Tag: Goals

Experiences, Lifestyle, Mini Retirement

Date Day June 2026: Basketball, Longboard, and Luhv’s Vegan Bistro

Corie Muldoon

Went on a date with my hubby this week and it was a blast! We carved out some quality time: an afternoon on our day off together. And the plan was simple: get out of the house, grab some food, and simply enjoy each other. But where?!

The night before, I checked out the area around Luhv’s (our new favorite vegan spot) on google maps and noticed a green area. I zoom in and it’s a park with basketball nets and a walking path! So I came up with the idea to pump up our old basketball, bring out the longboards and see if the park was a hit before heading over to Luhv’s for lunch.

It was a beautiful, sunny Wednesday afternoon in summer. A perfect day to run some baskets, rip the longboard, chill by the water with a joint. After that we scooted over to Luhv’s for a nice ($50 yeee!) sit down meal . I even used my gut instincts to pre-select what we were gonna order and it was all a hit!

All in all, I’m so grateful to be able to slow down and embrace these date days. For us, the park was a throw in since we never did that before and really didn’t know how it’d go. But I felt optimistic and something I haven’t in a long time: excited to shoot hoops with my bestfriend.

I love you Joey D! And I love our life together (:

Let’s keep on stepping xo

PS – even if it rained, or the food sucked, etc we still would have laughed and loved and that’s truly what’s important: embracing and focusing on happiness and love no matter the circumstances.

Lifestyle, Mindfulness

Daily Life of the Modern Monk

Corie Muldoon
Daily Life of the Modern Monk

Real growth comes from sitting down and thinking about life.

Starting from our inner world (thoughts, feelings, behavior)…

Working toward our outer world (living situation, job, hobbies, relationships, daily routine)

To start, I asked myself: what fulfills me?

  • SAVERS morning routine
  • Gardening and plant care
  • Cozy coffee/tea time
  • Yoga flows and strength training
  • Family walks with Joe + Champ
  • Sunbathing
  • Playing guitar
  • Photography (taking + editing)
  • Posting on Instagram and blog
  • Cooking, fruits and vegetables
  • Boho home decorating
  • Cleaning (I actually enjoy this!)
  • BBI shifts (tolerable, pays the bills)

I have a dream to live with monks in Thailand later in life. To share my stories with travelers and explore parts of me I’ve never discovered before. While I’m on the journey to get there, I’m thinking: what should I focus on?

✓ SAVERS morning routine

✓ Connection to nature (gardening, sunbathing, walks)

✓ Creative expression (guitar, photography, blog)

✓ Physical practice (yoga, strength training)

✓ Mindful living (tea time, cooking, healthy eating, upkeep temple)

✓ Sharing seeds with others (Instagram, blog – inspiring w/o pressure)

✓ Simple work that pays the bills without consuming me (BBI)

✓ Financial freedom building (real estate, investments)

I am the elder monk living her stories out in real time. It’s magical and intentional.

As I continue protecting my peace, I’m feeling way less stressed, with more focus, clarity, calmness, and happiness. Connecting more with things that bring me peace, and disconnecting from things that drain my energy.

Thanks for reading! Keep on stepping

Featured Series, Productivity, Relationships

Couple Goals: How to Set and Achieve Dreams Together

Corie Muldoon

Want to know the secret to making dreams come true as a couple? It’s not just about having shared goals – it’s about having a system to achieve them together. Let me share the framework my partner and I use to turn our biggest dreams into daily actions.

Start with the Dream Session

First, grab your partner and some paper. Set aside 30 minutes of uninterrupted time (we do this over coffee on weekend mornings). Each of you writes down your big dreams. Everything from traveling the world to buying a house to starting a family.

Share your lists with each other. Look for:

  • Dreams you both share
  • Ways your individual dreams could support each other
  • Any conflicts that need discussion

Turn Dreams into Goals

Pick one shared dream to focus on first. Using the Goal-Strategy-Tactics framework, break it down together:

The Goal: Make it specific and measurable. Instead of “travel more,” try “take a 3-week road trip in 2025.”

The Strategy: What are the main approaches you’ll take? For that road trip:

  • Save $5000 for the trip
  • Research and plan the itinerary
  • Book camping spot at state park 14 nights

Daily Tactics: Here’s where partnership really shines. Divide specific daily actions between you based on your strengths:

Partner 1:

  • Put $200-500 into travel fund monthly
  • Research and plan itinerary
  • Plan to buy any gear needed
  • Get car serviced at mechanic

Partner 2:

  • Review itinerary, add notes
  • Create camping checklist
  • Track travel fund progress
  • Clean car out / prep car

Make It Stick

The key to achieving couple goals is building them into your daily life together:

  1. Weekly Check-ins: Schedule a regular time to review progress
  2. Celebrate Small Wins: Halfway to our savings goal? High-five! First draft of itinerary done? Yay!
  3. Adjust Together: If something’s not working, brainstorm new tactics as a team

Beyond Travel: This Works for Any Goal

This framework works for all kinds of couple goals:

  • Fitness: Train for a 5K together
  • Financial: Save for a house down payment
  • Personal Growth: Start a side business
  • Lifestyle: Create a healthier home

The magic happens when you combine clear goals, shared strategies, and individual daily actions that play to each person’s strengths.

Your Turn

Ready to start? Grab your partner and try this:

  1. Schedule your dream session
  2. Pick one goal to focus on first
  3. Break it down into strategies
  4. Assign daily tactics that excite each of you
  5. Set your first weekly check-in

Remember, the journey toward your goals is just as important as reaching them. It’s about growing together and supporting each other’s dreams along the way.

What goal will you and your partner tackle first!?

Relationships

Building Emotional Intimacy: A Couples Guide

Corie Muldoon

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’ll be touching on relationships this month!

Emotional intimacy is the sharing of thoughts and feelings with another person in a way that is… safe, trusting, and vulnerable. It is a key aspect of interpersonal relationships.

What does emotional intimacy involve?

  • Feeling close to another person
  • Sharing personal feelings
  • Receiving personal validation
  • Being open and honest with each other
  • Sharing your deepest thoughts and feelings

Strong emotional intimacy comes from showing up emotionally for someone consistently over a long period of time.

When we show up for someone emotionally, we’re making a deposit into their emotional piggy bank. Make enough deposits = something of true value.

Here are some ways to build emotional intimacy, starting with smaller steps:

Daily Connection:

  • 10-minute check-ins about your days
  • Share one good thing and one challenge each day
  • Physical touch without sexual pressure (hand holding, hugs, light touches)
  • Express appreciation for specific things you notice

Activities Together:

  • Cook a meal together
  • Take walks and talk
  • Try a new hobby or class together
  • Create shared goals or projects

Deeper Connection:

  • Share fears and hopes
  • Ask about each other’s feelings beyond surface level
  • Show vulnerability about your own emotions
  • Listen without trying to fix
  • Share memories of why you fell for each other

Small Daily Gestures:

  • Send thoughtful texts
  • Leave little notes
  • Do small favors
  • Express genuine compliments
  • Ask about their feelings/thoughts

Remember to:

  • Start small and build gradually
  • Be patient with the process
  • Focus on quality time without distractions
  • Share your appreciation when they make efforts

A little bit everyday adds up.

Share this blog if you’ve found value!

Healthy Habits

Daily Streaks: Small Goals, Big Impact

Corie Muldoon

Walk one mile a day.

Run a 5k day.

Take 1 photo a day.

Write and post 1 blog a day.

Send 1 person love each day.

Clean 1 area of the house each day.

Journal each day.

What can you do consistently every day?

What would you like to do consistently everyday? Why?

Daily streak keeps us focused on one specific task each day.

And that task will add up overtime.

Work your goals backwards.

What’s a good daily streak for your current situation?

Any areas in your life you’d like to grow in?

Okayyy now, what are some of your daily streak ideas?

Be realistic. Small goals matter too.

Even though the day has already started…

You can still start up your daily streak today.

Where in your day works best to hit your daily streak goal?

Can you do it now?

Will it take you 5 mins or 50 minutes?

Set a time for your daily streak when you are planning for tomorrow.

Put it in your schedule. Plan your life around it.

Easy to do, easy not to do. Do or do not.

My daily streak lately has been walking a mile, aka Daily Mile.

This time last year I finished up my 5k day streak (about 160 days).

In August, I did 2 miles a day for the whole month (31 days).

Most recently, I’ve been wanting to post more blogs so here I am – day one of the Daily Blog streak: post 1 blog a day. I’ll keep y’all posted on how many days I get!

I’m planning to write and post in the morning after I take my pup out for some sunshine. A cup of coffee and a fresh bowl pack. Making it fun and something I’ll have time for every single day.

I love the daily streak fr! It helps me practice goal setting, gives me something to look forward to, and helps me get to my goals much quicker with a more solid foundation.

Get after that daily goal. Little bit everyday adds up.

Productivity

Maximizing Productivity: Applying Pareto’s 80/20 Principle for Success

Corie Muldoon

PARETO’S LAW: Vilfredo Pareto is an Italian economist who is credited with coining the term the 80/20 principle. That is, 80% of results are driven by 20% of effort.

Tim Ferriss, author of 4 Hour Work Week, claims that each of us should revisit the 80/20 principle every four weeks and apply it to both our work and personal lives to see how we can focus on maximizing our productive output.

Sample questions to prompt your own 80/20 analysis:

Personal

Which 20% of daily foods provide 80% of nutrients?

Which 20% of daily activities support 80% of growth?

Which 20% of daily movement provide 80% of results?

Which 20% of daily actions provide 80% of energy?

Which 20% of worries fuel 80% of anxiety?

Work

Which 20% of my network supports 80% of my growth?

Which 20% of business activities generate 80% return?

Which 20% of content gets 80% of engagement?

Which 20% of finance activities bring 80% of results?

Which 20% of customers are driving 80% of revenue?


My experience with 80/20 analysis

I started implementing the 80/20 analysis in 2020. It’s a great exercise to help me narrow my focus on what I should be doing on a daily basis and who I should be surrounding myself with if I want to be happy, healthy, and fit in all areas.

The 80/20 analysis helps me produce more result with less effort. A few right things done each day = long term success. Analyzing the 80/20 principle helps you figure out what those few right things are for you.

And because we are always changing and evolving, reviewing 80/20 multiple times throughout the year allows us to keep a pulse on what’s really working for us, adjusting along the way.

When we start to narrowing in on the 20% activities that give us more result, our personal and work KPIs skyrocket. Going all in on a handful of activities each day is way better than overcommitting and being spread too thin.

I love this quote by Bruce Lee: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

After I review my 80/20 analysis, I update my Life Map accordingly and use the Powerlist to keep on top of my daily goals.

Each day, in every way, we are getting better and better.