10 Practical & Business-Related Goals For 2020

I’m one of those people that makes a neat list of resolutions every year (and then usually only accomplishes half of them). However, last year I felt so apathic towards my life and what I was doing, that – for the first time – I didn’t bother with resolutions. If you know me, you know it’s not a good sign when I no longer care about my checklists. But… as I’ve recently reclaimed my freedom and have started to feel excited about the future again, I couldn’t ignore the urge to write down my goals for 2020. Of course, the arrival of a new DECADE only fuelled my enthusiasm!

I’ve decided to make two lists this year: one related to personal growth and mental health and another one (that you’re reading now) related to more practical and business-related goals. For the record, it’s not about accomplishing ALL of them and feeling bad when you don’t. For me, it’s just a way to create some structure and to have a clear vision of what I want to focus on in the coming year.

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1. REACH 10K ON INSTAGRAM + 1000 VISITORS/MONTH ON MY BLOG

Okay, I promise not all my goals are this shallow, but I’m not going to pretend I don’t care about growing a following when the whole point of using these platforms is to share my content with other people. It’s not always easy to lock myself up and write or to keep up with posting high-quality pictures, but making connections with like-minded individuals and seeing people getting involved makes it all worth it!

I started my Instagram account in January 2019 and I reached 1k followers the day before New Year, so it may seem like a far stretch to get to 10K in another year (my sister kindly reminded me that this is highly unrealistic). Anyway, it can’t hurt to dream big, right??

As for my blog, I honestly have no idea whether a 1000 visitors/month is a realistic goal or not, so we’ll have to wait and see!

2. MAKE MONEY THROUGH MY BLOG

It would be insanely cool if I could accomplish this within a year, but I know I’ve only just started and I probably shouldn’t get ahead of myself. Gotta be patient! Nevertheless, I will do anything in my power to make it happen, whether that’s through affiliate marketing, a brand deal or even by selling my own course or guide!

3. IMPROVE MY PHOTOGRAPHY & EDITING SKILLS

I know I was just boasting about posting high-quality pictures, but the truth is I can still improve SO much on the photography and editing front. I’ll be the first to admit that. Luckily, it’s something that I genuinely enjoy and want to get better at. However, I don’t think I want to become a professional photographer (although never say never), as I want my images to be fun and relatable and not too artsy. Besides, there are a lot of disadvantages about carrying a $1000 camera everywhere you go. I’ll stick with my phone for now!

➝ Some of the shots I’m most proud of:

4. FIND FREELANCE JOBS

This one is important, because it will determine whether I’ll be able to continue to travel and create content. No matter how low-budget you travel, money will run out one day and in my case this will happen rather quickly. Enter: online freelance jobs. Apparently, I do have some skills that people would be willing to pay for. Anything from teaching English to editing/translating documents or even offering advice are all possibilities that I want to explore.

5. TRAVEL IN EUROPE

For anyone wondering what I plan on doing after Costa Rica, it’s to travel even more! What a surprise. I will not go back to uni or apply for a 9-5 job until I’ve tried absolutely everything to make a living a different way. I would love to explore any or all of the following countries: Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Austria and Greece.

➝ From previous trips in Europe:

6. GO ON A TRIP WITH MY SISTER

My sister has already made it clear that I HAVE to include this on my list, so here we are. Last year we went to Corfu together (check out my tips & guide) and it was such an adventure! Even though she’s a (sometimes moody 😉 ) teenager and there’s a 10-year age gap between us, we get along surprisingly well. A few weeks ago, she let me know that we’re exploring 2 cities in Croatia at the end of June, so I guess that’s decided then! We might even start a little Youtube or Instagram project.

7. DO A SOLO TRIP

I haven’t done a solo trip from start to finish since I boarded a plane to Barcelona at age 18 and spent the next 4 months living the Spanish lifestyle. Back then, I was fearless. I remember feeling nothing but excitement even though I didn’t know anyone and didn’t speak a word of Spanish. It will always be one of the best decisions and experiences of my life. I’m not joking when I say it taught me more than my 6 years of high school ever did. Travelling solo is the perfect way to challenge yourself and to gain some independence, which is exactly what I need!

➝ Blast from the past: celebrating carnival & dancing salsa in Barcelona!

8. IMPROVE MY SPANISH

I’ve been learning Spanish for years now but I’m still not fluent. This is mostly because of a lack of real life practice. As I’m in Costa Rica now there’s no better time to learn, although I’ve noticed a lot of people speak English as soon as they notice you’re not from here. Nevertheless, in my last 2,5 months I really want to make an effort to speak Spanish as much as I can and maybe even take some lessons.

9. LEARN HOW TO COOK (PROPERLY!)

This has been a goal of mine for YEARS, but I’ve never taken the time, even though I enjoy cooking. And I don’t mean making a quick pasta Bolognese that doesn’t taste horrible, I’m talking about being original, really getting a feel for it and experimenting with different recipes. I suppose my dad is a pretty decent cook, so I’ll start by learning what he knows and go from there!

10. INVEST IN MYSELF

This is quite broad, but it basically means investing in things that I’m passionate about or want to learn more about. At the start of my blogging endeavour, I vowed not to spend money before I make it, but I’m quickly coming around on this. In fact, I’ve already broken my rule when I bought a 3-year web hosting subscription from Siteground. Sometimes it’s simply impossible to do something well if you’re not willing to pay for the necessary recourses or to further educate yourself.

Another great first investment is a planner to keep track of everything, especially for those who have trouble staying organised (guilty) or need some extra motivation. I quickly wanted to share this one because it’s simply amazing! It has everything you need in one cute journal (available in tons of colours!): yearly & monthly goals, pages with undated months & weeks, stickers, monthly reflections and so on. If you don’t have a planner yet, I highly recommend this one!

These are all of my practical & business-related goals for 2020, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading! Let me know in the comments what your goals are and if you’re sticking to them… Let’s motivate each other! 🙂