Happy New Year!
Today’s kind of a Bon Iver day. Lance and I just returned from a whirlwind of travels to California & Georgia to visit family and celebrate Christmas. And I must admit, after having two weeks off of work, it’s hard to settle back in to work. Everyone feels me, right?
Well, 2015 was a pretty good year. It wasn’t easy or all glitter and cupcakes, but it was wonderful overall. I had to overcome moving my life and my business all while navigating a new life with Lance here in Alabama. There were nights of tears, but there were far greater number of nights with belly-aching laughter. There were lots of adventures and hikes and dinners eaten on the couch and late night talks I never wanted to end. I wouldn’t trade 2015 for anything.
Looking into 2016 I’m wondering what I want it to be like. Taking a nod from Elise’s blog post, here are my goals/resolutions for the new year.
I want more reading less phone. I spend way too much time on my phone. Almost after every time I’ve been on my phone I think, “I could have been reading.” Last year I surpassed my reading goal of 52. And this year I want to continue reading every day and reach a goal of 60 books in 2016. Reading’s been really good for me. Last year I discovered the joys of the library and science fiction. Reading brought me an incredible amount of happiness and introspection, and I loved it. Hopefully this year, I’ll choose reading books over surfing the interwebs.
I want more hiking/exploring/adventures less complacency. Lance and I did a pretty good job exploring the area last year. It was one of my favorite things to do with him. We tried a lot of new things. Hopefully in 2016 we’ll hike the trails we missed last year. Also, I get pretty set in my routines, so I’m hoping to break out of that in 2016 and get out of my comfort zone.
I want more home-cooked meals and less going out to eat. When I lived in California, I was pretty content to eat a bowl of cereal for every meal. I think that was mostly because I didn’t want to spend money when I could eat at home, and I couldn’t drive to eat out when I wanted to. Now that Lance and I are married and I can drive, I’m always aching and bugging Lance to go out to eat. We usually have some great groceries in our fridge and the school cafeteria, so I have to be vigilant about sticking with those options. Plus, when I go out to eat at a restaurant, I’m not choosing the healthiest options. woops.
I want more cleaning and less mess. I’m pretty messy. I’m pretty good about keeping my mess to specific room or area in a room, but nonetheless it’s still a mess. I’d like to be more intentional about putting things away and throwing away anything I don’t need. Lance notes that it’s a lot easier to get things done with a clean, un-cluttered apartment and I completely agree with him.
I want more early bedtimes and mornings less late-nights and mid-day naps. This will be one of the tougher ones, as I am a night owl and I “work better at night.” (This one is debatable.) I noticed that I feel much better when I got to bed and wake up early. But this is something I’ve struggled with my whole life. I think this new schedule will help me live a healthier, more productive life.
I want more structure less chaos. Learning to balance work and housework is a struggle. In the year that I lived in Alabama I haven't figured any of it out. I always say "I'll _______ when I have time." And I really never have time. I need to learn to prioritize and multi-task. This year I want to sort out a rough schedule of when the housework and errands will be done in tandem with everything I need to do with my job. Easy right? haha.
I want more kindness less complaining. This is who I am—a complainer. In the new year I want to be more intentional in my attitude towards others, to become a more loving, giving person in all aspects of my life. I’ll have to combat all aspects of myself, my laziness, my selfishness, my youngest-childness. But I know if I can just tip the scale a little bit I’ll be better for it.
So what are your resolutions for the new year?
December 28, 2015. Point Reyes National Seashore, CA | Fuji x100s
