It’s that time of year. The time of year where everyone is talking about what grandiose resolutions they are going to make in the coming year. Personally, I have never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions. Maybe it is because they are often forgotten about by February, or maybe it is because if I break them, I feel like the whole year is shot. Case-in-point: I had a resolution to run five days a week, well, in the third week of January I didn’t, so I might as well blow that off for the rest of the entire year. FML.

Anyhow, what I am a big fan of is setting goals for the year and working towards them little by little. This idea is focused on loving yourself and trying to continuously be the best version of YOU in the present moment.

As I sat down to come up with my 2017 goals, I thought what better way to stay accountable than memorialize them on the interwebs. So world, here you have them:

1. Practice mindfulness. A little over a year ago I was first introduced to mindfulness in a Mindful Leadership class I was taking for my MBA. This past June, I traveled to Switzerland to continue my studies in mindfulness and leadership. I have to tell you, out of all the classes I completed in my MBA, these had the most lasting impact. To some, mindfulness might sound like some hippy b.s. where you sit around and chant with your legs in a contorted position. This isn’t true at all. I’ll be doing a blog post specifically on this subject in the next month, but in the meantime, you can learn a little about mindfulness here. Don’t be scared.
2. Move everyday. These next two goals may be cliché, but they are important. When you sit behind a desk for 40+ hours a week, it can be hard to get motivated to go to the gym or a run after work. Even though it is proven that sitting behind a desk for that many hours is worse than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, we still do it. Why? Because we love our work, but it doesn’t mean that it has to imprison us in a life of pain and bad health. In 2017, I vow to move every. single. day. Whether it is playing fetch with the dogs, snowboarding, lifting weights, running 10 miles, or walking home from the bar on the weekends (kidding… kind of), it is going to be my top priority.
3. Eat real food. Although it sounds simple, what is really simple is getting sucked into making or ordering crappy food when you are tired or rushed for time. I am not going to let this be an excuse. I know that when I eat real food, I feel better and those feel goods turn into a chain reaction of healthy habits. Of course, there will be the occasional ramen or neon orange mac and cheese when backpacking, but other than vacations or special occasions, nutrient rich meat, vegetables, and fruits will be the cornerstone of my cooking adventures. Check out some of the recipes here.
4. Find creative outlets to express myself. Blogging. Cooking. Photographing. Ceramicing (is that a word?). Drawing. These are all things that have taken a back burner as I finished my MBA and got settled into our new house this year. I am totally fine with that, but now that those milestones are behind me, I want to focus more on these things that bring me so much joy. In the new year, I will be showing weekly love to this little blog, creating a new recipe at least every other week, and picking up the camera, clay, and pencils again.
5. Put down the phone. Do you ever get a sense of anxiety when you are surfing the web or social media networks on your phone? I do. Back and forth from one to the other I go with a sense that I might miss something super important. The truth is, what I am really missing is what is happening right in front of me right now. It might be the dog that wants a belly rub, the sunset that is lighting up the sky, or my boyfriend who just wants to talk about his day. Sorry, phone. You are going to be my last priority in 2017.

Those are my goals for another awesome year living the dream. What are some of your goals to make 2017 one of the best years yet? Comment below. We got this!