The R-Word

Halfway through January and some of y’all are probably thinking, “to hell with these resolutions!” There are a ton of people out there who hate that R-word because they feel like they don’t need to fall into the “new year, new me” hype. Which is valid since you are capable to make a change or commitment at any time during the year.

I understand the resistance to the R-word because it is related to the possibility of failure. We relate that to the concept that we are not good enough. That fact is never easy to swallow. Fortunately, failure is not a negative thing. It is a necessity. It helps us grow and improve. It gives us a deep insight to who we are. It brings us humility and teaches us how to cope with difficulties.

Part of our humanity is making mistakes and in doing so, we will get sidetracked from these resolutions. This is normal and okay as long as we are making progress. For a lot of people the new year just feels like a new slate, it is a point you can check your progress against. Don’t give up on yourself. Making changes (that matter) are hard. In order to succeed we will have to fail along the way to know how to get it right.

I make some resolutions because I like having a goal to work towards. Just as an example, I made a resolution about 4 years ago to be more fearless. And today I can say that this has become not just a goal I reached. It has embedded itself in my lifestyle.

Be More Productive

It’s not that I think I was unproductive last year…I just feel like I can do better. So, this year, I have decided to use different tools and come up with an organizational system that works for me. Not only do I have a planner, but I have a satellite bullet journal to go with it!

Improve My Handwriting & Lettering Skills

I think this started unconsciously last year as I am preparing for my wedding. I want to add some personal touches by handwriting certain things, like name cards and thank you notes, so I started practicing. This year I am making a real commitment to up my penmanship! Plus it's a pretty handy skill to have.

Blog More Seriously

I blog because I feel like I have creative content to share. It has become my outlet to express myself and get my voice out into the world. At first I didn’t fully commit to the work because I didn’t know how I could balance this with the rest of my life. But here I am a couple years later and I have realized that this is something I have enjoyed and something I was to continue and make more of a priority.

Change My Financial Plan To Fit My New Life

With getting married comes a whole new way of adulting. As the product of 2 accountant parents, I am anxious about my finances. This year I would like to create a new plan that can comfortably accommodate my new expenses, gives me a chance to travel once a year, and allows me to stockpile some cash!

These are the things am committing myself to as of January 2017. As the year goes on, I will likely add to these. I will probably get off track as well! But you bet your ass I will be fighting to keep with it!

What ever your R's are, stick to it and GOOD LUCK!