earn a lot of money through my income (I declare that it will change this year!) but using the knowledge I acquired from taking courses, interacting with the ladies on the Facebook group, listening to the podcast, reading some finance books/blogs, and watching the monthly coaching calls, I was able to pay off a great amount of money over time. I'm not done yet though, and that's why one of my top financial goals this year is to

• Eliminate 2 or more debt streams.

Additionally, my savings account took a real beating towards the end of the year. A lot of economists foresee a recession coming soon, and another top financial goal is to

• Bulk up my emergency savings fund. Ideally, I would like it to reach 6 months worth of my DESIRED salary, but in the short term, I will settle for 3 months of my current salary.

BLOGGING/YOUTUBE GOALS
In previous years, with the exception of 2017 and 2018, I churned out so much content (original, I might add) and put up about 200 posts a year. However in the past 2 years I suffered a setback due to personal problems, and it affected my creativity and even motivation to blog. I believe that even though I still have problems, I am no longer allowing them to hold me back. My creative juices are flowing again, and I'm using them to my advantage. With that said, my top blogging goal this year is to

• Post at least 3 times a week. I am trying to decide the best way to do it - whether to post on a certain topic on specific days of the week, or surprise you and mix up the content as has been in general. I do want to ensure that my blog postings show quality over quantity. I will be posting a survey soon to find out what you do and don't like very soon.

I think I should be farther along with Youtube channel. I have just over 600 followers and I know that if I had been consistent, and upped my camera or editing skills, I might have reached or surpassed 1000 followers by now. I intend to research how I can grow my Youtube following (PLEASE SUBSCRIBE OOOOO, even if you don't watch :p) but in the mean time, I will

• Post a video at least twice a month. I have already posted 2 this month, but I have another two or three that may make it this January. I'm certainly posting the Chit Chat video with Vera of Verastic.com this weekend, so stay tuned.

My social media following is another aspect or extension of my blog that needs growth, from Twitter to Facebook to Instagram. A lot of brands will not even give you a second glance if you don't have up to 10,000 followers on Instagram :( I have 3,500+ to go! You guys, I think we need to make the growth of Berry Dakara Blog a prayer point o! I'm not even joking. 

TRAVEL GOALS
If you have paid attention at all, then you know that I truly enjoy traveling. From road trips within Nigeria, to cruise vacations, and introducing Little Miss Cocoa to different parts of the world. I already have 4 trips planned for the year and I wish they were all in different quarters (as in Q1, Q2, etc) but that's just not the case. One of my goals in life to take Cocoa to a new country every year, and she will be visiting Canada for the first time this year! If all goes according to plan, the trips I look forward to this year are to

• Calgary, Canada
• Savannah, GA - this is a road trip.
• Las Vegas
• New Mexico!

Left to me, Cuba would have been the highlight travel destination of this year but I'll shoot for next year.

PERSONAL GOALS

I hope you don't mind if I give you some surface level goals here. I'd like to keep some things to myself :)

• Another prayer point - this is the year that I finish reading the whole Bible!!! AMEN!
• If I'm serious, I would like to lose 30 pounds this year. But if I'm not serious, I aim to be 15 pounds down by December 31, 2019.
• I want to read at least 2 books a month. I have rediscovered my affinity for reading and resurrected my library card. I read 4 books in December 2018, and it looks like I may finish 4 books this month as well!

So those are some of the goals I have set for myself this year. Some of them can be done quicker than others. Some may take the whole year to achieve. I may be actively working on only 2 or 3 at a time, after all, I'm not a robot. But one of the things driving me is my word of the year, which I will share in a different blog post. 

Thanks for reading. Would you mind sharing one or two goals you have for 2019?