New Year, New Goals: 2019 Goals

2019…I still remember when the world was supposed to go to shit in 1999’s YTK. Que the Prince music..

My parents always told me life goes fast, and I don’t think I’ve ever really felt that to be so true until this past year. Then again, I feel that way every year. Each year picks up speed, the days fly by, and suddenly we’re celebrating another disco ball dropping in Time Square with our best champs and sequinned jumpsuit.

A New Year brings new opportunities! It’s like your chance at a new and improved version of yourself. We can only hope, anyway. While many are setting their Resolutions, I prefer to set goals. Primarily because I think goals are associated with the entire year as opposed to only the month of January. These goals are small, but can overall impact my daily life in such positive ways.

I’m a little late to start, but I’m sure you all know me well enough to have guessed that. It definitely won’t stop me from working towards them, and you shouldn’t either.

What are your goals or resolutions this year? I want to hear yours too!

Read more

I love to read, I just literally have no time to do it. Let me take that back, I don’t MAKE time to do it.

When I was younger, my mom would take my brother and I to the library on summer break to pick out books to check out. I always thought it was cool to roam the aisles of old books, and the ancient card catalogs for mysteries. I ran through every book in the R.L Stine series Goosebumps and Fear Street. Then I discovered every young fashionista’s favorite, The Shopaholics Series. And so began the life full of designer daydreams.

These days, I usually opt for Self-help and motivational books, like “The Subtle Art of Not giving a Fuck,” and “The Secret.” The concepts are generally the same; work hard, go the extra mile, believe it’s yours, never give up. They help to keep me focused and inspired in the moments that I lack inspiration or determination. I plan to read at very least 1 book per month!

Get up & go to bed earlier

I can tell you right now, I’ve already failed terribly at this. I usually get up at 7 to be at work by 8, and go to sleep by midnight. Though here lately, its been even later. You know, the saddest part about that is that on the weekends, I usually pass out on the couch by 8. Welcome to your thirties.

I try to get in bed as early as possible but there always seems to be something to do. I really do believe that if you get up earlier when the rest of the world is sleeping, you get a few hours of productivity to yourself. Which is really HUGE if you think about it!

I plan to start getting up at least an hour earlier, and going to bed an hour earlier, each day. Eventually, I would like to workout in the morning before work so I have more energy. Ill keep you posted on how that goes…not a morning person.

Be Present

I’m not sure how to define or quantify this one, but its probably the most important of them all. I have the most difficult time focusing on the present moment. I’m ALWAYS thinking or worried (hello, anxiety) about something.

Do you ever have those moments where you lose focus in a conversation for one second, and suddenly the other person is asking you a question about what they just said? They may want advice or some sort of answer, and you know you’re screwed because whatever you were just thinking about was more important than whatever they just said. Yea, that happens more often than it should. My go-to responses are usually, oh yea, perfect, that’s crazy, or wow. I know, it’s pathetic. To my friends that are reading, its not you, its me.

I don’t know how to measure my success with this, but what I can say is I will focus intently on the individual I am with and savor my time with them. This means not texting, scanning the internet and online shopping, blogging or Instagramming (ok, maybe sometimes on that one.) It means not always spending time with my head in the clouds focused on what I want from the future, it’s focusing on the now and what I already have in the present.