New Year's Resolutions

It's amazing how you can make New Year's Resolutions, and the next day you can already fall through on them. I told myself "I'll write a blog post weekly, preferably every Tuesday."  January 1st was a Monday, and January 2nd was a Tuesday.  I think that was the FASTEST fail for a resolution I've ever had. But I'll try to pick up the pieces again this week and keep it consistent.  

There are the typical: 

• I'll work out
• I'll eat healthy
• I'll work harder at my job
• I'll be a better friend, sibling, relative, partner, etc. 

But I tell myself I'll eat healthy. Then Nutella comes along and that's done. I have those workout resolutions, but I work so hard then burnout. I'm over those kinds of resolutions. I have a very different set of goals this year. 

• Live every day like it's your last
• Travel more

That's just two goals, but they are all-encompassing for me. Because like so many others, I get caught up in the small everyday things that really shouldn't bother me. I worry about hypothetical situations and get all worked up. I have my sights on long-term goals but I overlook the wonderful things that happen in a single day. I get to drink wonderful coffee, I get to go to a job in my dream industry that I've worked hard to get into.  I get to watch the sun rise and set nearly every day. And all the colors of the sun setting is one of the most magical things I have ever seen in my life. I've gotten much better at dropping what I'm doing to admire and relax. I don't look at my phone, or think about what I'm going to have for dinner or what I need to do when I get home. I just stare at that beautiful painting in the sky. I forget when people compliment me on my work once I have a hard time with something, or someone is rude to me. I let the negative reactions get to me. Why? It's something many of us do. The little things add up, that's for sure. But it's the little good things that we should let add up. 


I've started to keep a journal. This isn't something I've ever done, but hey, when happiness is on the line, it's worth a shot, right? It's called 52 Lists For Happiness, meant to bring balance and joy to your life. Once a week, it gives you a prompt of a list to make, and then it shares how you use that list and reflect on it for the week, trying to act out the instructions. I'll be honest, so far I'm not feeling the balance or joy from using this book. But I love making lists, and I'm giving this a shot. We'll see how it goes. It may help me try to really live in the moment. 

I haven't traveled out of the US since 2012. That kills me inside. I am a traveler, it gives me a joy that nothing else ever could. But it's time to plan a trip. I want to go somewhere for about a week. I have an idea of where I want to go, but it's not fully figured out yet.  I'm thinking somewhere in South America, maybe Machu Picchu in Peru, Iguazu Falls from either Brazil or Argentina , or Sarlar de Uyuni in Bolivia. It's a huge salt flat, but the water looks almost like a mirror. The videos are breathtaking. And I really want to take some time to go on smaller weekend trips. I really miss Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. But there's still so much of the U.S. I haven't seen. I'd like to check out New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the history. I'd have a long weekend getaway to Nashville, New Orleans, Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago....there's really too many cities to list (but I'm also happy to take some recommendations-hint, hint). 


What are some of your New Year's Resolutions? Are you keeping up with them? Please let me know, I'd like to see what other people are doing. Maybe we can swap some ideas! It could be a good motivation.