Every January millions of individuals set out resolutions/challenges/goals they wish to accomplish in the New Year, and I am one of those people. Granted, I usually jot them down mentally and never actually write them out. Why? Sometimes those resolutions change, sometimes new ones pop up and they replace the old ones, and sometimes I know I’m not going to be able to accomplish them so they sit at the back of my mind and have a grand old time.
This year is going to be different. Not only am I writing them down, but I’m also revealing them for the world to see. So let’s get cracking.
- Start a blog – That’s one challenge conquered already and it’s not even January 5th yet (insert gif of me high fiving myself). Like I said in my first post, starting a blog has been on my mind for a while so I took the plunge and did it. I’m a classic introvert. I was always one of the shiest kids in my class, always did what the teacher asked, never really acted out, and always independent (sometimes too stubbornly). That changed the older I became but some of those tendencies still remain. I’m quite happy to be all by myself. I revel in the complete silence of a space. I’d rather stay at home and read a good book or watch a TV show than hit the clubs. My sister calls me the grandma trapped in a 20-something body. I don’t really disagree with that description because it’s quite accurate. I’ve been this way as long as I can remember, and that isn’t likely to change. So why did I start a blog to talk about my feelings and my thoughts? I wanted to challenge some of those tendencies. I want to challenge some of my fears. I want to discover more about myself. So I started this blog.
- Read 50 books this year – I think most people have heard about the 50 book pledge. Reading 50 books in 52 weeks. I read about 25 books in 2015, and damn it I’m going to read 50 this year (I hope). Books will include novels, fiction and non-fiction, short story anthologies, and graphic novels. First up on the docket is Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. (Note: I’m a huge fan of Mindy, her work, and just her in general. I absolutely loved her first book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?)
- Read more diversely – Publishing has a diversity problem. That’s a straight up fact. While changes are occurring they are not occurring as visibly as many others and I would like to see it. The majority of the books that I have read are by Caucasian authors, mostly women but Caucasian. I want to change that. So I want to read more books written by women, more books written by people of colour, and more books written by LGBT authors. I already have a list of books and authors who fall into this category but I would love to hear suggestions if you have them so please leave the in the comment section or hit me up on twitter.
- Be fit – This challenge tops most people’s resolution lists, and I am not immune from it. I would like to drop a few pounds, lose a couple of inches and tone up. I’ve struggled with my weight in the past and I still do time to time. The scale is sometimes my dreaded enemy but I’ve learnt not to live in fear of it. I aim to work out more and make healthier food choices. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to remove all the bad stuff from my diet but it does mean that there will be less Skittles (you’ll have to tear them from my cold dead hands) and salty snacks and more fruits and veggies. While weight loss is something that I would like to achieve, balance is the ultimate goal. Balanced diet and a fit me are what I am aiming for.
- Drink more water – It’s suggested that a person drinks about 8 cups of water a day. I probably drink less than that in a day and that’s including all forms of liquids (water, coffee, juice, tea, etc.). I have a tiny bladder (sorry for the TMI) and I hate having to constantly go to the bathroom. That is the main reason why I probably don’t drink enough water. I’m hoping to change. So if you see me constantly running in and out of bathrooms, you know why.
- Purge the unnecessary – I am my father’s daughter in many ways. We share many of the same personality traits. We look alike. We have similar attitudes on how to live one’s life and how we see the world. My love for art, reading, writing, politics, and history came from my dad. One trait that we share in common is a slight tendency to hoard things. The amount of books, magazines, memorabilia, notebooks, papers that my dad has collected and is unwilling to part ways with is kind of staggering. So thus my purge of some my personal hoard piles begin. I’ve already parted with a good section of my closet and donated it to charity. I’ve started throwing out old notebooks, papers, and other similar objects that aren’t of use anymore. Out with the old and useless and in with new and useful.
- Travel – Mexico gave me the first taste of traveling by myself. And while it was a little stressful and chaotic, I really enjoyed it. I loved exploring new cities, learning about different cultures, and just discovering the world. San Francisco is a city I would love to return to. NYC is definitely on the list of places I want to go. London has always been a dream city for me. Visiting Morocco would be amazing. Lisbon currently sits at the top of my list for European cities to visit. I wouldn’t turn down a beach vacation to Turks and Caicos either. Traveling more is definitely one thing I would like to do more of in the coming year. Whether that means staying closer to home or crossing an ocean, going it alone or in a group, I more than up for it. (I do wish the Canadian dollar would go back up to make these possible travel plans more of a reality.)
- Course correct my life – Leaving school has definitely left me floundering quite a bit. I’ve lost my sense of direction as what to do I really want to do with my life. I’m 24 years old this year. I want to do something meaningful. I want to make a positive impact. I also want to make money, not lots but enough to pay back my student loans and live a comfortable life. I’m willing to put in the work and the effort. I just have to figure out where to aim it. I have some ideas and they include more student loans but I’m not 100% sure of those plans. So 2016 is the year to figure it out, I hope.
- Give fewer fucks – Life is short. I’m going to live my life the way I want to and nobody has to agree with that but me. Screw the haters. Screw the trolls. Screw caring about things that I don’t have control over. I block pre-emptively if I can and report if I can’t.
I wish you all the best of luck in keeping all of your resolutions in the coming year. If you want to chat you can always leave comments below or come say hi on twitter.
A Work in Progress 