How to Tackle 2017 Like a Boss

Maybe you’re a busy mom trying to find peace inside your chaotic life. Or someone getting ready to tackle some big life goals this year. Perhaps you feel the need to reorganize life at home, whether that means finding a better family routine or ditching the devices to be more ‘in the moment’. Or, maybe you just want to make 2017 the best year ever.

If you’re like me, the answer is all of the above. I don’t know if it’s because I have a milestone birthday this year or if I’m just super motivated to finally set some concrete goals for myself. But, here I am. Ready to show you how tackle 2017 like a boss.

So today I thought I’d give you a closer look inside my life. News flash – I don’t have it all together (insert maniacally laughing). But, I’m giving it my best effort and holding myself more accountable.

These are just a few of the tools, ideas and suggestions I’m using to make this year the best. Your goals and motivation may be different but I hope that these ideas will inspire you to absolutely CRUSH IT in TWENTY-SEVENTEEN! Oh, and scroll to the end of this post for a free printable to help you jot down some goals for 2017. 

*This post contains some affiliate links to make shopping easier for you. Robb Restyle may receive a commission, but you won’t pay a penny more. Thanks for supporting our flea market addiction. Click here to view our disclosure policy.*

Goal: Make more meals at home.

Tool: Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

This goal has many motivations… saving money, eating better, wasting less. The hubby and I decided that we were tired of tight clothing, poor sleep, and going over budget in our grocery category. So, here’s to more meals at home in 2017.

This isn’t your grandmother’s pressure cooker rattling on the stove either (I mean, don’t be scared away by YouTube pressure cooker explosions – if you’ve seen that sort of thing). My bestie introduced me to pressure cooking. After hearing her rave about making her meat and veggies from frozen to the dinner table in less than 30 minutes, I had to give it a try.

Here’s what I love about pressure cooking. I’m already a huge fan of slow cooker meals. BUT, that means I have to get all the ingredients together in the morning before I leave for work. Mornings are already hectic. Once, I forgot to turn on the slow cooker before running out the door, only to arrive home to an uncooked room temp roast on the counter. #momfail

With my pressure cooker I can throw a meal together, say frozen chicken breasts and green beans, in about 20 minutes. One of my favorite ways to use it is for cooking the most delicious baked potatoes in about 15 minutes. We throw on some toppings for a quick potato bar or add them to our main dish. My family also loves this recipe for mac and cheese – yes, you can speed cook pasta and rice in this thing too!

Goal: Spend less moolah.

Tool: YNAB – You Need A Budget

When it comes to staying on budget and not overspending I really struggle. I like shiny new things, gadgets that promise to make my life easier, and well… clothing. Lots of clothing. But that’s about to change.

After a little self-eval I decided that I keep buying new clothes because I’m not crazy about how I look in the clothes I already have. I’m finally holding myself accountable by taking control of the things I eat… and as a result, my clothes should eventually fit me better. Thus, not making me want to buy something new out of self-loathing. Sounds like it should work, right? #fingerscrossed

My favorite budget tool is actually an app. I like techy, paperless ways of tracking our spending. And believe me when I tell you I’ve tried a lot of apps out there. This is by far my favorite money tracking tool and this is our third year using it.

Here’s what I love about YNAB (pronounced why-nabb). It forces you to assign a category to all of your money – so every single dollar as a purpose. It also helps you set savings goals and shows your progress toward reaching those goals. I finally ditched the paper check register and simply use the app to enter all our purchases on-the-go. I have found YNAB set up easy and very user friendly – even if you’re not a techie. The hubby loves it too. He can open the app to see what we have budgeted for any particular category (like eating out) or enter his purchase receipt and it will sync to my phone as well. So, if saving more or spending less is part of your 2017 plan, find something that works for you and stick with it.

Goal: More togetherness. More learning.

Tool: Podcasts & Audiobooks

You are probably thinking, what the heck do podcasts have to do with more togetherness? But hear me out. We live in a very rural part of Indiana. That means we spend a good deal of time in the car. Everything is 30 to 45 minutes away. When we are in the car, kids are either picking at each other or finding solitary release buried in headphones and devices. Our schedule keeps us pretty busy at times and I felt like we were wasting this time together.

Then we discovered a shared interest in books and podcasts. As a result, we’ve read many books as a family in the car together on our road trips. Some of our favorites include World War Z, A Matter of Days, and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. I know some of those titles are dark, but this family enjoys dystopian stories. 😉 And, our favorite podcast as of late is Lore. It’s a blend of classic ghost stories and unsolved mysteries all wrapped into a well-narrated tale accompanied by haunting music. We can’t get enough of it.

Seriously, this has been a game changer for our family. It’s like having our own little book club in the car. It’s togetherness with a side of learning. Who doesn’t want more of that in 2017???

Goal: Maximize my mornings.

Tool: This Book and This Book

Toward the end of 2016 I really, really struggled to find time for any sort of exercise. And then I listened to Amy Porterfield’s Online Marketing Made Easy Episode #102: How to Create Content Rituals to Get More Done podcast. I used her free worksheet to create my own ‘tiger time’ blocks for things like exercise, hobbies I enjoy, and of course, this blog. What I found was that my key guilt-free blocks of time were in the mornings but they were being wasted because I was too lazy to get my rear in gear.

I am not a morning person. I love staying up late. I love sleeping in. How in the world could I change this?

I found a couple of books to both motivate me and help me learn to maximize my mornings. I read The Power of Habit to help me figure out how habits work and how you can change them. And then I read The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM), which provided real-life examples of how to maximize your morning from successful people. 

What was surprising to me, is that it really didn’t take as long as I thought for my body to adjust to waking up earlier. Don’t get me wrong, there are still mornings I would rather pull the covers over my head. But, when you set your mind to getting up earlier and relish in all the things you’ll get done as a result, it’s easier than you think.

Free Printable

Ok, so now I’ve shown you a few of my personal goals and the tools that are going to help me succeed (I hope)!  Here is a fun and free 2017 printable to help you jot down some goals or must-dos for 2017. Print it out and tape it to your fridge as a gentle reminder. Enjoy!

This isn’t your typical home decor DIY that you may be used to getting from me. And, I hope you enjoy seeing a few more of this type of insight from me in the future. Don’t worry, I’ll still be sharing plenty of home decor tips, flea market finds, and vintage obsessions too this year.

I’m curious. Do you make resolutions or set goals each year? What are your plans for crushing 2017? Share them in the comments below. And, cheers to tackling 2017 like a boss this year!

*This post contains some affiliate links to make shopping easier for you. Robb Restyle may receive a commission, but you won’t pay a penny more. Thanks for supporting our flea market addiction. Click here to view our disclosure policy.*