Finding my way in the world and other adventures
 
2014 has come and gone in a flash — isn’t that always the way? Like Gretchen Rubin says, “The days are long but the years are short”. So true.

2014 was a good year.  Sure, there are definitely some goals that I didn’t hit, but overall it’s been a fun year. I feel like I’m settling more into being true to myself and overall I’m FAR less concerned about what people think of who that person is.  I’ve taken a few awesome trips, discovered the joy of learning how to balance on a slackline and even started teaching myself a few things about web design — a few of the many things accomplished during 2014 and only a fraction of things for which I am grateful.

And what’s on the docket for 2015?  You’ll notice that anything weight/fitness related is conspicuously absent from the list — it’s easy enough to say that I want to lose weight and get into shape, but I’m still not positive what form that will take, so I’ve decided to just leave my options open. But, that’s not going to stop me from making my annual list.  I mean, what would January 1st be without resolutions?

2015:  The Year of Growth

Meditate every day  I know.  I know!  I’m a little afraid to commit this idea to (virtual) paper, but it’s now been 17 days that I’ve done it (going through the program at headspace.com) and I’m strangely enjoying it.  I still don’t know exactly what benefit I’m getting out of the practice, but somewhere deep inside, I feel like this might be key to something important. If nothing else, it gives me a block of time to be mindful and relaxed and grateful.
Read 50 books  Upping my last year’s goal by 150% and would like to split it about evenly between fiction and non-fiction. Along with this — recording each book read on Goodreads.  I really love to be able to see exactly what books I’ve read and what I thought of them.
Go through all classes on codecademy.com  I just never make enough time for this but I really do want to learn these skills.  This is one of those hobbies that once I start doing it, time just flies. There’s something about creating and coding that gives me a confidence and pleasure that I don’t get in many other places.
Keep journaling daily — and read through the corresponding entry from a year ago  This is a continuation from last year; definitely something worth doing.
Teach old dogs new tricks  Gotta keep the dogs stimulated and mentally sharp, Clarke especially.  Belle gets a fair amount of physical exercise (we play fetch where I stand on the main floor of the house and throw the ball up to the 2nd floor loft), but Clarke is a lazy butt (and also seems to spend a lot of time all gimped up) and so learning new tricks is a great way to tire him out and keep him learning new stuff.
Digitize my life as much as possible  Bills, photos, any type of paperwork — it’s all about getting organized and removing clutter.  And can’t forget to also implement a backup scheme!
Complete the 30 Days of Writing online  Sarah Peck is starting a One Month of Writing Prompts — 750 words a day for a month — and I’m all signed up.  It’s free and I’m hoping that it gets me back into the habit of writing every day.  I avoid writing sometimes just because it’s hard … but I know (full well) that the more often I do it, the easier it becomes.  Funny how so many things in life are like this.
Focus on self-care — whole foods, good sleep, good sweat and practicing gratitude on a daily basis  I need to give more importance to my physical and emotional well-being.  If I can’t keep my eyes open, if I’m not getting fresh food and I’m not paying attention to the moments that happen every day to be thankful for, then I’m not being kind to the most important person in my life.