Two years ago, I began making lists of things I wanted to accomplish or work towards over my next year of life. With a new calendar year and a new year of life beginning within days of each other, the reset feels even bigger and momentous. Thus, I try to be intentional about seeing where I’ve been and where I want to go.
Out of last year’s list of 23 things, I am only confident in the completion and fulfillment of 8:
- Save another $5,000 minimum. One day you’ll be glad you did.
Making this a priority is always healthy. I can travel and have as much fun as I want to, as long as I’m saving. - Pay off the car. No debt, no ‘one day’s’. FREEDOM.
Heyo! The car is MINE. - Establish a healthy bedtime routine. Less scrolling, more reading and reflecting.
My brain and body are much better off for this. - Travel somewhere new. Now, I’m going to D.C. and Uganda this year, but I’m planning for Asheville and maybe a solo day trip here and there!
Made it to D.C., Asheville, and Amsterdam this year ontop of revisiting Uganda. I feel like those are three solid locations. - Dive a little deeper into the Enneagram. So. Many. Resources.
I learned so much about myself and the people around me this year. The Enneagram isn’t a life saver, but it certainly has been a relationship builder. I’ve never had language for the way I experienced the world before, but now it makes so much more sense. - See 6 new films (New to me, at least). This is difficult with my schedule, but that means intentionally sitting down once every two months to watch a new film. Hopefully ones that are of some artistic value – I’m taking suggestions for this as well.
Thanks to many eyerolls and broken hearts, I saw many new movies this year.
Arrival, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, A Wrinkle in Time (This one hurt. Let’s not talk about it), Christopher Robin (I’m kind of in love with it), Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, Infinity War, Black Panther, A Quiet Place, Murder on the Orient Express, Some were good. Some were flat out amazing. And some were terrible wastes of time… But I saw them! - Go nearly 100% dairy free. Fewer cheat days in the future – your body will thank you.
My body is extremely happy with this decision. I still cheat, but not nearly as much. - Keep one morning a week alarm free. I live by my alarm. I need to keep one day as a possibility to not die by it.
This hasn’t been true of every single week, but nearly so. Sometimes I just need to sleep until 7 and stay in bed until 9 to let my brain process and sift the way it needs to.
Despite having an under 35% success rate, 23 held a lot for me.
I kicked off 23 by getting my first tattoo. I still adore it and it means so much to me.
I became an aunt once again – this time to a niece! She is precious and I can’t wait for the day she lets me snuggle her again without her screaming at me. (This is overpeopled and overcarbed me, nearly fresh off of the plane from Uganda soaking up my first meeting of E. The baby fever is real.)
Speaking of being fresh off a plane, I also made it back to my favorite place on planet Earth – Uganda. This time, on top of seeing some of my favorite people, I got to meet Edward the Elephant and nearly had a Kristen Bell + Sloth moment. My time there will never not be a highlight for me.
I really, really overhauled my intake of the news across all media platforms. We can’t ignore the fact that there’s some nasty stuff happening out there, but we can choose how we educate ourselves about the world and how we approach the conversation. Don’t bite into every apple you’re handed.
I moved out of my parents’ house at the end of September. I planned for early 2019, then decided November-ish of this year, and then ended up with an ideal situation ready to go by October. It has been an interesting adjustment, fully becoming my own person, but I’m not mad at it. I finally feel like I’m settling into my own rhythm after being thrown into insanity at work directly after moving and enjoying the ride.
As far as things that cannot be highlighted in pictures – I learned an immeasurable amount about myself this year and truly learned what it meant to be vulnerable and spontaneous (Both of which were incredibly difficult, but good lessons). I’m not sure if I’m ready for 24 to stretch me quite as much, but if that’s what it holds, so be it!
And now, for 24 things I hope to accomplish, establish, learn, and/or experience prior to turning 25:
- Read 6 new books. This is an extremely low number, but it’s something I truly have to be intentional about. I love reading, but sometimes the thought of engaging with someone else’s thoughts and words on top of my own at the end of the day can be a bit overwhelming. It’s a priority, and something I truly enjoy. I just need to dive in.
2. Actually PLAN self-dates. I typically experience these incredibly spontaneously. If I have a free afternoon, I’ll hop on over to a movie or the museum. I’d like to plan them a bit more and do some new things!
3. Establish better meal planning and gym practices. Since moving out, most evenings have left me choosing between making dinner or going to the gym. I’ll always choose to fuel myself decently over burning a few extra calories, but I’d like to balance them out a bit more.
4. Pick a handful of podcasts to listen to consistently. Podcasts can leave me a little anxious sometimes with the lack of visual intake alongside conversations. I have a few that I quite enjoy listening to though, and I’d like to be a bit more consistent about it.
5. Learn some instapot recipes. Quick, healthy dinners? Yes, please.
6. Learn to take a compliment, even if it makes you die inside. I can’t do this for the life of me. I’ve come to realize that this is a practiced coping mechanism, and it really isn’t healthy.
7. Take a solo road trip. I feel like I want to do this in order to truly experience the fullness of single life.
8. Go on a date. Like, an actual date. SPOILER: This actually happened a few weeks ago, but I already had it on my list. I don’t know if that means I can cross it off or not, but maybe I’ll try again and aim the bar higher, like for going on a date that leads to a second date? We’re going to let serendipity do its thing here, but no complaints if it actually works a little magic.
9. Practice spontaneity. This one hurts just to write.
10. Practice feeling what you feel before thinking about what you feel. I have this uncanny ability to think myself out of feelings before I even realize I was feeling anything at all. It’s hard to explain, but it’s also not the healthiest. See: Enneagram 5.
11. Set expectations a little higher – don’t pity the pessimist. I’m rarely disappointed because I rarely have expectations that allow for it. Unless it comes to myself, but that’s a whole different matter. EXPECT THINGS.
12. Compliment others more – not because they need affirmation, but because they deserve it. I could write a whole post on the giving and receiving of compliments… I’m working on it.
13. Blog more often. Give it some attention. I want. No. I need to write.
14. Don’t let empty space on the calendar scare you. In order to feel productive, I’ve done a pretty horrible job at just letting empty space be. I serve both myself and others better when life is balanced with solitude.
15. Does it make you uncomfortable? Good. Stare it down and go for it.
16. Go dancing. Regularly. I’ve missed dancing so much. As a single woman, going ballroom dancing is an interesting predicament. Most of the time, I’m not even asked to dance. Or, if I am, it’s some drunken sailor who has no business asking anyone to dance. But I’m determined to enjoy it a little more this year.
17. Learn how to write music. Lyrics and all.
18. Finish a journal. I hate journaling. So much. But it’s important.
19. Visit a new country. This year was Amsterdam. 2019’s will be….?
20. Spend less time on social media. I know people who prioritize it. It’s how they keep up. It’s how they share. But I’m a little tired of feeling bad about missing something because I didn’t scroll down far enough on my timeline and I want to eliminate that problem a bit from my life by cutting back in general.
21. Complete another Poem Every Day challenge. LET’S DO IT.
22. Make time for tea. I refuse to drink tea unless I have time to truly enjoy it, so I’m determined to make time for it this year.
23. Learn to fix hair beyond the pony tail and messy bun. I can’t even braid my own hair. It’s time to level up in the adult world and learn to do something with this mane.
24. Get tattoo #2. I’m so ready for it!
Here’s to 24 and a new year of adventure and growth!
Destined to Wonder 