January 1, 2019. It’s just another day, right?

For so many years, we’ve placed an emphasis on the first day of the year. We do a grand countdown, complete with fireworks, drinks, and even kissing someone when the clock strikes midnight. Or maybe we sit at home, sleepily watching the countdown in our pajamas wrapped up in blankets. But either way, one day ends and another one comes.

Typically, I don’t really advocate resolutions (although I have my fair share of them here and here), but this year, I feel like I need a stronger focus on what I want. It might be because I graduated a year and a half ago and I’m not as busy anymore but I’ve been a little lost, just wandering and figuring it out as I go. Even though going with the flow isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I’d rather have a plan, so maybe a few resolutions will do me some good this year.

Before I get into this year’s resolutions, I thought I’d quickly review the results of my 2018 resolutions.

1. BE HONEST AND RAW WITH MYSELF.

Moving back home and being alone forced me to face parts of myself I tried to bury; without anything to distract me, there was no longer anywhere to hide. I cried a lot over my worries, but I also came to a lot of realizations and learned about myself. I think this is a resolution anyone can work on since we’re always evolving!

2. GAIN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TOPICS I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT.

Every time I got curious about something, I googled it. I also had a writing job where I was always doing research. But I wouldn’t say I learned too much this year; I want to study so many more topics, so this is something I’d like to continue working on.

3. PURSUE ALL OF MY PASSIONS.

I’ve heard it’s better to focus on one or two goals, but I’m someone that always waits until they’re ready to do something and surprise, you can never truly be ready. So I just thought I would do everything. However, this didn’t really work out because of my surgery as well as my own laziness and negative mentality.

4. START TAKING CARE OF MY FINANCES.

I sort of succeeded and sort of failed at this resolution. Fail: I spent way too much money in 2018. Success: I started tracking how much I was spending and attempted budgeting. There’s still a long way to go, but I’m proud of myself for taking the first steps!

5. BE HAPPY.

This is a resolution/wish/goal I’ve had for several years. It’s not the best resolution because it’s vague, but honestly, I’ve been unhappy for so long that I felt like I needed to make it a resolution so I could work on it. 2018 gave me a wild ride emotionally. Because of resolution #1, I was constantly overthinking and I hit new low points. But that led to realizations, growth, and newfound strength. It’s not perfect, but I would say I’ve become a little happier now. I’m trying to make the best out of enjoying where I am now and things really picked up at the end of 2018 so now I’m excited to see how much more I can do this year.

So that was a not-so-brief review, but now onto my 2019 resolutions!

1. GET BACK INTO READING.

I got so excited when some new books came in the mail at the beginning of last year because I assumed I’d be devouring them while I was on bedrest, but turns out I ended up binge-watching shows instead. Reading more was constantly on my mind all last year, so now it’s a resolution. The goal is to read at least one book a month since I currently have 2 jobs and might pick up a third this year, so fingers crossed I still have time to get lost in some stories this year!

2. BE MORE PRODUCTIVE.

This is honestly going to be a hard one because although I’ve been a busy bee since high school (~7 clubs in HS, several clubs, student ambassador, board member, and jobs in college), I’m actually a really lazy person. I also have really inconsistent bursts of motivation, so it gets hard to keep up with things sometimes.

However, I’ve realized over the years that when I’m not busy, I’m easily depressed (I briefly talk about my emotional health here). Being busy isn’t the best way to deal with your mental health, but since I started working and interning among other things, my mood started improving. It might be because I feel like I have a purpose or sense of direction again so I want to keep that momentum going. I also want to work on being productive instead of just busy. I hope to keep working at my jobs, to get back to blogging, and be more active.

3. CONTINUE WORKING ON MY FINANCES.

Although I’m proud of tracking my finances, I haven’t gotten a hold on my spending habits just yet. This year, I want to buy less and save more. Hopefully I can level up my money skills and have a nice amount saved up by the end of this year! The plan is to try to keep to my (very low) budget as much as I can!

4. PRIORITIZE MY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH.

I’ve always struggled emotionally and physically, but I don’t want to be “weak” anymore. I want to work on my emotions and become a healthier person from the inside out. I’m still going to physical therapy, and I also need to fix my sleeping habits, drink more water, eat healthier, and exercise. Of course, I don’t plan on changing everything right away but I’ll try to tackle each of these throughout the year. Since I don’t really have anyone else to focus on these days, this means I can be selfish with my time and use it on myself. I don’t expect to accomplish everything, but I just hope I can be healthier this year.

5. PURSUE CREATIVE PROJECTS.

I set this as a resolution in 2017, but didn’t follow through on it. Creative projects have always been put on the back burner even though I love all types of art. This year, I want to focus on creativity through my blog, writing poetry, photography, music, drawing, and crafts. As long as I’m making time for creativity, I’ll feel like I’m accomplishing this resolution.

So those are the things I want to work on in 2019! It somehow turned into a laundry list, but I’ll try my best to take everything one step at a time and make a plan for each of these resolutions. Out of everything, I’ll probably focus on reading more, sleeping more, being more active, and being more creative.

If you made it to the end, thanks for reading and let me know what your resolutions are! It’s good to be back; I’ll see you lovelies soon!

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