13 Jan 2018

How to Start 2018

Declaring your New Year’s resolutions to the world (or even just this small group of subscribers) is not something I look forward to every year. I realize this is something that I could stop doing. I continue to write about them or talk about them out loud to others because it’s the best way I know to try and hold myself accountable. What good is it to say you have New Year’s resolutions and then never look at them again until the end of the year?

I’m not going to write them in the same format that I have for the last couple of years – example here – but I did reference these before I wrote this post and found it to be quite funny. Trying to get to 1,000 followers on Instagram is so embarrassing! *face palm*

If I’ve learned anything from being in the working world, it’s that every goal that you make for yourself needs to be SMART.

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Realistic
  • Timely (a year in this case)

My previous resolutions didn’t follow this path and in reviewing my past ones, I maybe have had too many. In my last post about resolutions written very recently, I had mentioned that I had two in mind that I had been thinking of since before New Year’s. These two are my priorities and while they do follow the “SMART” path, I’m not going to outline all of the details out for you just for the sake of having some privacy. In 2018, I want to focus on this broader theme of wellness – more specifically around health, mental, and financial.

  • Health – For most of my life, I’ve gotten by without having to pay much attention to this and have been alright. Even though some may say that I still have time to figure this out, in my head I feel like it’s catching up to me! I want to make sure that my body feels like it is being taken care of and for me that means regularly exercising, getting enough sleep, eating healthily, and drinking enough water. Today, I had the opportunity to pick up some of my favorite things from fast food restaurants while I was at home and I had to exercise complete willpower to not do that. The thing is…I wasn’t hungry at all. I didn’t need it and I just made myself believe that I did because it was convenient for me. More often times than not, you don’t need the food, you’re just dehydrated and having a glass of water instead will actually satisfy you more than you realize. I’m not ready to sign up for a regular gym membership either, but what I can do and have been doing is making sure I go to bed at a reasonable time, waking up early and starting my exercise routines before getting ready for the day and heading into work. Gym memberships can be pricey. Watching YouTube videos and downloading apps to your phone that provide exercises to you are free.
  • Mental – I sort of hate that this is a topic that people avoid talking about. It makes me appreciate even more that I have a group of friends that are actually very comfortable talking about how they attend therapy and other resources they may turn to when things get tough. I know I used to say that your 20’s can be challenging, but life in general, is challenging for any age. 2017 really tested my abilities to push through some obstacles. I’m not saying that 2018 won’t be difficult, but I hope that whatever life throws my way, that I’m able to handle it in a better manner than I have before. I want to continue doing things that make me happy. A previous resolution I had was to “say yes to everything!” This year, I actually want to start saying “no” to more things. Saying yes to everything is not always beneficial to you. Sometimes you say yes because you don’t want to disappoint anyone, but that in turn is a sacrifice to your own happiness. Additionally, I want to be able to take compliments better. Something that I’ve noticed about myself in the last year is that whenever someone gives a compliment, I’m quick to turn it down because for some reason, I feel uncomfortable or that I need to give rationale or reasons for it. Less is more in this scenario and instead I’d like to practice taking the less self-deprecating route.
  • Financial – Saving it for last because it’s my least favorite thing to write about! It isn’t cheap living in San Francisco and this year when I moved to Texas and switched jobs, it threw my budgeting all out of whack. Thankfully, finding the best electric company in Houston was very straightforward online and helped me get my bills under control. I’d like to get myself back on track again by getting my finances in order. This year, I want to pay off the debt on something that I’ve been harboring for some time. I’d also like to straighten out my 401K and investments while learning more about the different shortcuts I can take to save money. I recently started listening to Suchin Pak’s podcast “Open Account” in which she interviews different individuals on their experiences with money and how to be inspired with it and think creatively. I’m just starting out, but I think even if i could make this into a regular routine of listening to this podcast, that I’d be able to take away some useful tips.

I know that these sound like great big themes to tackle in 2018 – almost too big. But the best part about these is that I’m going to remember them. It’s something that will impact me on a daily basis and it’s something that I can actively make moves towards regularly. How do all of you think about these themes? What are your resolutions? If you want to get in on the conversation, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Posted on January 13, in Life

1 Comments

  1. Brilliant post, love it!

    Posted on 1.14.18 ·

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