Whether you have spent this week marking the turn of the season, a new school semester, or the year 5774, there is something about September that just feels more fresh and full of promise than the first of January. As I sat enjoying an amazing anniversary dinner earlier this week, I couldn’t help but notice how extremely novel this year feels with a new home to settle into, a new city to explore, and a new life to build. In fact, our goal for 2013 was to make the move to California, and here with are (with a few months to spare!) So what happens when you get exactly what you want!? Firstly, you pinch yourself to make sure it’s for real. Next, you revel in the rare life moment when everything feels so right and feel so very grateful for that. And finally, after a good measure of floating on air, you wipe the slate clean and get started on some new goals.

Although I am a frequent creator of lengthy to-do lists, I like to keep the big-picture-life-goal-type-stuff to a max of three things each year. What can I say? I prefer an under commit, over deliver scenario. While I find birthdays to be excellent opportunities to reflect back on the previous year, I find September to be the ideal month to take a quiet moment somewhere and map out your hopes and dreams for the year to come. Here are my top three – feel free to hold me to them!

1. Mint Sprinkles 2.0

Having passed the six month mark with the old blog, I have found myself thinking up new and exciting ways to take it to the next level. What started as an easy place to share my writing and domestic pursuits has turned into so much more than I ever expected and I’m loving every minute of it. This year is the year to learn from those who know their blogging basics (and then some!) by attending seminars, conferences, and other bloggy type events to get inspired . These are just a few I’m looking into: Blog Shop, Alt Summit, and Alexandra Franzen: Write Yourself Into Motion. Any others you’d suggest?

2. Home office routine

I have recently made the big shift from office office to home office, and (having experienced the home office gig once before) I know that while the commute is a dream, it’s the daily structure that’s the toughest nut to crack. Padding over in my robe to check emails first thing in the morning can easily turn into 5 hours straight and I am determined to set a true daily routine that involves a workout, proper food in the fridge and a set time in which the laptop must be closed so I can join the real world. Any tips from home office-ers out there?

3. Keeping in touch

When it comes to keeping in touch, I’m pretty much the worst. I also suffer from a severe case of opening messages and emails and mentally replying without actually doing so until days (sometimes weeks, oops) later, sending something back that inevitably starts with “so sorry for the extreme delay in my response, but…” I’m not alone on this one, right? So, in the absence of face time with some of my favourite people in the whole wide world, I vow to do better, be better at corresponding, even if that means a quick snapchat selfie making an ugly face or a link to a line of hand-knit cat sweaters.

What are your goals for the new year? I’m always open to additional jolts of inspiration!

xo Ali