Time flies when you’re having fun, or so the old saying goes. And this year, it flew by in a snap it seemed — of course, once you get out of college, every year speeds by faster and faster. I imagine that when I’m 80, I’ll go down for a nap and wake up 2 years later, drool coming out of my mouth, hair sticking straight up in bedheaded righteousness and wondering when dinner is. Or if I missed the cocktails at happy hour.
But 2015, yea, it was a good one. Better than I’ve had in a long time, in fact. There were no featured vacations, but a few spontaneous trips with friends absolutely highlighted my year. No earth-shattering moments or big events, but life took on a sheen that made it glow (and no, nothing I own burned down or anything). It almost sounds boring — and it might be to some — but to me, it was most excellent. An enlightened attitude and the realization of how much I have to be grateful for really made these 12 months worth it.
Remember back about 363 days ago? I posted about my resolutions for the year? Want to take a look at how I fared? No? Well, this is my blog and you don’t get a vote, so yes, that’s what we’re going to do. Nyah nyah.
- Meditate every day This went … surprisingly well. I didn’t meditate every day. In fact, there were a couple of stretches of time when I didn’t at all, but it seems like I keep coming back to it when I feel the need to quiet my mind and gain some space and breathing room in my life. I’ve tried a few different methods but keep going back to the Headspace app. Andy and his awesome accent make me smile.
- Read 50 books Totally dominated this one. 66 books, 18,000+ pages and an average 3.7 rating on Goodreads. Yup. Rocked this one. And I might even get one more in before the end of the year. I’ve really enjoyed getting back to my first love; ever since I was little and trying to read after bedtime by using a flashlight under my covers I’ve coveted books and the immense joy they bring to my life. And, you should definitely be my friend on Goodreads. Just sayin’. All the cool people hang out there.
- Go through all classes on codecademy.com Never really got started on this full-force, but did bits and pieces. But, just a few weeks ago, I stumbled across a spectacular website — freecodecamp.com — which lays out 800 hours of training you need to become a web developer. They have not only tutorials to teach you, but homework and projects that need to be completed to put your new skills to use in a real-world way. I’m through the first module and on my first set of projects and I’m excited! They also have a pretty large following, so I’m going to be joining one of the study groups, too. I can be such a nerd sometimes.
- Keep journaling daily — and read through the corresponding entry from a year ago Still keeping the journal pretty religiously, though I don’t always take the time to look back on what I wrote before. I’ve tested out a few different types of journals and have one that I like and another that I can’t wait to get to — ones that incorporate things like goal-setting and calendars. Anyway, it’s fun buying myself gifts. I’m worth it, right?
- Teach old dogs new tricks *sigh* I miss Clarke. He passed away in June and the house has been quiet ever since. Belle’s enjoying being an only dog, but now that I don’t have two to wrangle, I’m less inclined to make her work and instead am spoiling her rotten. Yes, I’m a bad doggie owner, but she’s mostly pretty well-behaved. When she’s sleeping, at least.
- Digitize my life as much as possible Done! Well, mostly. Bills and stuff like that are scanned and then tossed and/or shredded. Photos are digital and I’m partly through scanning old photographs. And I even got a backup scheme in place — something that I evangelically preached but never implemented on a personal basis.
- Complete the 30 Days of Writing online I didn’t quite make the full month, but I did get into a better habit of writing on most days. So, there’s that?
- Focus on self-care — whole foods, good sleep, good sweat and practicing gratitude on a daily basis Self-care #FTW! All the elements don’t necessary come together at the same time and in the same way, but it’s all so much better than it used to be. Compassion for one’s self seems to be rare in today’s world, but its importance cannot be underestimated.
And that’s my 2015 in a nutshell. Or, rather, in a blog post. Whatev’s. How was your 2015? Any momentous occasions you want to brag about? Achievements that need a little shouting from the rooftops? Let me know!
Awesome