Great Wall, Beijing, China - Kelly-Jean Erwin.jpg

Hi.

Welcome to my travelary (travel+diary).  I write about my adventures, Atlanta, travel tips, and inspiration. Enjoy!

009 | 2019 Wheel of Life

009 | 2019 Wheel of Life

009 | 2019 Wheel of Life

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“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

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A couple of weeks ago, I challenged myself and you to take the initiative to goal set using the wheel of life worksheet I picked up at my chiropractor.  There were eight areas to consider:

  • Physical environment

  • Fun/recreation

  • Personal growth

  • Relationships

  • Friends & family

  • Health & wellness

  • Money

  • Work

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Taking these eight ideas, I outlined some goals for myself at a high level…

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Physical Environment:  Find a home in the Atlanta area that meets Mr. Big and my mutual needs…single family home, good school district with walkability at a price point we can afford.  Take into consider Mr. Big’s strong desire for a two-car garage with a yard of some sort and a workshop space while staying true to my desires as well to have a smaller house, in-town with an open floor plan.

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Fun & Recreation: Taking time to engage with local events and still see the world.  In 2019, my travel goals include skiing 3 times, Cuba, Croatia, possibly Alaska with the parentals, Christmas Markets with the in-laws, a weekend away with my college roomies, and at least a plan for Australia or Antarctica before 41 to hit all seven continents.  (My original goal was to hit both before 40…however, there is give and take in life.  I took Mr. Big and I needed to give my goal more time to be acquired.)

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Personal Growth:  Hold myself accountable to realistic expectations, with goal setting, tracking accomplishments, and recognizing areas for improvement.  Younger Kelly use to be an all-star in this arena.  As life happened and I got more off-track than I could of imagined, I walked away from a relationship, entered a dark period, and goals have been a bit of a train wreck since.  2019 is my year!

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Relationships:  In 2017 & 2018, I was lucky with realizing Mr. Big was a great partner for myself, but it wasn’t easy.  It took 10 years of knowing each other and still a lot of work every day.  My 2019 relationship goal is to “lead with love” (amazing advice I got from one of my best friends for dealing with a significant other, kids, parents, friends, or really anyone) to have a giving, receiving, and compromising (in a good way!) marriage.

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Friends & Family:  Enjoy…enjoy the people in our lives, every day through conversations, texts, notes, and visits.  This is what life is about.  Beyond being thankful for what we have, building on our marriage and starting a family.  We would love to have a family.  #babybig

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Health & Wellness:  Okay, here it goes…to be stronger, consistently exercise, commit to meditation, eat healthier, and get back to 135 pounds.  (Yeah, I said it.  Saying it aloud makes it real.)  Oh and I want to get laser hair removal.  I am pretty sure you need to do it before you go gray or white…and 40 is knocking. 😉

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Money:  Continue on the path.  Invest, aim to obtain a pay increase, and start a rental business with the new huzzy.

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Work:  Move to another department at my current employer, get a director-level role @Mailchimp (shh!!! did i really say that outloud? yes, it’s true, i want to work for the Atlanta start-up unicorn), and create a blog following with digital business.

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It has been a crazy few weeks and 2019 hasn’t been as smooth as I would of liked. (Have you seen the picture of this post?!?) However, this is just the beginning of my 2019 goal planning.  My next step is to break down each goal’s benefits, potential obstacles, time frames, and prioritization.

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As I have to remind myself every day, I am a work-in-progress like anyone else.  Some days the goal is simply to put one foot in front of the other…and that is okay.

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Love,

Kelly

010 | Say, Brunch?

010 | Say, Brunch?

008 | 3 Tricks for Packing Efficiently for Any Trip

008 | 3 Tricks for Packing Efficiently for Any Trip