New Year – New Resolutions

Happy New Year, Friends!!! With every trip around the sun comes a new set of goals, at least for most. Some folks don’t believe in setting New Year’s resolutions anymore. I, however, appreciate this old tradition and love the concept of listing my hopes, dreams, intentions, and objectives the first week of every January. Once my resolutions are written down, I aim to achieve these goals within or throughout the following twelve months. Sometimes I succeed, and as you guessed it, oftentimes I fail. Regardless – I still enjoy the practice and truly believe that setting your intentions not only at the start of the year, but at the start of each season, each month, and each day is a wonderful tool that aids in self motivation, emotional health, mental health, and physical health.

HERE ARE MY PERSONAL RESOLUTIONS FOR 2022.

SELF-BETTERMENT GOALS

• Listen More Attentively…I think I’m a good listener, but I can always do better in this field especially when it comes to my partner. I always strive to be an active listener as opposed to a passive listener. Active listening involves really taking in what another person is saying not only through their words but through their body language and emotions. Not too difficult, right? 😉 I think the real challenge for me though is following through on what the other person is saying if that person is making a specific request of me & not just actively listening in the moment but then forgetting to take action regarding their request.
• Have More Patience…I also think I’m an incredibly patient person compared to most. However, like listening, I think there is always room for improvement when it comes to this important quality. My mom always used to say, “Patience is the mother of all virtues,” and the older I become the more I agree with her since patience absolutely leads to less anger, less frustration, and less anxiety.
• Be More Adaptable…For those who know me, it’s no secret that I’m a Type-A type of gal. For the past few years, I have made a concerted effort to be a little less controlling, less particular, and generally less crazy when it comes to everyday things. This year, I hope to once again strive towards being more relaxed and less of a perfectionist. Wish me luck!

WELLNESS GOALS

• Exercise Regularly…Some months I’m great at physical activity and other months I’m more of a couch potato. My goal this year is to stop wavering with my exercise routine and to get moving at least 4 times a week. Fingers crossed I can be vigilant and stick to my plan 🙂
• Meditate More Often…I definitely practice meditation in less conventional ways via walks around my neighborhood, crafting, spending time outdoors, and cooking. I almost always do these activities without music, a podcast, or a television show in my ear. By doing so, I give myself time to be with my own thoughts, decompress, and focus on the present. However, I would like to take a stab at traditional sitting meditation. I’ve done it on occasion but believe I would benefit from this standard style of meditation at least once a week for 10-20 minutes.
• Stretch More Often…On days that I don’t do an exercise routine or go on a long stroll, I would like to implement deep stretching into my day as another form of mediation and physical movement. My boyfriend stretches A LOT so he is an excellent source of motivation for me to accomplish this particular resolution of mine.
• Take Up Sports Again…From my days as a toddler up until senior year of high school, I participated in both team sports and individual sports practically every day. Now as a 36-year-old, I am sad to report that I do not take part in any sports other than throwing a softball, football, or frisbee around at the occasional park gathering. This year, I am dead set on getting back into swimming and tennis in addition to hitting the slopes at least twice this winter season. It would be nice to join an adult soccer team down the road once COVID dampens down. And to keep things fresh, I would love to take up a new sport such as archery or fencing.
• Eat Less Meat…I eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, but I also eat a good amount of animal protein. In the New Year, I would love to set aside two days a week for a strictly vegetarian diet for my own personal health and for the health of our planet.
• Read More…I am guilty of buying books but never finding the time to read them. This year I’d love to read all of the books I’ve purchased in the last 3 years in addition to rereading some old classics so I can appreciate them as an adult. I am currently rereading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It’s even better than I remember.

CAREER GOALS

• Procrastinate Less…This is one of my most horrible habits. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to putting pen to paper. I need to stop thinking about the words I want to write and SIMPLY, JUST DO IT!!
• Write Every Day…For those of you who don’t know this, one of my dream jobs is to write for television. However, to accomplish this goal I need to write every day, even if just for ten minutes. Like I mentioned above, I alone, am the only thing stopping myself from writing daily. My main objective this year is to work hard at practicing my craft by actually practicing my craft. I have the drive. I just need that drive to leave my brain and enter my fingers. No easy task, my friends, but God willing – I can self-motivate myself enough to really tackle this resolution.
• Meet Fellowship & Contest Deadlines…Most years I manage to make a few competition deadlines but always miss others. This year, I would love to apply to every writing fellowship & contest that I have my heart set on. And the good news is…if I accomplish the two previous resolutions, I will have no problem sticking to this third goal 🙂
• Acquire Clients for My Event Planning Business…Other than writing every day, I need to feed myself. And in order to feed myself – I need to work. And in order to work – I need to find some paying clients. With paying clients, I can continue to be my own boss – an ideal situation until I make it into a writer’s room or sell a screenplay. So time to start marketing my party planning skills in 2022 so I can get to work! Step One: mention it now 😉 HILAevents.com – please take a look and tell your friends who may be in need of an event planner. Thank you!
• Generate Etsy Sales…Other than my event planning business, I recently revamped my Etsy store in an effort to double down on the idea of being my own boss. Having a traditional 9-to-5 job is always a last resort for me. If I can get some sales, I can avoid looking for a traditional job, stay creative, and focus on writing.

OTHER GOALS

• Volunteer at a Food Based Non-Profit…I donate regularly to my favorite food banks, but have not physically volunteered in a few years. In 2022, I’d like to get my foot back in the door by lending my time to an after school or community gardening program, free meal provider, or another similar cause. If you know of any LA County non-profits that focus on food security and/or food education, please tell me about them in the comments below.
• Expand My Home Garden…Last year, I planted a few herbs and veggies but not as much as I had hoped for. Most of my gardening efforts went towards a front yard landscaping project. It was a hell of a lot of work but a huge personal success. Now that the front yard is done, I want to refocus my gardening efforts back into growing food. We have a lot of hungry gophers, ground squirrels, and birds that make this goal particularly difficult, but I’m hopeful that I will find the time to build some pest-proof, raised beds in order to have a nice amount of homegrown produce.

So what do you all think? Too ambitious? Not ambitious enough? I am leaning towards this being a very manageable list of resolutions which in turn makes me feel content and excited all at the same time 🙂

And in case you were curious, the main photo above is actually a portion of a vision board that I made in January 2019. It’s taped to the wall of my bedroom right by the door so I see it every single day. I have yet to take it down because my big picture goals have pretty much stayed the same. Fun Fact: I advanced in a prestigious writing contest a few months ago which goes to show that vision boards [along with perseverance and hard work] may actually be a useful tool in achieving our dreams. Are you into vision boards and/or physically writing down your goals to help them come to fruition? Do you believe in setting New Year’s Resolutions? If so, please share some of your 2022 goals and tactics to accomplishing them in the comments below 🙂

Happy New Year once again. I so appreciate your readership and continued support. Wishing each of you the best of health, endless adventure, plenty of laughs, and good eating in 2022 and beyond.