I've really never been one to make any New Years resolutions. I never thought of January being such a "turn around month". To me, that was September. Once summer was over it meant a new cycle of life. Lately, Ive been thinking about things a little differently. In some ways I've already started my resolutions. In light of the season, I decided to just create a whole list of goals I officially want to put into action.
With all of these new goals being put into action, I'm trying not to think about "change" in such a big way. I feel like that word scares people so much, or at least me. It has so much pressure behind it that the motivation starts to linger and the goal is completely lost. I'm not really trying to completely change myself either, I like who I am. So at this point, I'm just trying to be the best version of myself that I can be.
The overall goal for myself isn't to dramatically shift my daily routines to the point where I'm secluding myself of enjoyment. Also, when I try to shift things so much, I just end up reverting to my old ways. A little at a time can go a long way. The point of my goals is make my quality of life and happiness improve. Everyone is always on a journey to find their true purpose and to find what inspires them. In my journey, I hope to continue to do/find what I love and always inspire others in the process.
Make small changes for big impacts
In the process of thinking about my New Years resolutions, I took the time to write down each of them. Looking at a page of vague resolutions can seem a little overwhelming if you don't have a plan to how you're going to get there. Under each one, I wrote what small changes I can make that wasn't going to shock my everyday routines. When I did it this way, my goals didn't look as unreachable as I thought they were.
Hopefully, you can connect with some of my resolutions and make them your own. I've already started mine. No use waiting until tomorrow when I can just get started now. So far, so good.
My Resolutions
Becoming a morning person
This is probably on a lot of lists. Its such a common resolution. I'm not trying to wake up 3 hours before I already do. It's ridiculous and would never happen. Luckily, I don't have to be at work until 10. My mornings aren't as early as they need to be like everyone else. The earliest I wake up is usually 8. My goal is to start forming a habit of waking up at 7. When I have tried to do this in the past, I would hit the snooze button and just pass back out. Goal ruined. I have found a solution.
Method - Set my alarm for 7 and then throw my phone across the room. When it goes off in the morning, I'm forced to get up and find it to turn the alarm off. No point getting back into bed from there. Problem solved.
Drink more water
Drinking more water is something I've already gotten started on. I'm drinking about 20 more ounces then I usually do and I'm already seeing the benefits. I'm constantly battling dry, cracked lips. It's gross and doesn't look cute. In the past few days, I noticed my lips and skin have been more supple then usual. I don't need as much face moisturizer and I'm not applying my Chapstick obsessively. As far as my energy, I've been under the weather with a sore through so naturally I've been exhausted. I haven't seen an improvement in that yet but I'm sure I will soon since I've increased my water intake.
Meal preparation
As annoying as it is for some people to hear, I have trouble keeping on weight. I'm so tiny and have easily lost 5 lbs within a week. Missing meals is terrible for me, especially when I'm not getting all the proper nutrition that I need. Prepping a few more meals and puttng my fruits and veggie in separate containers a few days a week is all I need to stay on track.
Try new recipes
1,700 pins later, I have enough Pinterest recipes to feed myself for 5 months without having anything twice. I thinks its time I actually put them to use. Not that I have never made anything I've pinned, I just want to step it up and enjoy all that food I drool over.
Getting organized
This is another resolution that has already taken affect. I recently read a book that changed the way I do things. I was never one clean or be organized. I was that kid in school who opened up their binder and dozens of papers fell on the floor. I heard about this book a while ago and I finally made the decision to buy it. One of the best things I've done. I thought that it would just be about how to organize and arrange your belongings to make your life easier. It was so much more then that. The author makes an effort to reach into the reasons why you're holding onto so many things you actually don't need. She helps you let go of old energies that no longer serve you any happiness. She helps clear your mind and makes you feel more at peace in the space your in. After I read it, I went on a rampage to get rid of things I never thought I would let go of in years. My room has actually stayed organized and as the new year comes I intend to organize even more so I can enjoy life and not drown in the unnecessary items that are cluttering my space.
Book - "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo
Being clean
This is a little different than being organized. Not that I'm dirty, but I've spilled a thing or two in my room. This week I learned my lesson. Since I've been more organized, I thought it would be nice to make room decor more to my liking. I decide to go out and purchase white bedsheets for a brighter feel. The next day, I put my peanut butter shake on my bedside table. I go to pick it up, drop it and it spills all over my brand new white sheets.
Solution - Never bringing food into my room ever again
Improve work life
I love what I do. Being a hairdresser and having the ability to create and make people feel great about themselves is very rewarding. Sometimes I feel seeing so many different people a week gets me confused on who's who. Most of the time, hairdressers cant remember who you are by name. They will recognize you once they see your face, but the name kind of just goes out the window. I want to start having more of a personal connection with my clientele so that they each feel special, not just that they're apart of the salon assembly line. I would also like to gain 5 new clients a month. This can be done easily by handing out my cards more and making the effort to make connections with people.
Keep track of my money
I used to have a bad habit of just throwing my tips into my bag and letting them build up in there. Carrying around hundreds of dollars (in 20's, 5's and10's) isn't really the smartest things to do. I've made a habit of putting all my tips into a safe place at home and tracking the amount of each day in a journal so I know how much I'm making. I figure I'm getting to that age where I need to know a thing or two about money.
Keep track of myself
Taking care of yourself is so important and yet we forget to do it sometimes. Doing little things like putting in a hair mask once a week and making sure I never forget to exfoliate are small things that usually make me feel a lot better.
Blog more
Blogging is something that I really enjoy doing. I don't know who actually reads these posts, but it's fun to think that someone out there is getting some enjoyment out of it. That is my goal, to share the happiness.
Create and Experience
For 2016, I wish to experience new journeys and create new inspirations. Lately, I've been living life on the more routine side. When opportunities have shown themselves, I haven't taken them, whether it be big or small. It's time that I start getting back into my groove and enjoying what life has to offer in the little time we are given. In this time, I hope to inspire anyone I can along the way and share any happiness I may receive.
I really believe that each of these resolutions can be easily achieved with minimal effort. Hopefully, I've inspired you to take a journey to find your happiness and share it with others in the process.
Happy 2016!
