New Year's Resolution 2022
Phew. What a year 2021 has been.
This year brought a lot of change - we started the year living with my gramma, Andrew got a job offer in San Diego and we ended up moving, I left my job and started a new, mostly remote position in our new city, and of course, the most important thing, we got engaged! It’s wild to think we were able to pack so much into the past 12 months, and as 2021 comes to a close, this is my chance to look back and reflect on it all.
My 4th blog post when I started this blog in 2016 was my New Year’s resolution. Going into 2017, I decided to brand the upcoming year, “The Year for Me”. I wanted to focus on myself and really dig into the person I wanted to be, the activities I wanted to pursue, the places I wanted to travel, all that good stuff. The next year, for 2018, I wanted to make it my “Year of Experiences”. That meant traveling more, spending more time with the people most important to me, and creating wonderful memories. When 2019 rolled around, I decided to try and make it my “Year of Self-Worth”. Maybe not the resolution that has sat with me the longest, but that’s OK. For 2020, that was my “Year of Ambition”. The pandemic sort of threw a wrench in that, but I did what I could with what I had available to me. I was more ambitious when it came to writing more, reading more, and dedicating time to my blog.
With all those years of resolutions behind me, I started 2021 with a plan. I was going to make it my “Year of Happiness”, inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s book The Happiness Project. and the desire to kick 2020 to the curb. I had dedicated each month of the year to a new resolution and focus. My hope was that I would constantly be striving each month to be happier by tackling different facets of my life. Now that the year is over, I’m trying to figure out if it worked. If I came out the other side a happier person.
There were definitely days that I can say, I was so incredibly happy. But then there were also chunks of time when I was anything but. I think with so many moving parts this year, so many changes that happened in my life, sometimes I felt like my focus was everywhere except on my resolution. But that’s just life I suppose. Not every day is going to be absolutely fantastic, and not everyday I can be solely focused on my New Year’s resolution, you know? So, at the end of the day, at the end of the year, I can say that I worked really hard to achieve happiness and there were definitely plenty of moments that I found it. I’m proud of myself for putting my happiness as a priority for 2021 and constantly thinking about ways I could boost my mood and mental health.
Some of my favorite resolutions from 2021 were:
Utilize my planner - January
This has been so integral for me this year. This has been a great visual tool to keep myself organized.
Clean out my closets - January
Time after time, I find myself revisiting the same pieces of clothing. This was a great purge moment, and a time when I could really assess what I needed and what I still wanted in my closet.
Try new make-up and hair styles - March
While I didn’t get to do this resolution as much, I think this is a great goal to continue to strive for. If anything, maybe I’ll get better at it and it can make me feel good about myself.
Start each day with three things I like about myself - March
Well, this one I should’ve continued for sure. There’s nothing like positive affirmations with yourself to ignite self-esteem.
Spend less time on my phone - April
Yes, yes, yes. I notice a clear difference in how I feel before I look at my phone and after. Hoping to continue this one.
Support small businesses - June
So important, especially now. The pandemic rocked a lot of small businesses and owners, and supporting small, local businesses is the least I can do.
Collect items for a food bank - June
This just made me feel really, really good.
Write letters to friends - July
Living away from so many friends and family, I strive for connections with them. This is an activity that I would love to continue.
Put myself in situations to meet new people - July
This resolution was one of the most fun, because I participated in a meet-up in LA and had a great time. It can feel hard to make new friends as you get older, and while I’m nowhere near making new friends in California, it’s something I can continue to work on.
Try one new bake a week - September
My love of baking has grown in the past year. Challenging myself with new bakes is fun and rewarding, so I know this will continue.
Hear more family stories - October
I’m very close with my family, but there’s plenty I don’t know about their lives and pasts. This was a very fulfilling resolution.
Participate in NaNoWriMo - November
This was my second year participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and is one of the most challenging things I’ve tackled lately. Definitely going to keep trying with this one.
If you’ve made it this far into my blog post, firstly, thank you. I appreciate it. Secondly, you may be wondering what my New Year’s resolution for 2022 will be. Well…
My resolution for 2022 is to make it my “Year of Mindfulness”.
I think, like most people, the last two years have done a number on my mental health. We kicked off 2020 with the start of the pandemic, and while some positive strides have been made, we didn’t get out of the woods completely in 2021. Personally, in that time, I’ve noticed a backslide in my mental health, anxiety, and stress. It’s been incredibly tough on me, and there have been plenty of moments of sadness, frustration, and anger. But I know that the only way to make myself feel better is to make a concerted effort on better myself and my mindset. Focusing on mindfulness is all about being intentional with my actions and thoughts, to work towards a positive and clear mind.
I already know that 2022 is going to be a busy one. We have some trips planned and oh yeah, we’re planning a wedding! So for me, it is absolutely integral that I keep my mental health strong and my stress levels from absolutely combusting (which has been known to happen a time or two). Some ways that I’m going to make 2022 my “Year of Mindfulness” are:
Try meditation
Find a new therapist and go back to therapy
Maintain a regular fitness schedule
Do things that make me happy - baking, writing, making videos, etc.
Work on positive affirmations and daily mindsets
Steer clear of things that make me upset (ex: excessive social media, clickbait headlines)
Take pointed moments for self care
Surround myself with supportive, inspiring, and kind people
If you’d like a visual of my past year, check out my latest video, one that I thoroughly enjoy making each year.
Below are some snapshots from the past year.
