Well, hello! Long time no see, and I must say I’ve missed you all! I’ve chatted with a few of you in this extended downtime but I want to know what everyone else is up to, please let’s have a catch-up.
I’m not really going to delve into 2017 but let me just say that it wasn’t a good year. A lot of emotional turmoil and setbacks and sitting on the couch mulling over it all. Not to say it was all bad–I started a side-job as a Disneyland Attractions cast member and have had so much fun with it and met a group of amazing people to goof around with. I’ve also had a lot of time with family that is priceless and oh so comforting. But it was a year of feeling stuck, of moving backwards even (and I’m not even talking about the crazy-tense and just simply crazy political atmosphere). In essence, it was like being in limbo.
I wasn’t feeling all that positive about coming into 2018 either, not much about the situations have changed. But life–this beautiful, unfair, roller coaster of a ride–goes ever on and I’m finding January to be more positive and the new year is feeling overall like it should: fresh.
While I did achieve some of my 2017 goals like saving money on a monthly basis, putting my phone away when I’m spending time with other people, donating to charities, and keeping my weight in a healthy range (even lost a few)–those are the only ones that stuck. This year I’ll be bringing back a few old goals as well as adding in some. I’m also going to go about it in a more organized fashion by planning a new 30-day challenge for every month of the year and scheduling in the other goals to specific parts of the year. January is my meditation challenge and so far I’m twenty-four days in and feeling great about it! I’ve never actually stuck with something consistently for this long before and that’s one of the reasons I think I’m feeling more positive about this year. I am actually exercising my willpower and getting things that I’ve procrastinated on for forever, done.
I’ll start with my 30 (or 28 or 31) day challenges for this year:
January 31 Days of Meditation ✓
February 28 Days of 20 Push-ups ✓
March 31 Days of Reading ✓
April 5 Sundays of Meal Prepping Lunch and Breakfast
May 31 Days of Decluttering 1 Item per Day ✓
June 30 Days of Walking Outside
July 31 Days of Journaling ✓
August 31 Days of Stretching
September 30 Days of Praying ✓
October 31 Days of Zero Social Media ✓
November 30 Days of Drawing/Sketching
December 31 Days of Learning to Juggle
Now these may change in the future, but so far I like them and will be sticking to these challenges. All are habits I’d like to continue after the month is over, habits I want to quit, and/or are to help me learn skills that I’ve wanted for a long time now (my college roommate tried for three months to teach me how to juggle… we’ll see how it goes!).
Now as for my 100 Life Goals List, these are the selections I’ve made for this year:
Work on a farm.
Earn money online.
Be an extra in a movie.
(continued) Put money in a savings account every month.
Start a retirement fund.
Learn how to barter/negotiate.
Follow a monthly budget.
Stop impulse buying.
Blog once a month this year (every second Thursday a new post! My goals say daily for a year, but I’m starting small okay?)
Keep up a sketchbook and use all the pages.
Design my own garden.
Go somewhere new every month for a year.
Jump from a waterfall.
✓ Visit an elephant sanctuary. (My goal is actually to ride an elephant in SE Asia, but with all the reports of abuse and with riding elephants apparently bad for their spines, I’m going to visit an elephant sanctuary instead and support their work saving these beautiful animals from abuse.)
Go ziplining.
Get my CA Teacher’s Credential (FINALLY!)
✓ Read a new book every month.
Learn to do a handstand and a flip.
✓ Pray daily for 60 days.
✓ Journal at least once a week.
Become an early riser.
Give blood.
Make a vlog in a public place.
Less procrastination!
Now this is a long list and will be challenging but many are habits I’m picking up via my challenges or are activities I’ve scheduled throughout my year. I’m excited to accomplish so many of my goals, make memories, and look back on 2018 being proud of the person I became!
What are the goals or resolutions you’ve set for your year? Let’s do this together, shall we? Let’s all have a great year and live with kindness and a positive attitude in our hearts.
<3