2015!

It's a new year! After a very low key New Years Eve spent watching The Vampire Diaries with one of my closest friends and way too much food, I welcomed 2015 with Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve and a glass of sparkling wine. My new year began in a completely different way as 2014 began and it just felt right.

The promise of a new year always excites me. For certain reasons I'm not a big fan of resolutions, but I do love setting goals. Maybe most people see those being the same thing but I don't. Although I love setting goals all year round and don't find it necessary to wait until the start of a year to change parts of my life, I do find it prime time for assessments. So much can happen and change in a years time. 2014 wasn't a jam packed year for me, but looking back did reveal more than I expected. I look forward to seeing what 2015 holds.

I'm sure if I looked back at my goals for 2014, this list would have some overlaps. This is what I like about goals instead of resolutions. Goals do not have to be reached in a certain amount of time. They can be larger, less specific ideas you wish to fulfill. Goals focus more on achievements rather than being negative about the life you're currently living. Goals can be anything you want them to be, endless possibilities.

• Nail down a career direction and specific steps to help get me there
• Make more friends and talk to people more often
• Be nicer
• Make more money (make it happen!)
• Be active every day
• Stop worrying about so much of my life and let it happen
• Enjoy nature, explore, marvel in it
• Push myself to create
• Make more to-do lists (and stick to them)
• Blog at least once a week
• Photograph more, maybe partner with someone to find a way to develop skills
• Find a mentor (possibly a life coach?)
• Write in my journal more often
• Don't watch or read anything I'm not feeling invested or interested in
• Focus on one thing at a time, don't interrupt the task at hand to start something new (at least when it comes to personal time. For example reading part of a page and then stopping to start a TV show and then stopping after 10 minutes to watch a Youtube video. This has seriously gotten to be my worst habit.)

Hopefully this list of goals will help guide me through next year in a positive and healthy way. When I'm feeling out of sorts I can always come back here to get myself back on track. Happy 2015!!

Are you a resolution and/or goal maker? What was on your list this year?

-S