Year In Review: 2017

Anyone else like me and really struggle to make a New Year’s resolution goal? There is the weight loss driven goal, the career-driven goal, the organization driven goal, the quality time driven goal, I mean the list literally goes on and on…

I remember my first New Year’s resolution, at the age of 14 I gave up soda for an entire year. I remember taking 1 sip of Dr. Pepper during that year in one of my friend’s basements and feeling a sense of guilt. WHAT HAD I DONE!? I was the one who committed, why did I waver? I was anxious and disappointed in myself for quite a few days... but let’s be serious here guys… it was just a sip of Dr. Pepper.

A few years later as a sophomore in college I took the “new year, new me” path and committed 365 days to change my eating habits and my workout habits. That one actually stuck! Almost 6 years later I still workout 5 or 6 days a week, eat foods that fuel my body well, and take time to focus on overall wellness. I would consider that, a New Year win!

 But the older I get the more I struggle to commit to something. I don’t need to lose any weight, I manage my time well, have a great career, enjoy my free time, am well-traveled, and am actively seeking a stronger relationship with Christ. Is there debt I would like to pay down quicker, SURE! Do I think that is worth the 365-day commitment, no.

With every passing year, the struggle to decide on one New Year’s resolution gets more difficult and more difficult.

This year, I’m taking a different approach to my New Year’s Resolution and for the first time in my life, I am screaming “ENCORE” to 2017! My goal for 2018 is to continue the course I have chosen in 2017.

Here is what I chose for 2017:

1.       I chose to invest in myself.

2.       I chose to not complain about my job.

3.       I chose to not ask for a raise, bonus, or anything money related and appreciate what I have.

4.       I chose to live within my means.

5.       I chose to take care of my health.

6.       I chose to accept that I am not ready for a committed relationship.

7.       I chose to sleep when I needed rest.

8.       I chose to remember that at any second my life could end.

9.       I chose to live like I was terminal… because technically, I am.

10.   I chose to walk away from conversations that didn’t pertain to me.

11.   I chose to filter my coffee and not my feelings.

12.   I chose to respect my own time.

13.   I chose to talk less and listen more.

14.   I chose to learn with the intent to grow.

15.   I chose to not overwork myself.

16.   I chose to set boundaries in both my work and my personal life.

17.   I chose to say no when I am feeling exhausted.

18.   I chose to drink less vodka and more tea.

19.   I chose to prepare for the future but not panic.

20.   I chose to see small wins.

21.   I chose to remain confident in my purpose.

22.   I chose to live with a mission.

23.   I chose to budget and pay bills on time.

24.   I chose to buy the plane ticket.

25.   I chose to acknowledge that mountains are being moved every day.

26.   I chose to remember that God’s purpose for me may have nothing to do with me.

27.   I chose to look for the bright side, always.

28.   I chose to have the hard conversations.

29.   I chose to stop taking life so seriously.

30.   I chose to not take business personally.

31.   I chose to learn things that didn’t pertain to my specific job.

32.   I chose to speak up even if my voice quivers.

33.   I chose to be a millennial and own it. (whatever that really means)

34.   I chose to ask for what I needed.

35.   I chose to let people go.

36.   I chose to reach out to people I hadn’t spoken to in years.

37.   I chose to be forward in my faith.

38.   I chose to make friends who are growing in the same direction.

39.   I chose to get up early and watch the sunrise.

40.   I chose to enjoy my work.

41.   I chose to love deeper.

42.   I chose to read more books and fewer magazines. 

43.   I chose to stay focused on the way I chose to live my life.

But let's be real here,

None of these things came naturally to me. Every day over the last year, I woke up and chose to live differently, to work differently, to love differently, to take care differently, and to pursue a life with purpose outside my physical realm.

When it comes to 2017 I feel like I just trained for my first half marathon. Taking the small incremental jumps, the required rest time, and following a specific plan to reach a goal. There were days when I didn’t want to run, days when I forgot why I started, and days when I blatantly ignored the end goal. But, just like every good training program, you pick up where you left off and keep moving. Our lives require just as much grace as they do grit.

2017, thank you for your patience and constant gravity towards a better quality of life. You’ve been filled with the most amazing revelations, experiences, and people. Consider your goal met.

2018, in aspirations of another standing ovation, for the same drive, passion, and focus that has been brought to me this year. But most importantly that we will remember things do not happen to us, we happen to things.