Resolutions have never worked in my 29 years of life. Maybe that is the #1 thing to learn in 2017.
I much rather come up with a word to define my coming year or create a list of things to do. I am good with lists. They were the only way I could tackle the workload of university.
This year I have come up with a list of things I want to learn and make them a priority rather than sweeping and general goals like lose weight or eat better without any plan for achievement.
Looking back to 2016 it started with a long list of wedding planning to-dos. I am free of any and all things wedding finally! Now I can focus on real everyday life.
Share some of your goals or things you want to learn in 2017!
10. Keep a schedule
I am terrible with keeping my time organized. Too often I end up getting sucked in to a mindless television show or even the Facebook feed on my phone. Before I know it, 15-60 minutes have evaporated from my day. This past Christmas season I took a second job to keep me preoccupied as my husband worked 5-12 days away from home. It proved to me that I have the time and energy to work out at least 2 hours per evening and leave some room for writing and relaxation too. If I can work 5 hours per evening after my primary job during the day then I really have no excuse to get the things I want to learn or do done.
9. Overcome my fear of writing
You might question what the hell I mean by this one…
“A fear of writing? But you write all the time for this blog!” you might say. I write all the time for my website, it’s true. However, I notice that when it comes time to write that novel I’ve been cooking up in my head for nearly a year I freeze. I become overwhelmed thinking about the editing process, the fear of rejection and whether or not it is worth my time. Before I know it I’ve given up on my project before I have even begun. These excuses amount to a fear of failure.
I’ve spent 6 years writing for this website yet I can’t donate 1 year to finishing a novel. This year I plan to change that. What are you afraid of achieving?
8. Make time for reading
Of all my family members I am the best at being unplugged. I want to push myself even further. I waste too much time (15-30 minutes) reading BS Facebook posts, watching goofy animal videos, scrolling through my Instagram feed all before bed. This is quality reading time I am missing out on. To be a writer you have to read and I need to make more time for it. I’ve set a goal of 15 books this year but I hope to exceed that number.
7. Manage money
Living in Kelowna we have no shortage of restaurants or bars to visit each weekend. We love to go out but we need to scale it back. City living isn’t cheap. Many of our high school friends ended up moving back to their respective small town because it was cheaper to live there. We just can’t leave the city. We love the range of things to do, an international airport only 30 minutes away and a movie theatre in the West, Central, East and North areas of the city. I can’t live without my multiplex cinemas! But to save money we need to go out less. I love to cook at home but with a husband who is away most of the evenings, when he comes home he wants to live it up a little. Now that he’s home working in town for good I am hoping to curtail those habits of ours.
6. Cook more
I’m planning on cooking my way through a few more cookbooks this year. Jamie Oliver’s Superfood Family Classics and Anthony Bourdain’s Appetites has me planning meals this month. This weekend I am attempting scotch eggs inspired by our food tour in London we experienced in September.
I also have some very specific dishes I want to tackle this year all listed on two of my Pinterest Boards..
Follow along by clicking the board images below.
To Cook features easier week day challenges while Culinary Learning Endeavours are more challenging recipes that may require a bit of planning and more prep.
5. Love your Province
Canada is turning 150 this year on July 1st. I want to explore more of my country so it looks like I won’t be jumping across the pond this year for my 30th birthday. With this low Canadian dollar it is the perfect time to explore home so instead of Switzerland it might be a surf trip to Tofino this year. Either way I’ll be learning more about my home nation and the province I hold so dearly in 2017.
4. Go old school & keep in touch with letters
One thing I learned after sending out my hand written Thank You notes for our wedding…people love to receive hand written letters. Even if my writing is terrible. Missing an aunt who is terrible with texting? Wish you kept in touch with a friend? Send a letter. E-mails and texts are so impersonal. A letter allows for them to read your thoughts during an isolated amount of time at their choosing unlike a phone call.
3. Waste less
This Christmas I got a juicer and already I have saved 2 bags of old carrots, 5 aging apples, 1 turning lime and 1 bag of cranberries I never did anything with. These would have all been tossed out but instead I juiced them for the next two days of breakfasts.
Figure out what you waste most.
Jamie Oliver has a detailed list of steps to take to reduce food waste including recipes that’ll help you save money!
2. Prepare
My husband and I are preparing for the next phase of our lives as we enter our 30s. We are thinking about moving in hopes of gaining a yard for our pup and my future garden. This means I have to learn to get rid of clutter. Coincidentally, after the wedding two important rooms in my house are now chaos…1) the workout room and 2) my office. This says a lot about where I am at with my physical health and writing situation right now. I need to declutter these spaces first and foremost before I can learn or proceed with many of these goals I listed above.
1. Move in ways that inspire
I hate working out but recently (before the wedding and the chaotic workout room) I learned to love running using Redrock’s Running App. I also learned to enjoy Tracy Anderson’s Metamorphosis workouts all year long until the pesky wedding week threw me off my game. Additionally, I also learned that I love to box and stand up paddle boarding. Knowing this I can better plan for my fitness in 2017. I stuck with doing the things I enjoyed and having an app and a measuring tape helped me track my progress so even if I didn’t physically see a change that week I knew that I increased my running capability by 10 minutes or ran faster and longer.
But I have to be real with myself. I stopped at the end of 2016. I only kept up my fitness routine for 7 months. It all fell apart after the wedding when I knew I could finally relax. Then the left over decor began to overrun my workout room, we left for the honeymoon then suddenly Las Vegas and Christmas rolled around. Ensuring that I protect the spaces that are reserved for me and my goals then I can go the distance.
These learning endeavours might not be earth shattering or uniquely profound but in writing them down it helps you see what you value everyday and why you left them fall to the wayside come February. Write them down and revisit your learning goals often. Figure out what inspires you and your 2017 will be banner!