First, a disclaimer… Some of the items below are more intentions or resolutions than goals, as they do not all adhere to the SMART principle for goal-setting (that all goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).  However, I believe that as the year progresses, I will better be able to formulate my goals and make them “SMART.”

Honesty and Commitment

At present, this all seems fairly hazy and “pie in the sky” and that’s part of my reason for committing to blogging about my experience.   I want to keep myself honest and maintain my commitment during times of struggle and challenge (I also hope that in some way, my process can help other “shopaholics” who wish to recover).

My Shopping & Wardrobe Goals

Here are the goals I’ve established for myself as a “recovering shopaholic.”  I will expand on these goals further in future posts, but for now I just wanted to state them plainly and simply for myself and for my readers.

1. Budget:  Be able to set and maintain a reasonable budget for shopping.

• For 2013, my monthly budget is $250, for a total of $3000 for the year.  This is 36% less than my yearly average over the past ten years (see “The Cold, Hard Facts:  Finances“).

2. Wardrobe:  Create a more manageable and minimalist wardrobe filled only with items I love and wear.

• By the end of 2013, I will reduce my wardrobe to 250 total items, including clothing, shoes, purses, and scarves (vs. the 384 pieces I counted in “The Cold, Hard Facts:  What I Have” in late January).

3. Frequency of Wear:  Wear everything in my closet at least 8 times per year.

• I will have to reduce my wardrobe size considerably to accomplish this goal!  My goal for 2013 is to have no “Wardrobe Benchwarmers” and to wear at least 25% of my wardrobe pieces 8 or more times during the year.

4. What I Love:  Buy only items that I truly love and cannot wait to wear.

5. Lifestyle:  Buy for the lifestyle I have, not an imagined or wished-for life.

6. Sense of Style:  Define and express a personal sense of style that resonates well with who I am and where I am in life (this is only partially true for me now… It’s a process and my life has been in quite a bit of flux in recent years).

7. Stress-Management:  Learn to manage my stress, anxiety, and depression in positive and productive ways, instead of through shopping.

8. Shopping:  Shop for the right reasons instead of to fill a void inside of me.