Happy New Year's Eve! We round out another year in our lives and on this blog. The year of 2018 was a lot of ups and downs. I got my PhD, moved across state lines, rented an apartment of my own, and started working in Seattle. I'm a long distance from family, friends I met from graduate school, and there's definitely a lot more to be considered on my plate. However, I made a lot of new, wonderful friendships in Seattle, too, and came to more deeply appreciate the relationships I have.
As we look towards 2019, towards a new year on the horizon, I want to strive to be better. Every year, I make resolutions, and like the rest of the world, I'm sort of "meh" about keeping them. However, I was most successful in 2018 with my fitness resolution: I now work out 5 to 6X a week when I'm in town! For this year, I want to hang on to that and make other improvements. I think most people make similar ones each year, but new year, new me?
Here goes . . .
1. Be more mindful. I want to live more mindfully whether it comes to how I eat, how I speak, and how I spend my money. Rather than GO. GO. GO., I want to slow down and think more before I do things, to be more cognizant of actions and effects, and to be present in every moment. Less impulse, more meditation on decisions.
2. Cultivate positivity. I want to also focus on actionable ways to address the negatives in my life. I may not be able to control situations, but I can choose how I respond to them. I've started a Diary of Positivity in my new bullet journal for the year to document positive highlights from each day. Cultivating means more than responding to negative situations. I want to be more mindful and appreciate my blessings.
3. Work smarter, not longer. I want to be more efficient in my tasks and at work. Longer hours don't necessarily correlate to greater productivity. I want to improve on working better with the time I have available.
4. Harness my creativity. I want to photograph, draw, and blog more. This means reaching out and pitching myself more for photoshoots or opening this space up more frequently to get into the habit of creating regularly. Also, pick up my dusty guitar and play more.
5. Read more, both academically and for leisure. Self-explanatory.
6. Be kinder. To others and, most importantly, to myself.
Looking forward to a new year and creating on this space. What are changes that you would like to make in 2019?