My 2018 Resolutions

Photo by Lacie Slezak on Unsplash

I've always enjoyed making resolutions since I was in elementary school. I use the ritual to make a long-term "road map" for my year, and I use it to renew myself in my energy and motivation towards certain things.

Unfortunately, the majority of my resolutions have always focused on weight, food, and exercise.

But now, moving away from those sorts of resolutions I can now focus my attention fully on things I have been avoiding over the years, and focus on things that I feel will truly make a difference in my life.  I never realized how often I used dieting and weight loss as a way to avoid focusing on problems in my life, and you can read more about that here.

What is my main focus?

My two broad focuses for this year are learning to be uncomfortable and to focus my time on things that truly fulfill me and propel my life where I want it to go.

Learning to be uncomfortable
Since I have embarked on my intuitive eating journey I realized how many things in my life I had been avoiding by focusing my time and energy on weight loss.  I have no idea how my student loans are doing, I have no active role in my household finances, and I spend the majority of my time sleeping or avoiding doing anything by watching hours of television or hiding away in a book.

I do all this because I hated being uncomfortable, and the idea of actually doing anything about these huge daunting tasks was paralyzing. So instead of breaking it down into manageable chunks or asking for help I simply stuck my head in the sand.

I want to learn to accept being uncomfortable and to actually work on whatever the problem is.  I plan on executing this by focusing on things I know I should have been paying more attention to, such as my finances, and actually learning about them, and taking an active role in them.

Prioritizing my time
This past year I have noticed that I spend a lot of my time sleeping, watching tv, reading, or on my phone.

All of these things are not bad, and can totally be part of a healthy lifestyle, but I have been abusing these for a while.  My anxiety has gone through some major shifts this year, and instead of prioritizing my time towards things that would improve my life, my situation, or just my general wellbeing, I have been letting myself numb out with escapism.

So I plan on making sure I prioritize my to-do list and add those things to my schedule as I go along.  The hardest part will be making sure that I actually do it! I know this will take longer than a year to truly get down, but it's time to start pushing myself even if I am feeling anxious.

The Resolutions

Practicing small talk
I absolutely hate small talk. I think it is an awful waste of space, it's awkward, it isn't meaningful. But it is important for not only business spaces but also in making new friends.  You have to talk about something and most people do not want to talk/argue about politics/religion/sex in their first meeting with you.  Doubly so for work since that would be hugely problematic. So learning to at least manage small talk is important for not only my expanding career horizons, but it will also directly affect my ability to connect with new people.

How do I plan on practicing it?
I plan on texting/calling friends and family a LOT more often than I have been this past year.  This will get me used to talking about small things more, and it will help me to tackle the awkward feeling I get when I need to talk to people but it isn't necessary.

I am also going to talk to at least one person I don't freakin' know, every day. Whether it is through the internet, or in person. Even if it is just a "hi, how are you!" I'm gonna do it. Because I need to stop being so paralyzed around strangers. Baby steps right? So if someone yells "Hi" at you and then mumbles around for five seconds and then runs, it was probably me.

Take an active role in my finances
I know, I am a super shitty adult. But I'm trying, lord knows. I've basically only taken a keen interest in my finances maybe three times in my life. And then I realized it was super depressing, so I stopped doing it. Now my husband takes care of it, and he enjoys it, but, I need to at least understand what is going on with my finances, and not just rely on him to explain it to me at all times.

How do I plan on practicing it?
By reading at least one finance book this year, so if you have any recommendations please let me know in the comments!

I also will go over our budget once a week, so that I will be on the same page as my husband.

Daily 10-minute meditation
Meditation helps me so much, and I have been practicing on and off for years. But this year I want to carve out 10 minutes every day for it. I feel better when I do it, I think better when I do it, and I will swear to the day I die that it makes managing my emotions much easier.

Taking intentional time for myself
I'm still not sure on how often this needs to be, I want to do it at least once a week, but I don't know if daily would be too much?

But I want to take intentional time for myself, where I do something for me that actually makes me feel good. Whether it's coloring, painting my nails, going to the park, or just curling up with a book for an hour or two.  Instead of just winging my self-care, I want to be intentional about it.

Becoming involved in my community to bring about positive change
So this still needs a lot of details to be ironed out. But roughly I want to be able to actually back up what I say.  I want to donate either time or money to the causes I believe in.  Whether that is giving community talks, attending a Women's March, or donating to Planned Parenthood.  I have to see what I'm financially capable of (see above) and what events I can physically attend. But I want to do more for my beliefs and more for my community.

This will also utilize my focus and prioritization skills as well, since I cannot feasibly donate all my money, and attend everything in the history of the world.  So I will have a chance to really hone in on not only what is important to me but what really moves me.

So this is not so much a resolution, but a challenge for me to fulfill this year.

What resolutions or challenges are you setting for yourself this year? Share them below, if you would like accountability just send me an email!  I know we can all accomplish something this year, and we will learn loads along the way!

So Happy New Year! And may it be happy, bright, and fulfilling!