TRAVEL SOMEWHERE NEW
My perennial resolution is also my most favorite! Last year was amazing with two trips abroad, which I never would have anticipated when I was penning a similar post a year ago. That’s kind of what I love about this resolution. I have a few ideas of where I’d like to visit abroad and stateside (in no particular order: Poland, Sweden, Croatia, Austria, Quebec, somewhere in South America, Maine), but it really comes down to whatever destination we decide to research on a whim and ticket prices.
BE A BETTER STEWARD OF THE ENVIRONMENT
I love that people across the board are becoming more cognizant of their impact on the environment. I know that individually my impact won’t be as significant or meaningful than if corporations and governments fully committed to sustainability. But, I know I can do more to be more responsible and reduce the impact that I make. I want to reduce my consumption of single-use plastics this year. I already made the switch to reusable shopping bags, but I can do a better job with doing things like consistently packing my lunch into reusable containers instead of reaching for a baggie. I’m also trying to find ways to reuse plastics that groceries are packaged in. For example, yogurt containers are great for paint when I just need a little bit for touch-up work around the house. Also, I think I’m going to start composting this year. Until recently, had no idea how bad it was to send organic materials to a landfill, so I may as well make that into usable dirt for a small veggie garden in 2021.
I also want to extend this sustainability focus to purchasing items for my wardrobe. I’m so tired of fast fashion and trend-based pieces that don’t earn a spot in closets long term. It’s so wasteful. I want to make sure that everything I purchase this year is true to my style, is good quality, and is something I can see myself holding on to. It’s not to say I won’t geek out over the occasional Target dress, but I want to be sure that cheap thrill is something I actually want to own longer than a season.
PRIORITIZE MY HEALTH
I know how tragically cliche this one is, but my goodness, I gained nearly 15 pounds last year that I need to shed. Plus another 10 for good measure. I wanted to get in better shape last year and I lost focus of that goal and ate and drank my way through a couple of vacations and, well, the rest of the year. I’m now 36 years old and I’m worried that I’ll be facing health problems down the road if I don’t make significant changes to my routine now. So, Dave and I have committed to helping each other stay motivated to lose weight with calorie counting, cutting out weeknight drinks, and exercising (which will be much easier come spring). I’ve also scheduled one of my annual doctor’s appointments this month in order to start the year on a positive note. I’m actually really excited to make these changes and I’ve already lost 4.5 pounds since the holidays.
For those who may be new around here, I lost 70 pounds after college. (I know, right?!) I had gained 50 of that back over the past eight years. (That weight-creep when you’re older is real!) I want to split the difference and lose 25 and put myself at a weight that felt maintainable and where I felt balanced. I was a size four at my lowest weight — which felt insane to a girl who had always been overweight, and it was almost impossible to maintain if I ate anything more than a salad for lunch and dinner. My current goal weight was what I stuck with for the longest amount of time and I feel like it’s achievable this year. It’s still going to be hard and it’s going to be a long road ahead, but I know I need to make this change for myself.
TACKLE PROJECTS AROUND THE HOUSE
I actually put together a post outlining the tasks I have in mind for the first six months of the year. I took a SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based) approach to goal-setting for this so that these items don’t sit on a wish list forever. I plan to refer to this post throughout the next six month and check back with you on my progress with plenty of home-related content. It seems to perform the best judging by the analytics, so I suspect you have an interest in it, too!
Let’s keep in touch!
Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest / Bloglovin’