1. Develop a workout routine (and actually stick to it)
In the past, I have been able to squeeze in a workout at least once a week here and there when I had completed everything else on my to-do list. Starting this new year (even if it includes waking up earlier) I want to make the effort to make it a part of my schedule! With school, work, and everything else going on, I realized that being active has helped me feel less stressed and live a more balanced life. I have always been physically petite and extremely slender, so focusing on getting stronger and gaining muscle is my main goal! Aside from workouts, I definitely would like to start playing tennis again, but I am also very interested in trying something new like Pilate’s or yoga!
2. Disconnect more often and be present
I feel like we live in a day and age where everyone uses social media. Everyone has different reason’s behind their social media usage, whether it be to keep up with current events, network or keep in touch with others, or fill up their free time. I personally, am not much of a “poster” just a “scroller” and as I am a military brat I use social media to keep in touch with others as I have friends who live all over the world. Sometimes we find it so easy to get lost and sucked into the cyber world. The reality is that most people prefer to post the positive things about life, which often makes others forget that they are human just like you can me and that their life isn’t picture perfect as it may seem. That being said, I am notorious for always having my phone on “Do Not Disturb”, I definitely would like to make more of an effort on disconnecting and paying more attention to what is going on around me, instead of scrolling on my phone during my free time.
3. Be more adventurous
At times I feel like I am a little uptight and am not as willing to take risks or be adventurous. Life is too short to be boring! In 2018, I would like to continue making more memories with my friends and family by trying things, exploring new cities, and meeting new people! Some things on my list are trying new foods like pho, taking a girls trip to Austin, Houston or Dallas with my friends, aerial yoga, read more books, and riding bikes downtown at The Pearl.
4. Be ok with with saying NO more often
I can admit, at times I catch myself being a people pleaser and often find myself willing to bend over backwards to help others more than I should. In the past I also noticed that sometimes I have tendency to bite off more than I can chew and sometimes take on more tasks than I can handle. I realized that while I have a big heart and that it is great to help others out when you can, I realized that in this new year that it is ok to sometimes be selfish and say no because you have to re-evaluate your priorities and do things for yourself first.
5. Re-evaluate My Spending Habits
Have you guys ever seen that hilarious meme of the girl looking at receipts with a magnifying glass that reads “Evaluating my bank account for fraud when I know good an well that twas all me” LOL. GUILTY. I am not one to spend frivolously as you guys know, I am the bargain queen, I definitely think I could be a little wiser because I know I could do A LOT better. After evaluating the things that I would spend my money on this past year, OF COURSE food came out to be the #1 culprit. *sigh* I blame my friends for guilting me into tagging along on the late night food runs or going out to eat on the weekends. JK! I actually love cooking, so in this new year I will try to implement some “Girls Night In” where we all hang in the dorm and cook a meal together. Keeping this in the back of my mind allllll 2018: You don’t have to always spend money to make memories!
6. Communicate My Emotions Better
In 2018, I realized that whether it be with family, friends, or in a relationship I really need to do a better job of being more verbal when it comes to communicating my emotions. I tend to be one who holds feelings in and let them bottle up or if something is bothering me waiting the situation out to see if it can dissolve by itself. And boy oh boy, have I had to bump my head a few times to realize that what I thought was an ok form of communication would only lead to drama, disappointment, confusion, frustration, and (while I hate to admit it) the occasional broken heart. So whether it be feeling annoyed with the parentals, re-evaluating a friendship, or questioning the future of a relationship it all made me realize how important it is to be more transparent so that it doesn’t always turn sour.
7. Give back to the Community more
It’s been a while since I have had to do voluntary community service, and when I say voluntary I mean not doing it for class credit or mandatory service hours. God is good and I sometimes I do not count my blessings as often as I should, but I feel so thankful and grateful when I am able to give back. I am super excited for this semester because towards the end of last semester I joined a sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc and one of the components of our mission statement is to be of “Service to All Mankind”. I am so excited to do community service with my sorors!
8. Learn How to Do My Hair
The secret is out y’all…… I’m 20 almost 21 and I don’t know how to do my own hair. Go ahead and say it….. YIKES! Currently, I typically go and get a blow dry every week and a half and opt for protective hair styles during the summer/early fall. I also have never put any chemical treatments in my hair aside from color for my highlights. Back in High School, I actually used to alternate between a blow dry and twist outs (with a little help from mom, of course) and I actually miss it! I am convinced that curly hair suits me better! It’s embarrassing how many natural hair tutorials I have watched on YouTube, how many products I have bought (and returned), and how many more hair fails I have had than success’. That being said, in this new year I REALLY REALLY REALLY need to learn, practice, and master this skill because I really want to go back to giving my hair more of a break from heat, I am about to be on my own soon, and lastly because it is just straight up embarrassing. LOL
9. Blog more!
I miss blogging and I last year I tried my hardest to make more of an effort to do so because it is something that I enjoy! But, between school, work, social life, applying for internships and everything else I began to get a little stressed, overwhelmed, and lost in the sauce and realized that I needed to take a break and step back to focus on those things. When it comes to school, I am really good at time management! So nonetheless, I just need to also apply the same time management to my blog so that I can get more posts out! You guys would be appalled by how many posts I have in my drafts!
