Big Dreams for 2016
Oh my god. It’s 2016. That seems so ridiculous to me. This year has been spectacular for me in a lot of ways. Some relationships ended, others began. I met dozens of amazing people. I started a master’s degree and pushed myself intellectually. I pushed myself emotionally, travelling more than I ever have before. Overall, this was a year of change, but in a good way.
As is tradition, let’s begin by reviewing last year’s resolutions.
2015 Resolutions
1. Blog twice a week
So I made 124 blog posts in 2015. That works out to being more than twice a week on average! Yay!
2. Video twice a month.
This didn’t happen. I’d like to give it another go this year. Unfortunately, the biggest issue that was in my way was things like self-confidence. It felt like nothing I was soing was good enough. This year I’ll have a goal to overcome this.
3. Get back to my pre-college weight (the freshman 15 is a real thing).
Yeahhhhh. No. I was really good at going to the gym until about June, and then life just caught up with me. I was busy with work and school and it stopped being a priority.
4. Do more adventuring year round.
Holy crap. I was all over the place this year. Yellowstone in the winter, New York in the Spring. Denver and Wyoming in the summer, California, Minneosta, and Morocco…I was blessed to be able to travel so much, and it definitely ticked this box.
5. Finish the blog redesign.
1. Blog twice a week
So I made 124 blog posts in 2015. That works out to being more than twice a week on average! Yay!
2. Video twice a month.
This didn’t happen. I’d like to give it another go this year. Unfortunately, the biggest issue that was in my way was things like self-confidence. It felt like nothing I was soing was good enough. This year I’ll have a goal to overcome this.
3. Get back to my pre-college weight (the freshman 15 is a real thing).
Yeahhhhh. No. I was really good at going to the gym until about June, and then life just caught up with me. I was busy with work and school and it stopped being a priority.
4. Do more adventuring year round.
Holy crap. I was all over the place this year. Yellowstone in the winter, New York in the Spring. Denver and Wyoming in the summer, California, Minneosta, and Morocco…I was blessed to be able to travel so much, and it definitely ticked this box.
5.
Done. I’m really proud of this one. I love the way the blog looks, and I can’t believe it’s only been a year! I’m so used to how it looks that I can barely remember the way it looked before.
6. Take more photos.
Yes! Proud to say that a maxed-out SD card was not a rarity this year. It helped that I had an adorable little dog to photograph.
7. No soda all year.
Also a big fat nope. I made it an mpressive six weeks and then caved. Soda is a stress thing for me, and it was harder than I imagined to give it up. I was definitely less dependent on it this year, but to say “no soda” was just not going to happen.
So that’s where I am today, the start of the new year. 4 of the seven is better than none, but definitely room for improvement.
6. Take more photos.
Yes! Proud to say that a maxed-out SD card was not a rarity this year. It helped that I had an adorable little dog to photograph.
7. No soda all year.
Also a big fat nope. I made it an mpressive six weeks and then caved. Soda is a stress thing for me, and it was harder than I imagined to give it up. I was definitely less dependent on it this year, but to say “no soda” was just not going to happen.
So that’s where I am today, the start of the new year. 4 of the seven is better than none, but definitely room for improvement.
Presenting, the 16 Resolutions of 2016:
1. Get my makeup collection under control.
I have a lot of makeup. The collection, although on the small end compared to most bloggers, is still outlandishly big. I look at my mom, with her two lipsticks, or my friends who can manage to fit everything into one makeup bag and I feel like I have too much. I often forget that I own things. I’m also looking at moving shortly, so I’d like to get it to a manageable place.
2. Get out of my makeup slump.
Accompanied with the problem of having too many makeup items, I find that I am not using them well. I do the same thing with the same products just about every day, and it’s not making the most of my collection. The goal this year is to switch it up a lot more. I feel like this is because looking at my makeup is just overwhelming, but I’m not sure quite what to do with that.
3. Put my phone away.
Another personal problem is that my phone is pretty much always glued to my hand. I don’t let it out of my sight. I have become the worst about unplugging. This year, I want to put the phone away more and focus on being in the moment.
4. Make time for fitness.
The biggest obstacle between me and the gym is the awful excuse “I didn’t have time”. This year, the goal is to eliminate that. I have time. It might not be a priority every day, but I can make time to go for a run or something.
5. Use all my vacation time wisely.
Instead of just saying “travel more”, I want to make better use of my time off. I don’t want to have lazy days so much as I want to have recharging days. I spent a lot of my days off sitting at home this year, and this year I’m going to spend my days off getting out of the house.
6. Clean out my closet.
Along with cleaning out my makeup, I also need to give the closet a revamp. I have more things than I’d like to admit from back in high school. Those probably need to go. This year is the year of cutting out the extra crap I don’t need to hold on to anymore.
7. Travel somewhere intimidating.
Travelling to Morocco was really scary for me (editing photos tonight!) but was one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done. The decision to go was fairly impulsive and intimidating. It pushed me out of my comfort zone though, and I’d like to replicate that this year again.
8. Get serious about youtube
Similar to last year’s resolution…this is the one thing I feel the worst about letting slide last year. Time to refresh and get it going.
9. Finish my master’s degree.
Enough said. I should be mostly done in April, with a class or two straggling until the end of the summer.
10. Drink more water.
I’m going to try to drink mostly water this year. I don’t know how that’s going to go, but I’m willing to try. It seems more realistic for me than giving up soda was.
11. Talk less about people
It’s been said that small people talk about other people, and big people talk about ideas. I’d like to spend this year talking about ideas more than other people.
12. Actually do the readings.
Most of the classes that I’m in require some kind of work outside the classroom…obviously, like most degree programs. Butttt…do you actually do it? I don’t. I feel like at this point, my learning is supposed to be more self-directed, and this is a good place to start.
13. Do the important adult things.
I feel like I kind of suck at adulting. It might be (honesty time) that my boyfriend really seems to have it together. He’s got a few years on me, but still. I’m feeling inferior. But in a good way. This is a place I can improve. I’d like to get on top of my finances and start making some plans for saving. Any tips are welcome.
14. Comment on other people’s blogs
A big part of what I love about blogging is the community aspect. I feel like I have been slacking in this section. This year I want to leave more comments and contribute to the community a little bit more.
15. Spend a night under the stars.
I have a lot of camping equipment that I don’t use as much as I would like. This is a nice reminder to use my outdoor stuff a little more.
16. Clean my makeup brushes more.
Figured I’d end on an easier one. There it is.
What are your resolutions and goals for 2016?