2018 RESOLUTIONS.
Here's to 2018!
I cannot believe 2017 has come and gone so quickly. It's quite scary, actually. With a strong focus on visiting family, buying and wrapping presents, and decorating, the month of December flew by.
Amazing things happened in 2017.. I graduated from USC in May, moved to Charleston, SC shortly after, moved in with Sarah in July, and began taking on adult responsibilities. It was a quick, but very memorable year.
Usually, I'm the type to make resolutions for myself throughout the year, as I've never been one to set many New Year Resolutions. This year, I know what I want to improve on/achieve in 2018, so I've made a list packed with hopeful things to accomplish this year. I'm excited to share them!
Spend Less
Since having our own place and paying bills, I've learned that some things we've bought have been quite frivolous. Although neither of us is one to make rash purchases, I think buying groceries as we go, especially fresh fruits and veggies as so not to let any food rot in the refrigerator, would be a great help. Going right off of that, I would like to take it a step further and spend minimal on take out food/coffee.
For myself, I want to spend minimal on clothes. Compared to many people, I really don't spend much on clothes to begin with, but I want to strive to remember how blessed I am with the clothes I already own and let my current wardrobe get my from day to day. I have some nice staple pieces that I'm thankful for.
Spend Quality Time Together
Over the past 6 months, we've spend our time working and our off time out and about at the beach or enjoying all the great things Charleston has to offer. While we are both active and social, I think more time needs to be spend together in our apartment. One thing I'm excited about is watching more movies/tv shows, playing board games/cards, and taking pictures. Speaking of taking pictures...
Take More Photos
While we've taken some incredible photos of Charleston, we haven't had many of just us. This year, I would love to snap more action shots and ultimately create a photo album. Growing up, my mom put together several photo albums that are, to this day, a right pleasure to have a look through.
Set Aside Money in a Savings Account
While we should all enjoy our jobs, at some point, we want to retire. It's scary to think that we will be living off our savings and investments for decades after we retire. But, the reality is there. I think it's right time to start a savings account now. I've decided that for 2018, I want to use the 50/30/20 rule and put away 20% of each paycheck in a savings account. As for the 30% that is supposedly for lifestyle spending, I've already made up my mind to spend less on lifestyle things, so for the majority of the 30% I want to...
Donate Time/Money to Charity
Although Christmas is so wonderful, I lost sight on the true meaning this year. Well, sort of. I constantly kept our Savior in mind, but I got too wrapped up (literally) in gifts and decorating. This year, I want to donate my time and money to charities and help out at locals shelters. As for Christmas gifts, Sarah and I are planning to gift each other a couple nice gifts, but mainly pick a couple charities we want to donate to and make that our ultimate Christmas gift. I'm so excited to feel the true joy of the holidays this year, not only at Christmas, but throughout the entire year.
Read More
Sadly, I've been so focused on maintaining a clean apartment, working, making time for family, and the list truly does not end, that I haven't sat down to read a book in quite some embarrassing amount of time. One of my resolutions is to read at least 1 book a month. To some, that may sound like a small number, which, it is. But for me, it will be more than I've been doing, and I'm excited to cozy up with some good books and share my favorites.
Read First 5 Devotions
I recently discovered this website/app called Proverbs 31 and it is absolutely incredible. Essentially, it's a powerful community of women who write daily devotions in accordance with books of the Bible. For example, this month is written with a focus on 1 Kings. Each day, I get to read about a different story and message from 1 Kings. As far as devotions go, this is the most effective (and artsy) one I've come across.
Find a New Job
As much as I'm appreciative of my current job as a (primarily) day hostess/office administrator at a high end restaurant, my goal for this year is to snag a new professional job in the field of digital marketing/social media marketing. I absolutely love blogging and the digital platform aspect, and my aspirations lie with making that my career. I will be diligently applying in hopes to achieve this goal sooner rather than later.
Keep a Food Log/Journal
As a proudly active individual, I want to continue to workout 5-6 times a week, but also keep a record of what I eat and my workout summary. As to stick to this goal, I won't be doing anything too detailed, but I think just writing down what I've eaten will be profound enough to help me maintain a healthy lifestyle. Along with this, I want to jot down a quick journal entry at the end of each day, summarizing what I did. Some days will be more interesting than others, but each day will be unique. I cannot wait to read back on my life in 2018. I know I'll appreciate keeping a journal of my journey.
Make a Big(er) Trip
As much as I want to spend quality time at home, I want to take one nice trip to a place I've never been before. Ideally, Ireland, Italy or Spain would be the dream, but since I'm starting a savings account, I want to take a nice trip to somewhere that's different and amazing. Believe me though, a Europe trip is the goal in the next few years. As for this year, I think a trip to somewhere, like say, Chicago, would be such a whimsical place to visit in the summer.
Keep Up with My Skincare
I, like nearly everyone else, has discovered and fallen in love with Glossier. I know it's all the hype, and I'm not typically one to fall for trends, but when one of my favorite bloggers raved about it, I gave it a try. It was the midst of was summer time, and I had a tanned, sometimes burnt face, and I knew I wanted to stick to a skincare routine to keep my face feeling lush. So, I placed an order for the Glossier cleanser, moisturizer, and lip balm, and have faithfully used it since. The cleanser removes makeup effortlessly without applying much pressure to skin/eyes. I feel as though the makeup literally melts off. When I find a product I love, it's easy for me to keep using it routinely, but as a resolution, I don't want to use Glossier any less as it has done wonders for my skin.
Relax More
I'm the type of person who likes to be constantly busy. Although, as I've quickly learned, always being on the go can make you feel very stressed. You should set a to-do list, but make it manageable, yet slightly challenging. During 2018, I want to be on social media less, read books more, and enjoy the simple pleasures of living more. There's a lot I want to accomplish, but I want to enjoy each step of my journey.
Maintain My Blog
The later part of 2017 consisted of focusing on work, meal prepping, and figuring out what to clean/do next. My life got so busy focusing on doing everything except blogging that I realized I haven't been posting. It's not that I'm lazy or lacking creativity; in fact, I'm quite creative in coming up with blog post topics and writing, as I should be, since it's my passion/dream career. As a part of focusing more on myself and what truly matters to me, I want to post at least once a week.
2017 was a great year, and I feel rather content with how it played out. 2018 will be an even better year, filled with opportunity and dreams that I'm so excited to live out.
Have you come up with any resolutions, or did my post help you create some resolutions of your own?
