Happy New Year, friends! I hope everyone had a really great holiday and new year.
Last year I kicked 2018 off with my list of habits I’d like to start in the new year. To take a look back, I did sort of okay on my list. Most of my goals were about staying off of the phone and connecting more with friends. As in, pick up the phone and call them. Or staying off of Instagram and stop comparing. I think I spent a ton of time of my phone either way, but I’ve done a pretty good job of unfollowing people or brands that make me compare too much or make me feel not as good. I also have definitely made an effort to call friends more, but could still do a better job.
So this year I want to actually work on my 8 habits from last year even more. But also focus on a few new ones. So here are my 9 habits and goals, some tweaked a bit from last year, for 2019
My New Years Goals & Resolutions
Visit A New Continent
Okay or country. I have this habit of going back to the SAME DAMN PLACES. I’m not complaining here at all as I know how fortunate I am to be able to travel period. But just like I visit the same restaurants all the time, I keep finding myself visiting the same major tourist spots. This year I’d love to cross off another continent. I’m thinking South America or maybe even Africa (Morocco I hear is amazing, and Lauren’s trip to South Africa has me swooning!). At the very least, I have got to get my butt to a different country. My friends and I are discussing a trip to Spain to visit Barcelona and a few other smaller cities.
PS I just knocked new country off the list because over the break I booked a trip to Germany for March. So excited to see my Grandmother’s hometown and maybe also do a day trip to Belgium to see TWO
Focus On Food
I am not anywhere where I’d like to be physically. The blog is nearly 8 years old and I have watched myself literally GROW over time in my style posts. It’s time to get back on track eating better. I’ll be focusing again on the TRIM Bootcamp (you may have heard of FASTer Way To Fat Loss, this is VERY similar!) . It’s a program I did over the summer and ended up losing 6lbs. But I didn’t stick to it and also didn’t put my all into the
Write More Meaningful Content
Something I’ve tried to do more here on the blog is writing more meaningful and interesting content. I used to just throw up a few words in a post about how great an outfit was and call it a day. It didn’t fulfill me or make me happy. I actually HATE writing those kinds of posts. I’ve made it a point to focus more on helpful, insightful posts or just opening up in more personal articles. I hope you’ve been enjoying them because I want to do a whole lot more of it.
Meet New People
This goes for friends and also maybe oh I don’t know, a boyfriend? I tend to make the blog an excuse or the fact that I already have friends that I don’t need to make an effort. More friends are starting to get married, have kids or move. Your circle of friends can be ever changing it seems the older we get. So this year I want to get outside my comfort zone and meet new people and grow my circle a bit. I don’t necessarily believe in having a million friends, but more important to have quality friends.
Work Less
Won’t that be nice, right? But hear me out first. I have blogged FIVE days a week every week for nearly 8 years. I have rarely taken a day off from a post and I rarely ever NOT look at my computer on any given day. In 2019, I need this to change. Let’s be honest, if I want to MEET anyone I will also need to get the hell out from behind this computer and get more social. So in 2019, I’ll only be blogging 4 days a week. I’m hoping this allows me
Disconnect Even More
This was on last years list, but it’s too important to me to not include again this year. I feel like I did sort of a better job of this in 2018. I made it a point to put my phone away on vacations or while with friends and family. Another habit I started in 2018 that was GAME CHANGER was keeping my phone in my office when I went to bed. It made for a more peaceful sleep and better mornings.
It’s time to put the phone away for hours at a time and even put my computer away for a solid 24 hours. Because of the type of job I have, it’s so easy to sit on the couch while watching a show and do mindless work like scheduling 140 characters on Twitter or organizing photos on a blog post. It’s time to put it away for a full 24 hours.
Re-Learn French
Fun fact, I used to practically be fluent in French. Living in Montreal from the age of 3 to 10 meant I was learning french alongside french kids learning
Take A Solo Trip
Sure I’ve sort of done this with a day or two here and there when waiting for friends to get in. And have done it a ton in the US for work. But there’s something VERY different about visiting a brand new city, all by yourself, without knowing someone is joining you soon. I thoroughly enjoy being alone and have no problems with it. So I don’t think it’ll be a big challenge on my end in that respect. But I’d like to force myself when I do in fact do this, to challenge myself in a way that does push me outside my comfort zone. For me, that’s socializing while alone somewhere new.
I’m fine socializing, I’m not some anti-social person. But I could 100% see myself visiting a new city and spending 5 days alone and not saying two words and be totally okay with it. But I’d like to do the opposite. I’d like to chat with the bartender and make friends. I’d like to take a cooking class and maybe grab dinner with people after (my Mother is literally having a panic attack while reading this, I can guarantee it). But I think there’s something really powerful to be said for making connections while abroad and being solo.
Get Outside More
I’m a fairly active person in that I go to the gym, hang with friends and all that. But I rarely force myself to be outside more. For someone who spends HOURS on end in front of a computer (and guilty, TV too) it’s time to get outside more.
