Welcoming 2017! - Shades of Pinck

Although I hate the saying “New Year, new me”, I definitely believe the start of a new year is the perfect time to reevaluate your strengths and weaknesses and find new ways to improve. It is also the perfect time to reflect on the past year and determine the reasons why things went right…and wrong. To me, the New Year is a fresh start and the chance to look at things with a new perspective.

For Christmas my aunt gifted me a “life planner” and I spent a lot of effort filling it out as I prepared for 2017. I’m a huge believer in goal setting and it has been proven that you are way more likely to achieve goals that have been written down over goals that you keep in your head. So, I challenge all of you to take a little time to yourself: light some candles, put on a cleansing face mask, and jot down what you hope to achieve and WHO you hope to become this year! Here are just a few of my 2017 resolutions:

1. Blog consistently

This is one that’s been on my list for a few years now and I still haven’t been able to perfect it, but I’m definitely not going to stop try. My goal? Three posts a week. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?! I do, however, need y’all to keep me motivated and accountable. Continue to request new topics for me to discuss, interact with me here and on social media, and if you start to notice that I’m slacking..CALL ME OUT!

2. Work out consistently

I despise working out. Mostly because I’m inherently lazy, but I really do hate it. Once I’m actually doing it, I’m fine, but motivating myself to get there is the issue. However, I really do enjoy taking classes at my local Pure Barre so I’ve decided to make it to class at least three times a week. Another change I plan to make when it comes to working out is to pack gym clothes when I travel. I’ve been using “lack of space” as an excuse to not pack them, but not taking them means I won’t work out. And because I travel so often, if I don’t work out while I’m gone it will throw off my routine and I won’t do it when I’m home either.

3. Recognize when I’m “needing to be right” and stop!

This is going to be a challenge, but that’s why its so important I do it. I have a horrible habit of hating to be wrong and that often shows in conversation. Now that I have recognized it (that is the first step, after all), I have to do something about it. I plan refraining from pounding why I’m always right into the people I love, even during the times I actually know I am right. Instead, I’ll just mentally pat myself on my back!

4. Read and write, way way more!

I love writing. But its one of those things that you can only get better at by doing. Blogging more will help that, but I also plan to journal more and write more articles. Writing skills also develop by reading other people’s work, so I plan to read way more than I do now. Sure I read magazines, newspapers, and other blogs, but I don’t read nearly enough novels. That will change this year. I also hope to read the newspaper EVERY (weekday) morning.

5. Rediscover my faith

Last year I joined my family’s church in Charleston and it was something I was so incredibly proud, however I hardly spend anytime at home which meant I didn’t make it to nearly enough services. This year I hope to find a church in Columbia I can feel at home. I also want to make an effort to thank God every single day for something really specific in my life (or from that day) . I feel so blessed, but I’m afraid I don’t thank Him enough for the life He has granted me.