We are eleven days into the New Year, and I figured that it’s better late than never to gather up some resolutions and goals to start off the year right! Two thousand twelve was an amazing year and it is so fun to look back and reflect on last year’s events! So many amazing opportunities were presented to me and I continue to appreciate and cherish each and every one. I know that two thousand thirteen will be just as wonderful. Some people may express that the moment you graduate from high school that your life has just begun. However, as I ventured to college and now approaching graduation, I beg to differ. I feel that my life, my career and my future are all just beginning and I have so much I want to accomplish and so much to look forward to. Some of my goals for this year are short and simple, and then some are more detailed and strenuous. My list is broad, and ranges from organizational tasks, improving personal flaws, increasing my physical activity, learning to relax with a bit more “Me” time without feeling guilty and being more attentive to my friends and family. In the end, all of my 2013 goals have the same theme and eventually, when accomplished, they will have the same end result which is to become a stronger person physically, mentally & emotionally. I will continue to strive to become a more compassionate, focused, driven, humble, sensitive, enthusiastic, ambitious, flexible, understanding, inspired, appreciative individual from the inside…… out.
No. 1 | Organize on and off the computer. My goal is to organize my computer so that it makes searching for school, blog, photography and personal stuff much easier and less time consuming.
No. 2 | Have more patience. Something that I know I need to learn this year is that patience is a virtue and good things come to people who wait (and work hard).
No. 3 | Enjoy more breakfast in bed. One of my all time favorite feelings in the world is waking up early just to enjoy coffee and breakfast in bed. There is something about the morning time that just gets me. It could be the morning sunrise, the birds chirping or the silence in the house that starts my day off just right.
No. 4 | Stop working after 7pm. Running both sites (blog+kapture) and being a student my life revolves around the computer. NO JOKE. Whether it be writing a paper for Art History, Editing photos from a shoot or putting together a blog post I am ALWAYS on the computer. You could say that “multi-tasking” is my middle name. Most nights I am eating dinner, watching TV, editing photos, blogging and responding to emails all at the same time (yes, it is physically possible). One of my biggest goals this year is to learn to unplug at night and to be more productive during the day.
No. 5 | Host more Dinner Parties + Game Nights. I love to entertain… it’s definitely something I inherited from my mom who inherited it from my grandma & grandpa. The gift of entertaining runs in my family and it is a trait that I’m glad I learned to execute. It just runs in the family… but I’m not complaining. Ever since I have turned twenty one, going out has been a blast I have fully enjoyed the life of a 21-year-old. But, it never ceases to amaze me at how a simple dinner party or BOYD (Bring your own dessert (or drink)) game night can be just as fun as popular clubs or the local bars.
No. 6 | Stay Inspired. The past few months I kind of hit a lull in blogging. It wasn’t that I was over it, life became stressful and too much to handle. Maintaining the blog became a chore instead of something I love to do. Since I’ve been home, I happily rekindled that love and passion that I always felt. Staying inspired, keeping a journal and planning for the future is one way I intend to avoid another rut.
No. 7 | Train for half marathon. Okay so this one is a littttttle bit out of a reach. I HATE running like HATE running, but this is a bucket list kind-of-thing and I figured I should well do it while I’m young. If I can’t do the whole 13 mile thing….. I suppose a 5k would suffice.
No. 8 | Send snail mail + packages. The best surprise in the world is unexpected mail. Because of the tech world that we live in today, writing a letter, thank you note or happy birthday card is almost unheard of. I mean who am I to say people don’t do it, but now it seems that everything is written and conveyed through Facebook and Email. Call me old fashioned but I like the anticipation that build just before you open a box or envelope… you just don’t get the same feeling when reading something on your FB wall or in an email. My goal of the year is to be on top of birthday’s without a Facebook reminder, to write “just because notes” and to send little unexpected packages.
No. 9 | Work hard. Since I was a fifth grader, the quote, “wishing will not bring success, but planning, persistence and a burning desire will” has been engraved into my memory not only by my mom but by my grandpa. In all honesty, in the fifth grade I didn’t even know what half of the words meant letalone pronounce them correctly. This meaningful quote has stuck with me throughout high school, college and will continue to stay with me in whatever I choose to do after I graduate and it will be passed down to my kids someday as well. If you love and enjoy what you do on a daily basis and choose a profession and career that inspires and motivates you, then work…… will not be work.
No. 10 | Be grateful. As I’ve become older, I have learned to appreciate the small things in life and the opportunities that have been presented to me. I am thankful for the people who work hard and continually make selfless sacrifices and it motivates me to want to do more, become a better person & role model and to be a leader by example. I admit to being an irrational brat sometimes and getting caught up in materialistic things but then I remember that it’s important to never let the things I want, overpower the things that I am absolutely grateful that I already have including family, friends, work that I love & my health!