Here we are again. Is there anything else to be said besides"whoa"? The year is over. It's almost 2015. That's like the future guys. Where are the flying cars? Back To The Future II lied to me. Not cool Marty McFly.
2014 was a huge year for me. I got married. Both my sisters got engaged. And one of them even got married this year too. My grandma passed away. I went on my dream honeymoon to London.
But somehow this year also just felt like a regular ol' year to me. And I don't mean that those events weren't momentous and life changing. They were. They so were. But they were just sandwiched between life. Day-to-day, gotta-get-to-work, need-more-groceries, going-to-the-movies, are-we-out-of-toliet-paper, I-burned-the-cookies, kind of days. Normal stuff.
The older I get though, the more comfort I find in realizations like that. Yes, life can be huge and overwhelming and scary. And yes, life can be normal and boring and mundane. But in the end, I'm more resilient than I think I am and wadda'ya know, here I am relaxing on my couch reflecting on a big year and feeling hopeful for the year ahead.
So that brings me to the main event. Resolutions. Or mantras. Or goals. Or whatever. Here's where my mind is at for 2015:
1. Feed my body well- Well let's just get the standard one out of the way first. Yes, I'm that person. This resolution is on my list. I'm not setting any goals on numbers or deciding on any strict lifestyles. I'm just making a concerted effort to feed my body so that I feel nourished. Sometimes that means hearty smoothies or soups. Sometimes that means runny eggs and mushed avocado. And sometimes that just means cheese fries damnit.
2. Cook more- It should be evident that I'm an avid baker (otherwise this blog is really on the wrong tracks) but I've always had an interest in cooking too. For most of my 20's though, I worked weird hours or lived with roommates or alone so getting the chance to really practice in the kitchen was tough. Since living with my husband, I've been loving the opportunity to try new things and build new skills. In 2015 I want to develop my cooking intuition and have a better understanding of flavors.
3. Move More: I'm basically a professional walker at this point so I know I do a good job of moving all year long (well, except when it's -2 degrees) but I'd like to focus more on strength training and yoga. I don't feel as strong as I used to and I hate that. I think a really easy way to get motivated is to get in the habit of using my FitBit again. I was obsessed over the summer but it lost it's magic a bit when the weather got cold.
4. Learn Spanish- Ok, so maybe I've had this resolution before. In fact, I've mostly had all of these resolutions before but I digress. I desperately want to learn Spanish and enough is enough. There are plenty of resources available and now it's just a matter of staying motivated. No problemo, si?
5. Become a clean freak- Ok, I'm actually a mostly tidy person aside from the odd habit or two (like leaving half full cups of water on literally every surface) but I tend to accumulate a lot of clutter. Tidy clutter, but clutter. I had a massive closet cleanout a few months back and I felt like a new person! I want to make an effort to have mini cleanout projects every month or so to toss the stuff I really don't use.
So what are your New Year's resolutions?
Yikes guys. Here we are again. Seems like it wasn't too long ago that I wrote these babies. Speaking of which, I'd estimate that I stuck to about 80% of these and I'm pretty dang proud of myself. I definitely baked more bread, I've actually taken up knitting (even though I'm sorta pitiful at it), I bought a ukelele (.....that's remained untouched), and I've certainly upped my blogging game with 3-4 posts a week. So what do I have planned for 2014? I resolve......
1. To invest in my blog. While I'm proud of the progress I've made to post regularly, I want to invest more time in the behind-the-scenes action. That might mean something like learning code to better customize my blog to expanding my horizons in terms of audience and promotion. It's time to take this little ol' blog to next level folks!
2. To eat foods that serve me. Ugh, right? This again. To be honest, I've struggled all year (*cough*life*cough*) to be some sort of idealized version of myself. And, unsurprisingly, I've never achieved the vague undefined goals I've had for myself. This year, I want to shift my focus from "dieting" to eating foods that best serve my body. If the answer to "Does this food make me feel good?" is "no," then I don't want it. Plain and simple.
3. To volunteer. This is something I've been wanting to do for years and years and years. But every time I've looked for opportunities, I never quite found something that I thought would work for me, or I was busy with school or I was busy with work or blah blah blah. This year I'll cut the crap and actually do it.
4. To do yoga. Guys, I'm no athlete or gymnast but I used to be pretty dang good at yoga a few years ago. Conveniently, I worked at a yoga studio so attending regularly was easy and I felt pretty fantastic when I went. When I changed jobs, I lost yoga along with it and now I'm an 80 year old woman who can barely touch her toes. And, of course, now I'm terrified to take a class. But DUH, the only way to get better again is to actually, ya know, take classes. So I'm just gonna stare that fear in the face and do a crow pose.
5. To get creative with baking. This one is a little vague, I know. But I generally approach baking by finding amazing recipes by my favorite bloggers, maybe tweaking them a bit, and posting the results here. And while I think there is always value is sharing the recipe love, I want to push myself out of my comfort zone to use flavors and techniques I'm less familiar with and begin to create more original content.
6. To value quality over quantity. I've just ALWAYS been the kind of gal that says "I love lipstick. I should own 800 lipsticks in every color imaginable" instead of the girl who says "I love lipstick. I should have 3 or 4 really great shades that I wear a lot." Ya know what I mean? The same goes for how I choose to spend my time, what I bake, what I eat, and what I read. I want to slow down a bit and value the things that add true quality to my life.
And what are your resolutions for 2014?
