Year-End Recap – 20 Goals for 2020

Well, 2020 definitely ended differently than anyone could have predicted at the start of the year. This year started with such promise.  And I was eager/ambitious/stupid enough to make 20 goals for 2020.  Well, then the world turned on its head after the first quarter of 2020.  And so, here is the year-end recap of my 20 goals for 2020 with some universal lessons for you sprinkled throughout.

Health & Fitness Goals

#1 – Be Able to Touch Toes at Least Once a Month

I’m happy to report that this goal was a success.  Even since hitting an early growth spurt, I have never been able to consistently touch my toes.

And this was one goal that I could maintain complete control over throughout 2020 – regardless of what happened in the world.  By stretching regularly and incorporating yoga into my daily routine more regularly, touching my toes became a more consistent exercise for me.

Lesson – consistency is key with anything you do – from stretching to saving money.

#2 – Exercise a Minimum of 3 Times a Week

Well based on this definition of exercise, this goal was not achieved this year. Although I tried to be more physically active overall, my planned bouts of structured exercise were not as consistent as I would have liked.

But all is not lost.  

I have definitively adopted a more physically active lifestyle this year which was the intent of the goal all along.  Having an active toddler to chase around and take for walks definitely helps.

#3 – 1000 Sun Salutations

This goal turned out easier than I thought.  If you read my previous 20 goals in 2020 update, you would know that I achieved this goal in quarter 2. And had originally thought I would increase the goal to 2500 sun salutations this year.

But tracking them became too cumbersome so once I hit 1000 I stopped tracking them.  That doesn’t mean I stopped doing them, just that I stopped tracking.  So who really knows how many I achieved.

Lesson – if you want to be in control of something (sun salutations, your finances), you need to track it.  I believe this goal was so easy to achieve because I was tracking it.  The same way your money goals get easier to achieve if you track your expenses.

#4 – 1 Massage a Month

Well this one started off good and then got a bit out of my control.  When things shut down (including businesses that offered massage therapy) I was unable to keep up with this goal.

I thought that I would eventually be able to catch up and achieve 12 massages in 12 months.  But then further restrictions were announced making this goal impossible to achieve.

I am, however, pleased with the amount of massages I did go for this year.  

Lesson –   often we have so many benefits offered from our employer that the majority of them go unused.  Those benefits are part of the perks of your job.  Make a plan for 2021 to look into your work supplied benefits and better yet, schedule some time to take advantage of them.

#5 – Wear Sunscreen Daily from May – September

This goal I’m counting as a bit of a success. But also found it cumbersome to track.

My intention behind this goal was to not get a sunburn this year.  Something that has happened every summer for as long as I can remember.  And low and behold – no sunburn this year so I’m counting it as a win.

And before you ask, yes I still went outside daily in the sun.

Personal Goals

#6 – Read 20 Books

I wasn’t sure how this goal would turn out when I set it at the beginning of the year.  Some years I’ve been able to read 2-3 books a month and others I’m lucky if I read one.

Because of Covid and being home more this year I was able to crush this goal.  Here is a list of the 31 books I read this year:

• How to Raise an Adult
• Quit Like a Millionaire
• Talking to Strangers
• The Cash Machine
• Aria
• Three Women
• Snowman’s Guide to Personal Finance
• Can’t Take it Back
• Atlas Shrugged
• The Fountainhead
• Anthem
• Evicted
• How to Win Friends and Influence People
• So You Want to Talk About Race
• Millionaire Teacher
• Go-Giver
• Girl, Woman, Other
• The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek
• The Size of Your Dreams
• The Darwin Affair
• Side Hustle Millionaire
• You Are a Badass
• Bluefishing
• You Are a Badass at Making Money
• ChooseFI Blueprint
• Grown Ups
• Lazarus
• Adventures in Opting Out
• The Power of Moments
• Poke the Box
• How to Stop Worrying

#7 – Wear Everything I Own

Well this goal turned out to be a total fail.  

And I think that’s because of the intention behind it.  

To begin with this was an ego driven goal. I wanted to be the type of person who has a minimal wardrobe.  And although I don’t have a ton of clothes, I didn’t wear all of them this year.

#8 – Volunteer Quarterly

This goal started with great intentions but fell flat due to intermittent restrictions on socializing.

To be honest, I could have tried harder on this goal.  But I didn’t and am slightly embarrassed to say that I didn’t volunteer at all this year.  This is definitely an area of improvement going forward.

#9 – 15 Minutes of Writing Every Day

One of the things I’ve always wanted to be was a writer, that is part of the impetus for this blog. So when reading about writing one of the pieces of advice was to practice your craft every day.  

I thought that I could for sure find 15 minutes to write every day.  

Well, I was wrong.  

It obviously wasn’t a big enough priority for me.  It would be easy to blame this on being a working mom, but that’s not the truth. I’m sure that I have wasted more than 15 minutes every day when I could have been writing.

Lesson – the things you find important (or a priority), you will also manage to make time for.  This goes for your finances too.  I know it’s easy to just want to stick your head in the sand, to be “too busy,” or to feel like you don’t have time.  When in reality, if you made your finances a priority, it would probably take you no longer than 15 minutes a day to get them in order. 

#10 – No Phone in Bed Before Bed

This is a goal that I’m super glad I stuck with.  Before setting this goal I would waste so much time on my phone in bed before bed. And it often affected my sleep patterns.

Now, if I could just motivate myself to not go on my phone first thing in the morning I would be set. I might have to experiment with not having my phone on my nightstand.  

Have you ever tried this? Did it work for you? Leave a comment below if you have any advice here.

Family Goals

#11 – Potty Train our Little One

This one has been an ongoing “battle” for months.  Like most things with our little one we have just been doing what intuitively comes to us.  Admittedly maybe we should have read more about potty training.

As of the time of this writing our little one is only wearing diapers during nap time and bedtime so that’s definitely a bonus.  She will go days without an accident.  And then pee her pants multiple times in one day (insert facepalm here).

We are bound and determined to get her fully out of diapers soon and feel like we are slowly making progress.

Lesson –  consistency.  It would be so easy for us to just revert back to diapers and avoid any accidents.  But eventually our consistency will pay off and she will be fully potty-trained.  The same goes for your money.  Keep consistently making small moves and they will all eventually add up.

#12 – One Family Holiday

Spring Break 2020, we had a lovely ski trip booked in the mountains.  Hubby would ski in the mornings while the little one and I played and explored outside. And then I would get time to write in the afternoons.  We would get lots of family time away which is exactly what we needed.

And then Covid hit and everything closed and our trip was cancelled at the last minute.

So, no glamourous ski family vacation for us.

Instead we went to visit my in-laws at their farm for a week this summer. Technically this counts as a family vacation but was definitely not what I had in mind when I set this goal for the year.

#13 – Set up Work Space at Home

This became a necessity this year as I found myself virtually teaching from home for months.  I’m still not 100% happy with the set up, but am tweaking and making improvements as I go.

Lesson – things don’t always have to be perfect before you act on them.  Sometimes launching or doing and tweaking later can have great results.  If there has been something you’ve been contemplating doing for a while, why not make 2021 the year you just take messy action and do it?

#14 – Find a Reliable and Trusted Babysitter

Well this goal proved to be irrelevant this year.  With all of the stay at home restrictions and working from home we really haven’t had a need for a babysitter. And we have been particular with who we all have in our home.

I have found a few people that would be interested in babysitting so once the world goes back to some form of normal then this goal will be explored further.  

Money Goals

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#15 – 1 Month Eating-Out Ban

This goal was achieved pre-Covid madness when we went the whole month of February without eating out.  We then didn’t eat out throughout the month of June due to ongoing restrictions to restaurants.

Prior to this year we ate out a lot out of convenience. Working from home for a large portion of the year we have had more time to cook at home.  And are less rushed between commitments.  We still really enjoy eating out and will continue to do so. But will continue to be more mindful of it.

I have no problem with eating out (or ordering take out) because we want to enjoy a nice meal or support our favourite local restaurants.  This goal was all about trying to stop eating out for convenience.  Because when we eat out for convenience it is often not high quality food.

#16 – $250 in “Found Money”

This was by far the most fun goal on this list.  

I really enjoyed finding new and creative ways to “find money” every month.  Earlier in the year I hit the $250 mark and am super happy to report that in 2020 I was able to “find” $565.87.  

The main ways I did this were:

• PC Optimum points
• Completing surveys on Caddle
• Digital coupons with Checkout51
• Secret shopper tasks through Field Agent
• Earning cash back from online purchases with Great Canadian Rebates
• Interest on my high interest savings account at EQ Bank

As a side note, if you don’t already have a high interest savings account at EQ Bank, you really should.  It’s a no fee bank account with no minimum balance required.  And if you use this referral link you can get a $20 bonus when you open an account and deposit $100 in the first 30 days.

#17 Input Money Tracking by the End of the First Week of the Month

So close.  I was able to input all my money tracking by the end of the first week of the month in every month except December (insert face palm).

But, although I didn’t achieve this goal, hubby did help me with the input for 2 months which is a HUGE victory.  Usually I keep track of all the numbers so it was nice to have him involved.  I definitely think he has a greater understanding of things now.

Lesson – if you are the one who tracks the finances in your household I would highly recommend involving your partner in the nuts and bolts of things at least now and then. It has been years since hubby has done it, but now he has a better understanding.  And if something were to happen to me he would know what to do (and where to find all the money).

#18 – Host 2 Women and Money Meetups

Hosting meetups where women feel comfortable talking about money has always been an ambition of mine. This year’s meet ups didn’t turn out as planned.  Although we were not able to get together in person I did host 2 virtual meetups.

The first meet up was only attended by one other lady but we had a great chat about money stories and limiting beliefs.  Later in the year I hosted another meet up specific to RESPs.  This one had 12 women signed up with 4 attending live.

Neither were large meetups, and eventually I would like to host bigger ones.  But I’m still happy with the progress.  Even if just one woman feels more comfortable talking about money because of the meetups then I’m happy.

#19 – 50% Annual Saving Rate

The final numbers are in and I’ve calculated our annual saving rate using what I call the simple, complex, and debit inclusion methods.

This was the first year that I ever tracked our saving rate closely. This goal has been achieved but I probably won’t continue to track our specific number.  I’m happy with our savings habits and that’s good enough for me.

#20 – Pay Down Mortgage by 20%

At the beginning of this year I thought that this would be a stretch goal.  And then Covid happened, travel halted and so did a lot of our discretionary spending.

So we redirected our money to the mortgage, because let’s be honest – I hate having a mortgage.

In 2020 we were able to pay our mortgage down by 22.34%.  

Final Thoughts

Well adding up the totals I achieved 12 of my 20 goals for 2020.  That’s a passing grade and one that I am happy with.  But there is still room for improvement.

Going forward I’m not planning on making annual goals for 2021. Too much can happen in a year as we have seen in 2020. I will still set goals but am planning on setting more short term ones to hopefully stay more focused.

Sometimes I think I get so focused on accomplishing things that I get lost in the end result and don’t always enjoy the journey.

Lesson – slow down and enjoy the journey.  It can be more rewarding than the outcome.

What about you? How did your goals for 2020 end up?