2020 is almost here– and I haven’t been so excited for a new year in a really long time. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always found that setting resolutions and goals for the year ahead felt arbitrary and not particularly motivating for me. But, at the same time, my life has always had such a clear path: get A’s. graduate high school. Work your butt off to pay for school. Graduate college with more A’s. Get a teaching position. Learn to be amazing at it. Make money. Pay off debt. Be intentional. Make more money. Pay off more debt. Take more classes to get more A’s and more degrees. Et cetera, etc.
But now, the doors have swung wide open. I have done all the things I set out to do, all the things that were mostly scripted for me. Now, the script is mine to write.
And I have never been more scared.
As a product of a tumultuous household, I have always valued stability and predictability, and I have set my life up that way. My goals have been challenging and difficult, but never crazy and always achievable. I do not, one bit, regret this, because it has given me the solid foundation I needed to actually start making unscripted, audacious goals.
That’s why 2020 is so exciting as a new year. It’s my script now, and I truly get to decide. Most of my energy, now that I have found more of a flow in my teaching practice, will go towards my business. Here is every goal I have (so far) for 2020:
Business goals
Create 2+ courses. Stay tuned– I have some awesome courses, specifically focusing on managing money as a teacher, in the making. This is a truly audacious goal, as I’ll be putting tons of time into creating courses that aggregate and curate every single thing I’ve learned about money from the past 3 years of constantly studying it.
Release podcast. Look out for this in Fall 2020. This is also an audacious goal, as I am still learning each part of production as I record episodes here and there.
Continue weekly blogs. I’ve thought a lot about where I want my business to go, and I know that I want to always have writing be a part of what I do. That being said, I’m not sure weekly blog posts will always be the medium. I might switch to writing entirely for my email list eventually, but for the upcoming year, I’ll still be chatting with you guys weekly 🙂
Reach 2,000+ IG followers. As arbitrary as numbers like these can be, my Instagram platform has given me necessary feedback on the value of my content. I’ve also had a lot of fun, as well as a lot of creative challenges, using IG. It feels like a much more direct way to interact with everyone, so I’d like to grow this as much as possible to be a primary platform for my business. 2,000 would follow the natural growth my account has had so far, so it’s not a totally made-up number.
Make my business profitable. Technically, I can’t call my business a business yet, because it doesn’t make money! I’m calling it that anyway, though, because I want my language to reflect the level of commitment I have to creating something valuable. This is perhaps my scariest goal, because as a typical millennial teacher, I am afraid of making money, I am afraid of failure, and I am afraid of success. But, at this point, I am even more afraid of never trying.
Personal goals
Make time during each week to spend time with friends. I’ve noticed that seeing friends on weeknights once or twice a week has greatly improved my life. When hanging out with people is reserved for weekends, it makes the weeks drag and the segmentation between my work and personal life feel so hideously tangible. So, I’m going to prioritize this time weekly with my friends.
Adopt a dog with Brian. We’ve finally gotten the go-ahead from our apartment building, so it’s time to start saving and planning for another member of our household. We’re hoping to be able to adopt by spring or summer 2020.
Career goal: Finish 2/3 grad school
This is perhaps the most predictable and scripted goal, but it’s a goal nonetheless. Should everything go as planned, I’ll be finished with 2/3 of grad school by the end of 2020, and have my master’s degree by the end of 2021.
Money goal: Max out Roth IRA & invest beyond
This is also very simple, and fairly predictable with my budget, but I’m excited to max out my Roth IRA for the first time in 2020. After that, I’ll be putting money towards my 457.
Thanks for joining me again this week, everyone! Happy holidays– and I’ll see you again next week 🙂
Teachers Talk Money 