Kristen 0:02

Welcome to season two of Talk with Kristen with an E. This season, we're digging a little deeper into leadership, personal growth, and the courage it takes to follow your passion. Real conversations, honest reflections, because life isn't perfect and neither are we. Hey everybody, welcome back. So excited today because not only has it been a minute since there's been an episode, it's been an even longer minute since we had on my guest today so everybody please welcome back to our show, Alexis. Hi Alexis. Hi. It's so good to be back. Oh, it's been a while. Alexis and I were just catching up because we've both been busy doing our own things and life has been in front of us it's a really great time to catch up because we are talking about. Planning and planners and goals and how we get through the day and achieve the goals that we have. This is a great time because we're coming to the end of the year and people are looking back at all they've accomplished and looking forward to what they are going to do in the new year. Some people are big on resolutions. Some people, myself included, are more kind of goal oriented and less resolution. We're gonna get into all of that and make it feel not as overwhelming and more like an exciting planning thing. So before we start, Alexis, why don't you give us a little background on how you view planning and goal setting.

Alexis 1:47

Yeah, like you said, I'm not a big resolution person. I pick a couple goals for the coming year to really hone in on, usually problem areas in my life. Things that need a change and I make goals, with them, but also I have to plan. We have five kids and. Even meal planning, like that's my big thing, if I can get meals planned in a week, we're good. So that's kind of how I approach planning. I am not a good spur of the moment person. I do better now than I used to, but I like to have my week plans and if it kind of goes off track, I get very frustrated, but I'm doing better. So I'm just a planner in general.

Kristen 2:29

So kind of like you've got your big level plans at the macro level, but you're saying even down to your daily and weekly things, you plan all of that out too. You just plan everything. Yes. Yes. I love that. So I would say that I am also very similar to that, because I usually, at the beginning of the year, set several goals they're kind of like achievements, like, read 50 books or publish 25 episodes things like that, that are very achievable. But like you said, my meal planning is not nearly as good as it used to be, but when it comes to like work, like I am very, very. Strict, unlike my to-do list, like these are the meetings I'm going to, these are the tasks I'm going to accomplish. I have my little list and everything is planned because I feel like I really need to plan everything. Are you more flexible or more rigid? Especially your meal planning. If you're having this meal for Monday and something comes up, are you able to shift it? It doesn't matter what happens? Is this still what we're eating? Like are you flexy or rigid?

Alexis 3:31

I am pretty flexible on those things. There are times where I am weird about food. If we've eaten it in the past month, I do not wanna make it again. I like new food, so since I do most of the cooking sometimes I'll look at what we're having for dinner and I'll think, I really don't want that tonight, so I'll pick a different day and swap it. So maybe I do Friday's dinner for Monday or whatever. So, yeah. Flexible that way.

Kristen 3:56

That's good to know. I think you'd said something about a Mel Robbins podcast you'd heard this past year or last year what was that and how did that play into your goal planning?

Alexis 4:10

Yeah, so I actually get my planner in September and start working on it for the beginning. I actually don't start it in January. I start writing in it pretty early on, and last year I listened to, I don't even know where it was recommended. It might have been in a planner group, but. Robins had a podcast about planning and so I listened to it to see, you know, maybe I can glean some different ideas for how to implement goals and keep up. 'cause sometimes, you know, you can set a goal but then summer hits and your whole schedule's changed and you might have forgotten that goal and you just drop it so I was looking for different ways to glean some new information for keeping goals for the following year. And I. Really loved this podcast. It, she brought up the point, and this is kind of what spurred on this year's goals and how I thought about the year and what I wanted the year to look like. Most people can't look at their whole year and think of everything that happened. They can probably point to the bad things that happened. They can point to a couple good things, but most people would have to look back through their camera roll and be like, what do we do? And they probably forgot about it. She really takes in this planning process of looking at your whole year, looking at the good, the bad things that you wanna change, things you really wanna keep doing and putting it all together. That's how I set up this year. I set up. A monthly thing at the end of the month to write the highlights, the low lights, some goals that I kept, some new ones that I added, things like that. I used those as a scaffold to plan my year and see where I was at with my goals, how things were going. And I think it also. Really help to see where you're spending your time. Just even looking, at the good things like are you spending enough time doing the things that you love or that are meaningful to your family? And where is time not being spent? In a wasteful manner that you could, put towards your goals. Those were things that I thought about after listening to it. I highly recommend it. I don't know if you can link it but I highly recommend the podcast because it was so good and insightful for planning for me, maybe it's not for everybody. I don't typically listen to her, but I loved this podcast.

Kristen 6:40

Now when I think that's such a huge, like it's such a good way to look at things because you're right. I especially struck by when you're like, people just need to look back in their camera role to see what they did that year. Yes, I do because I feel like. What's the saying? The days are long, but the years are short when they talk about raising kids. And there's other ways too, and it's true, like I feel like the time is going by so fast sometimes that I forget things we've done or I can't remember when things happened. So I think looking at that, and like you said, talking about the scaffolding and looking at the highs and the lows planning from there where you wanna go. I think that's a really good structure to take. Like I absolutely love that. Now before we get more into that, I do wanna talk very quickly 'cause you've mentioned a planner and you've started filling in your planner in September. Can we just take a quick little side story on what planner you use and why you love it?

Alexis 7:37

Sure. Yeah. So I will tell you, I have tried a lot of different planners. I've tried an Aaron planner, I've tried a happy planner. I've tried bullet journaling. I've just tried a notebook and what I have landed on and the planner that I have bought the most, I think this is my fourth or fifth year using it, I will be honest. It is not for everybody. I think a planner is very personal to a person, so I am not one to say, oh, this is the best planner ever because if I'm honest, I'm not sure that this planner is the best planner for a working mom that works. 40 hours a week. She might like it, but honestly, I'm not sure. I think there's other ones out there but I use the passionate penny pincher planner. It is home-based, so it's got a ton of chores to do and things for your home. But then it also has daily checklists. It has, bible reading plans in it. Everything that I love is in there. And I love the way it's set up. She releases them in September and I buy it unreleased date 'cause it's the best price and I get it and I just start filling it out as soon as I get it.

Kristen 8:43

Oh, I love that. I am not familiar with that one. My journey was very similar. I'm the kind of person that like, oh, I'm gonna get a, a new planner and change my life. And I was like, I want a planner girl for many years in my twenties. I would get it and fill it out for a little bit, and then by like February or March I was done, like then I'd be like, oh, I guess I'm not a planner person until I found a planner that actually worked for me. And I will tell you first what I started was one of those daily planner ones, it's really all it has is a calendar. You open it up. It has Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or whatever, like it has the days of the week and a little section to write on each of them. When I finally used that for a whole year, I was like, all right, now I'm ready. I'm going to invest in a real planner. I started with the Happy Planner and I was obsessed. Every Sunday I would design my weekly plan, or I would do several weeks at a time I was. Buying all the stickers, the accessories, I would, you know, go online and I would get different. Sticker bundles and stuff. And like, so each week would have a different layout. I'm gonna have to post some of the pictures because I, took it as like scrapbooking a little bit. I was way into having this really, really pretty planner. And then it was like life got busier and I wasn't, I think it's kind of when my son was getting older too, so I didn't have all that free time. 'cause when he was little, he would just kinda crawl around or watch tv. I had a lot more free time.

Alexis 10:02

Yeah.

Kristen 10:03

So, I still used a happy planner, but. I wasn't using as much and then I was like, I said, well, if I'm not decorating as much, let me try a different one. I had seen all of these about the day designer or something, and I got that and it has, you know, like a section for appointments, section for to-do list. And it has like your top three, it has like your water intake as like all the stuff I wasn't tracking, I used that for a year and was like, meh. And then I switched to an Emily Lay simplified. Planner, and this is by far the best planner I've ever used. Like you said, Alexis, I don't wanna say it's the best for everybody, it's just out of all the different ones I've tried, it's been the best for me and I keep them all. Let me see, how many do I have down here now? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I'm on my fifth or sixth year now going into my simplified planner and my dad buys it for me every year at Christmas. I think he buys Cali one too. You guys remember my sister-in-law, who's also been a guest here, so I think he buys hers also. And she and I always, reach out, when they release, what the covers are gonna be, we're like, which one are you gonna get? Which 1:00 AM I gonna get? And it's just a fun thing. My first couple years, I would still put a couple stickers in, 'cause I had so many stickers left over from my Happy Planner days but now I don't. Now I'm just very basic, I put in my meetings or things that I have going on, whether it's me, my husband, and my son, whoever's activities, and then like the to-do list I joke with people that if it's not written down, it's not gonna happen. And that's kind of how I live my life. I still like the old fashioned paper planner, like, I like having it with me. I know a lot of people have switched to online and I do use my Google calendar for a lot of things, like in a monthly view. But I really need, my regular planner for my life.

Alexis 11:52

Yeah, that's how it is too. If I do not write down in my planner, I'll forget it because I ignore all my notifications for calendar appointments on my phone. I get too many notifications, so it's not in my brain, and my planner actually does not go with me. It sits out on a cookbook holder on my counter. Oh, I love that. So everybody knows what's for dinner. They can see what I'm doing, and they kind of know, and that's the way it goes.

Kristen 12:17

Your life is literally an open book,

Alexis 12:19

Yes. I love stickers. I do use stickers. They're usually seasonal ones and just random things that I will use. So, quotes or things like that. So.

Kristen 12:30

I love that. I love, because it is kind of like a scrapbooking thing, and I think there is something about having little details like that. So you mentioned after Mel Robbins podcast and kind of the scaffolding you developed your goals. Would you be willing to share what your goals were for this year and how you did with them?

Alexis 12:51

Yeah, so I really loved doing this, so I sat down and looked at the things that I wanted to improve in my life, the things I wanted to do more of, and the things I wanted to do less of. And if I'm honest, my job was the biggest pain point because it was taking over and that was never what I wanted it to do. My pain point in that was if I can get my work life balance. Things could, improve in certain areas. The first one was my grandma had passed away at Christmas time and I wasn't able to be there for my grandma as much as I wanted to be because work was taking over my life. So my goal was that I could be there for both of my grandmas. My one grandma is 87. She doesn't have much longer left. I hope that she has longer left, but not. My goal was to be able to spend more time with her and my other grandma what that looked like for me is that I would try to call them once a week. I used to talk to them frequently on the phone and I don't anymore. Talking on the phone isn't as easy for them anymore, so my goal is to at least reach out to them once a week and speak to them and try to see them. Once a month, that may seem like not a lot, but at that season in my life, that was a lot for me. My second goal was work-life balance. You could count as a goal. But the, the other one that I really wanted, was to read through the Bible. I knew that if I could fix my work life balance, I could get up in the morning and really hone in on that and work on that before I exercise. So reading through the Bible and then lastly is. I used to have a photography business and I took a lot of photos and my life has shifted just as my kids have gotten older and we've moved and things have moved, but I still have a very expensive camera and lens that my husband got for me. And so my goal was to use my camera more and not let it sit. And you could add a fourth one in there that. My husband and I sat down and figured out how much money we wanted to put into savings and retirement this year. We can talk about that a little bit more, but that was a personal goal that we usually have together do you want me to tell you how it all worked out through the year? Of course.

Kristen 15:10

Like how did you

Alexis 15:11

I ended up setting boundaries for work and because I set boundaries I ended up losing my job that was pretty heartbreaking because it's not like I lost my job for poor performance or doing a bad job. I have worked for the company for a very long time, so it was very heartbreaking. When that happened, I completely threw our. Our financial goal that happened, I think I lost my job. Was it March of this year? It would've been March. Mm-hmm. So I through our financial goal completely out the window. I said, we're gonna be living like the strictest budget. And so I spent a ton of time doing that. But because of doing that. I freed up so much time and things shifted in my life that I was able to spend a lot more time with my grandmas. I was reading my Bible a lot more and I began to take a lot more pictures and it kind of dawned on me as I got my planner in September this year, what I could just transfer over from one planner to my new planner for 2026 and things like that. I was looking at my goals that I had kind of ignored because it has been a really bad year if you had talked to me in June or July, I would say it had been the worst year of our entire marriage. My husband almost lost his job. We just had one thing after another from a complete rewire of our house to every appliance breaking including a water heater, car issues, like it had just been a rough year. If you had asked me in July how I felt about this year, I would've looked at you and said, I would rather deal with 2020 than this year. That's how bad it was. But then I was looking through my planner and doing that scaffold of what was the good of each month, what was the add of each month? There were so many good things and I had to realize that okay, this wasn't a bad year. My oldest is driving now, he has his first job. And I know that sounds silly, but for a mom that's so exciting. So many little moments like that. I didn't think we were gonna be able to go on vacation this year. We went on vacation and had an amazing time and honestly it was almost for free. So like there was just so many little moments like that. So I was able to see that even. We fixed the work life balance. I just think it was a God thing. Like, I don't think there's any coincidences in this because, it forced a lot of things to change and to really change my perspective about what was important. I was seeing my grandmas more and I was seeing family more and could spend more time with my kids. And so those things really worked. But probably the icing on the cake came. This fall when I was taking a lot of senior sessions for photos, which in my previous photography business, I actually didn't do a lot of senior photos. They're not something that was my, niche, but I kind of fell in love with senior photos. I was taking a lot more photos and I took a ton of senior photos and some of my very favorite photos I've ever taken. I took this fall and then my grandpa, who's 87, had. A rental that was completely trashed this is a farmhouse with my great grandparents and I won't get too much into it, but the whole point is it was trashed and she thought of me and my husband to come and fix it. And so we spent the entire month of September and October, remodeling, fixing things there was an entire trash dump that they were paying for trash and we had to haul it away, paint it redid for us. And it was so much work. But had I not had my job or had I had my job, we would've never been able to help my grandma. I would not have seen her as much as I've seen her in the past two months and talk to her. I talked to her multiple times, sometimes on the phone, every day, like, Hey, what do you want us to do with this? And helping her with that. And then the financial goal that I thought we were just gonna have to throw out the window. We will probably succeed in our financial goal because of this job and being able to put into savings what we wanted to do. So it all worked out and it's really truly like a God thing, but also I had these thoughts in my mind and I think that really honing in on them, you can change your. How you structure your life, what you realize is important, you make time for that and then you realize you can make more time and things just kind of fall into place. I realize that isn't gonna happen for everything, but for a lot of stuff, when I realize I have pain points and I focus on those bigger and better things happen because I'm focusing to try to fix them and they, it turns out much more. It turns out much better than it did even in my vision,

Kristen 20:17

oh a hundred percent. And it's fascinating listening as you tell your story. And I think that most definitely, it's a God thing. It's interesting how all the things you said you wanted to accomplish, the work life balance, seeing and talking with your grandmother more reading through the Bible again, all happened. Because you lost your job. I'm not saying it wouldn't have happened if you didn't lose it, but something that could have been such a negative turned out to be such a positive with all the other things that come from it. And the part where you talk about focusing on what you love and spending time doing that. Oh, and using your camera more like that happened too because of losing your job. Like how all those pieces kind of fell together because of that one event happening. I mean, your whole story gives me chills because it really is one of those gone things of things happening together, I feel like when you focus more on where your attention should be, when you're doing the things you love, when you're getting involved, spending time with family, doing those things that are more important than all the other, trivial things that we focus our time on. I think if you're focusing all your time on trivial things or the things that don't really matter, you can get. That's where stress and anxiety and worry, and that all happens. And if you'd been focusing on those things when you lost your job, it may have been a different outcome, but because you were already having your goals and your plan set on, these are the positive things I wanna do. This is where I want to spend my time. These are the things I want to do better or do more of, because you are in that mindset. I think that helped too. Kind of how everything played out for you. Would you agree or disagree? Yes,

Alexis 22:03

I would agree with this and this hearkens back nearly 10 years ago when I closed my photography business. I didn't want to do it, but I just felt like I should and I closed it and I thought, oh my word, I made this, this really poor decision I had. A very successful photography business. I was busy, I loved it. The next year I got pregnant with my twins and there is no coincidence I would've never been able to sustain. To continue with my business, having twins and five kids and just being pregnant with them. There was no way I would've been able to run a business and be a photographer at that point in my life. I prayfully think about my goals and I know that not everybody does, but that's personally what I do. When you're listening to those things as a Christian and prayerfully considering them. It's not coincidence. It's a God thing and that's really the best way I can describe it.

Kristen 22:59

Well, yeah, and I think it goes back to like, I really believe that everything happens for a reason. And you know, God, universe, whatever people wanna believe in, I think that, and I even go to the. Extent of like, I think even little things happen for a reason. Like if I am running late and I don't get on the road as soon as I want, and then there is an accident on the way to work and I'm like, see if I left on time, that could have been me in the accident. I really do think that everything happens for a reason and I see examples of it all the time, or I'll see connections where, something happened with someone back then, it led to this thing now. And there's just all these different things and you can see, the handiwork of God or the universe, whatever people wanna believe. You can see all that happening together and you don't always see it in the moment because so often we get so focused on just seeing what's right in front of us and not being able to see the big picture. But then when you take a step back and you're like, oh my goodness, that happened because this happened, because that happened because this needed to happen. And just seeing that all connected is amazing. We talk about all these plans that we have, but there's always a bigger plan when we think we're in control and doing things, we're really not God's got his hand on everything and things are happening for a reason in our human minds we get so into all the nitty gritty and thinking that we control things and really things are going to happen the way they're supposed to happen, regardless of what we do. I mean, like you said, it's important to still focus and do the right thing on your own, there's a bigger plan and it's so cool when you can see it unfold like that, like it has in your life this year.

Alexis 24:32

Yeah, I would agree with that. Last week I filled out my planner. I had grand plans, it was supposed to be a week off with my kids I got to use my no school stickers. I was so excited and I did nothing on that for that week. And I even think, we didn't even do some of the meals because. We were desperately trying to finish this job, and none of it happened. I was gone the majority of the week and my kids ended up figuring out what they wanted. They had a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers, which worked. Even when I have some weeks where I do my planner, it gets thrown to the wayside and you have to be okay with that. It's okay. It's just, it is what it is. That's life.

Kristen 25:11

What would you recommend to someone who feels overwhelmed by goal setting or planners? Like what advice could you offer listeners if maybe they don't know how to goal plan, or how to set up what they wanna do or just feel overwhelmed by setting those goals for them?

Alexis 25:29

So I think, first of all, sometimes people get planners and they're really pretty and they don't wanna use them, and they don't wanna mess them up, and so they won't ride in them. And I think that the best thing you can do is realize. You're gonna write something and life is gonna happen, it's gonna change. You could even make a dentist appointment 6 cents down the road and your dentist could call you a day before and say, we need to reschedule. And it's really okay. It's okay if you've done it in pen. It's okay if you've done it in pencil. It's okay if you've done it in your erasable pen. Life happens. And so I would say that is a big thing just. Use your planner and don't worry about it that way. Now, as far as setting goals, I think that many people have lofty goals and they have too many sometimes. I have been guilty of this too, so I say, if this is your first year doing it, or first time trying it, just pick one goal. One goal is so much easier to attain than 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, you know? So if you can just pick one goal, pick it. Might I suggest it not be health related. I know that sounds ridiculous, but everybody has health goals and I have health goals. But I think if you set yourself up like, oh, I'm gonna, this is gonna be my year, and I'm not saying you shouldn't do that. I just know that there's more to life than what you look like. Obviously you should feel well, but you know, maybe instead of, oh, I'm gonna lose weight and I'm going to eat better. Maybe it's, I'm just gonna walk three times a week but also think of something else, whether it's you're spending more time with your family, whether it's money, you can focus on, financial. Health, but then like something else, a hobby to take up something that you want to do more of that you love in your life and you just don't have time for. The whole point is not to make it super complicated and not to have too many because. When you do that, if you're already short on time, you are not gonna have all this time to fit in six goals a week, a day even to try to obtain for the following year. And I think it just sets up for failure and you get frustrated and you don't wanna continue.

Kristen 27:37

No, I would agree with all of those. I love how you talked about the planner. Like, oh, you have this pretty planner. 'cause that's how I was for a long time and it was hard for me to write in it, or to change it. This is not a sponsored. Product by any means. But the friction pens the ones that you can erase, are the only pens I use anymore because yes, life changes, things happen. I am constantly having to erase things, meetings, move, classes get canceled, whatever. Life isn't pretty, so don't worry about your planner being pretty, like it needs to be functionable and lived in. And I think that is so important. You talk about huge goals. What I found is like you can still have like a big goal, but you still wanna like make like kind of attainable goals that support it. Little bite size pieces you can take maybe. Your goal is to lose a hundred pounds? Well, maybe you've gotta start by saying you wanna lose 20 pounds, and that's, it's a piece of the overall goal. But on the flip side of that, like you said, I try to never make any health related goals because I feel like it is so stereotypical when it comes to New Year's resolutions. People are like. I wanna save more money. I wanna spend less money. I wanna lose more weight. I want to eat healthier. And it's all the same things and none of those things are bad by any means. I feel like that's for people who. Let me rewind and say that in a way that doesn't sound as mean as it just sounded in my head. Those are important goals, but it's almost like they aren't personalized enough because yes, everybody wants to save more and spend less, and everybody wants to lose weight or get more healthy those are goals, but look at your life personally and where you are at and what you want to do and how you wanna spend your time. Alexis, I love that you bring up hobbies. I have added hobbies to my list. I will say for the past two years, I have not done it either year. So not all goals are achievable and attainable and whatever I have put to play the piano. For my goal for 2024 and my goal for 2025, I still have a month left. It's possible that I will play the piano, just so I can check it off the list, but, I don't mean just play it like I played when I was young. We have a piano in our house. I just, I want to play more or play again and I haven't done that. Which goes to the other point about saying, you know, look at things that you wanna do that maybe you enjoy doing or don't have time to do. I'm saying this out loud for myself mostly, but I'm hopeful that I'm not the only one. I don't have the time. It's that I don't make the time, because I have plenty of time where I am just wasting time. I am on my phone. I am watching TV Netflix or YouTube videos just. Doom scrolling, I clearly have plenty of time. I'm just not using it properly. So while I haven't come up with my 2026 goals yet, I know that some of mine are going to revolve around that is to do more with the time I have and do more meaningful things, whether it's spending more time with my son and husband freaking playing the piano, I guess, or doing something that at least gets me off of social media, off my phone, away from the tv. There is time there. I just need to be better with it. So I think that's how I see some of the goal setting and planning.

Alexis 30:56

I love that. Those are, all really good points. Also, now that I know you wanna play the piano? I'm gonna text you and make sure you're doing that. I'm just kidding.

Kristen 31:05

The accountability is huge because I think once you talk about a goal or you. Say something out loud. People should hold you accountable to it. Maybe it's because that goal has only been written in my planner and I don't know that I told anybody that's something I was going to do. I also have ride a train in my planner, which I haven't gotten to this year I am going to ride a train. I am going to ride the California Zephyr and I am going to go from Chicago to California one way or another, like before I die, this is something I'm going to do and I'm saying out loud to manifest it and make it happen. But no, where was I going with this? Oh, yes. It's important to still talk about your goals and share and yeah, maybe have a goal buddy. And if you do wanna put on the health ones and you wanna work out more or something, then have somebody you're gonna work out with. Because I have found that I am more likely to do something if somebody else is relying on me. 'cause I have a harder time saying no or like, no, not doing something for someone else than I do for myself. I can say no to myself all the time. Like, no, Kristen, we're not going to the gym. No Kristen, we're not doing that. But like if somebody was gonna the gym and I have to meet them, I can't not say. Alexis, I'm not going to meet you there. No, Alexis, I don't wanna go because Alexis would be like, get off your fat, but Kristen, we're going to the gym.

Alexis 32:21

I still have to talk myself into that every day, so don't feel bad. I have to say stop reading your book and go do it it's a rough one. That's why I don't put it on there for a goal because life happens and some days I just don't wanna,

Kristen 32:33

I know every day I don't want to, and that's why six outta seven days, I don't do that. Anyway. A few fun planning questions for you. So what's your favorite part, and I know you said you start filling out your planner in September. Is that when you start doing your goals for the next year, or do you do your goals in January?

Alexis 32:56

So I really start filling out things like birthdays and stuff like in September and then the end of December, like usually Christmas break. I really sit down and hone in on. Schools, but I've started mulling them over in my mind around this time of year. Like I've just started really thinking about stuff because we homeschool. My year is broken up into different types of seasons. Like I run like a kid and it sounds ridiculous, but I sound like a kid and that I so look forward to summer because there are no plans. Most parents don't enjoy summer from what I gather. They're always so excited for their kids to go back to school. And I'm so excited for summer because I don't have to teach kids. I mean, I have to teach them normal, but I don't have to teach school and we just get to like live life and enjoy it. My life has kind of broken up like that. To be honest with you, when I'm really focused on a new goal and reset, we actually do that in August or September. January isn't a new thing for me. We're just carrying over what we've done in August and September, but I might start my book count over, or this past year it was reading through the Bible or things like that. But you know, like, I don't know, structural wise, like health stuff, I really, it kind of focuses on when the kids are in school, that's kind of how my life works we will talk like my husband and I'll talk some financial goals probably. That last week in December, maybe a little before we also do that every month. Like we have a budget meeting every month and I sit down, every week and plan out stuff. I think that is why I'm able to. Keep things attainable because if you look at it from a whole year, it can sometimes seem overwhelming, whereas if I'm doing it every week or once a month, it's not. Goal-wise will definitely be the end of this month.

Kristen 34:44

Good.

Alexis 34:45

So,

Kristen 34:46

Is there any final piece of advice or tidbit that you would love to share with our listeners that you think would just really get them to be like goal setter planning people?

Alexis 35:01

Meal planning. I really think if you planned your meals, you would save a lot of money. You would be healthier, and you might even pick up a new skill. With cooking that's just something I feel like meal planning is the easiest way to start planning. You don't have to plan anything else, but if you can plan your meals or even five meals a week and plan to eat out the other nights, I feel like it was so beneficial. When I started doing that, I feel like our life changed in certain aspects.

Kristen 35:28

I can totally see that. And I feel like it gives you a sense of control too, because no matter what else happens during the day, at least you know what you're going to make and eat for dinner. Having that kind of thing to anchor you on the day, I think that can totally make a difference. Not even just with the budget and the health aspect, but it gives you. Some semblance of control in your day too, so I love that advice. That's fantastic.

Alexis 35:56

Yeah. But before we go, do you have a goal this next year that you're thinking about outside of piano? I wanna hear if you do.

Kristen 36:03

See, I haven't gotten to mine yet because I will get my planner on December 25th and then start doing it. But I will tell you. While I don't know how I'm going to write it yet, it really is going to be to get away from social media. I'm gonna have a whole episode about it sometime because while I haven't been recording episodes and I've been watching a lot of YouTube, I have been doing research on. How bad social media is now it's not just my opinion, I'm finding research behind it too and how it is detrimental and all this stuff that I will save for an episode. But I think I might get rid of social media altogether. I keep going back and forth on that, but somehow my goal for 2026 is going to be social media related, so stay tuned for more, I guess.

Alexis 36:53

That is so interesting because that's kind of been on my heart. Mm-hmm. I think there's a reason for that and I'm just not sure, how to do it because. Everything is online.

Kristen 37:06

I know.

Alexis 37:06

Like

Kristen 37:07

I don't, and that's what I've said too, and I've used it as an excuse and I'm like, oh, but my son's school post stuff's on there. Yeah. But they also text and email me, like, I will still somehow get the information. I'll be like, oh, but that's how I advertise my podcast. Yeah. But I'm really not, and the views I get on Instagram and Facebook are so minuscule. I don't think that even matters either. So every excuse I come up with, I've been able to kind of have a counter to it. So there's part of me that's like, well, maybe I'll just delete it from my phone and go old school, right? Like back in the day, remember when you were in high school, college, whatever, you would check your mail just when you were at a computer. And maybe that's fine because then I would actually have to make the effort to go to my studio and get on my computer and quote unquote go online, to check my stuff. And I don't think that I would do that. At least not as often as I pick up my phone. Because that's part of the thing. I don't know that I am ready to delete everything. Like Katie and I had an episode earlier this year where she completely deleted her Instagram altogether, which was very bold. I don't know that I'm at that point, 'cause I'm not ready to shut it off forever. I just want to shut it off to get my sanity back and break the addiction that I have with it.

Alexis 38:20

So. I did that in 2020. I completely deleted Facebook and Instagram. I think with Instagram I paused it though, I didn't lose anything with Facebook. I completely deleted it and I kind of have some regrets because there are things I'm like, oh, I kind of wish I had that. But then I'm like, I don't, so the thing that I think was the hardest though, is there was some friendships that. I don't, I didn't get people's numbers. I just deleted it. I can relate, but I think I'm there again. I think I'm ready to just like pause it or completely. I'm with you. Yeah, I'm with you. That's, I really am. I don't think

Kristen 38:56

I could delete, because the one thing I still love about Facebook is how my memories show up. Like just the other day it had videos of my son's first Thanksgiving and him eating pie and me spraying the ready whip whipped cream into his mouth. And I'm sure I have those videos saved on a hard drive somewhere too. But the fact that Facebook shows me my memories. I love that part. So I don't think that I could completely. Delete all of it, because I feel like so much of it is there and tied up in it. But, I'm to the point where I'm kind of done with it. So stay tuned for 2026 to see how Kristen actually deals with social media going forward.

Alexis 39:33

I love this. I think this is gonna be a fantastic, experiment. I really do. I actually, wanna, pay attention and see how it is. Maybe we can see how people reacted and how it worked for them yes. I just, love this.

Kristen 39:46

I'm about this, so yes, you've got me excited. Perfect. And the last thing I will say for a goal of 2026, I don't know if it'll happen in 2026. It's another one of these things that I have to keep saying out loud to manifest it or make it happen, or maybe somebody who knows somebody can make this happen for me. I am going to interview Mark Dagal, the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. I am going to interview him on my podcast and talk about how his leadership and coaching style surpasses just being used in the NBA. And there's lessons that can be used in everyday life too. So I have not yet met him. I have not made any connections yet, but this is going to happen someday. Maybe 2027. I don't know. It's gonna happen. And if I say it out loud enough, I'll make it happen. So that's also a goal of mine at the end. I love it. All right, well thanks Alexis. I love that you're back. Can't wait to hear more from you, in upcoming episodes, and we'll talk again soon. Bye bye. That's a wrap for this week's episode. Thanks so much for spending time with me. Until next time, be honest with yourself. Ask the hard questions, and remember, you are not alone on this journey.