So long, 2017

It seems crazy that it’s the end of the year already. It seems to have gone by in a blur and yet, when I think about it, I really have done a lot.

This year, I travelled to Ireland (first time to Europe), Halifax, Chicago, Calgary, and Kelowna. I started working in my chosen field – and have already begun to excel and meet amazing people. My mind grew through experience and through reading, including the TWENTY-SIX books I completed in 2017 (pretty proud of that). I care deeply about some people who I didn’t know before (or know as well). My heart has hurt deeply, many times, almost every time I watch the news. I still don’t usually know what to do about this. I started to understand what it means to have an abundance mindset – and I’m not even that good at it yet but it’s gonna change everything.

It wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but I am grateful for every day I had this year. I will continue to fight for gratitude, the act of not taking what I have for granted.

There are many, many things I want to do and be in 2018. I’m not nearly as good as I want to be yet – not as good a person, not as good a sister and daughter and friend. But, like I am a better person now than I was 365 days ago, I’m going to keep improving and striving and failing and getting back up.

New Year’s Resolutions 2017

It feels weird to type 2017. I’ve handwritten the year a couple of times today, but for some reason typing it feels strange. Ah well, there’s a lot of time to get used to it!

Here are this year’s resolutions.

New Year’s Resolutions 2017
Theme: DO. Do all the things. Make a plan and then do everything.

• Continue decreasing impact on environment.
• Be on time.
• Celebrate birthdays.
• Celebrate life. Make traditions.
• Buy used or local things.
• Connect with the people I care about.
• Create often
• Start selling something.
• Make $$ freelancing/writing
• Make a new dish every month.
• Track all spending, all year.
• Recover savings & resume investing.
• Yoga 3x / week
• Read two books/month (one fiction, one non)
• French! Level up again!

It’s a new year: resolutions 2016

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.

-Abraham Lincoln

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Ahhhh! I know December 31 and January 1 are just one day apart, and I know that technically the new year is just another day, another week. But I can’t shake this awesome feeling of optimism: this is going to be a good one.

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How did I do on last year’s resolutions?

• Read one book per month – Did not read a non-fiction book each month as planned. I’m sure I read 12 books total but that wasn’t the idea. This one is rolling over to next year.
• Exercise an average of three times a week – Didn’t keep great track of this. I’m sure I was doing very well, until I fractured my ankle in September. Then it kind of got derailed. Injuries were my exception to this resolution so I still feel pretty good about it.
• Get myself into a routine – Kind of? Far fewer late nights for no reason.
• Don’t diet, but eat more vegetables. – Gonna say yes, this happened.
• Revive my French skills to the point of being conversationally fluent – When I visited Cuba at the end of 2015 I had the opportunity to practice French quite a lot. There are lots of French Canadians who go there! It was great. I’m gonna say this one was a success.
• Start doing yoga – I did yoga MAYBE five times throughout the year. This one is rolling over to 2016 also.
• Find a way to eat oatmeal that I enjoy – I never did this, and I don’t think I really want to. This one is off the list.
• Be able to do a handstand – I worked on this throughout the year and it’s really hard! Haven’t quite gotten there yet. Still on my list.
• Be physically prepared to be a hero – I never explained this one, and have not achieved it. Both of those things are rolling over to this year.

Okay so now that that’s done, here are my 2016 resolutions. Please note: this list is not done! But I’m too excited not to get it all organized in one place. And yes, I’ve already started. (I’m not beating myself up over not achieving all of my resolutions. I’m happy with the goals I set and my progress, and this year will be even better.)

2016 New Year’s Resolutions

• Write 2 blog posts a week
• Eliminate 3 items per day
• Learn how to cook a few dishes well
• Start doing yoga. Be able to touch my toes easily!
• Lower my impact on the environment
• Celebrate. Do extraordinary things (more on this later)
• Read one non-fiction book per month. Read one fiction book per month.
• Exercise an average of five times per week.
• Level up in French (significantly increase vocabulary knowledge, ability to converse)
• Learn to do a handstand. And work toward walking on my hands.
• Be physically prepared to be a hero

Bring it on, 2016. bring it on.