I love a fresh start to the year.
I really, really do.
I love a fresh start to a month. A week. Even a new day.
I feel like we get 365 chances, or 366 this year, to just... GSD.
And that's exactly what I plan to do.
I'm 31. I feel like I finally get it. Well, more than I did at 30. And a hell of a lot more than I did at 29. Or 28.
But still, there's so much to learn. With every day, I feel like I have some type of epiphany.
I DO love Labradoodles! Tofu is delicious! I like biking outdoors! So that's the secret to (fill-in-the-blank). If you book 2 months out you can eat at Al's Place!
When I was younger (no this isn't a "back in my 20's" moment but when I was actually a young human), I was obsessed with back-to-school shopping. For school supplies. I literally set a date for when my mom and I would go to Office Depot or whatever office supply store it was to get new notebooks, pens, binders, pencils. I love the start of a new school year. That feeling you get when you crack open a new notebook. THE SMELL OF POSSIBILITY PEOPLE.
Ain't nothing like it.
So to pay the proper respect to the year we just bid adieu to (later, 2015), let's re-visit the To-Do list I created at this time last year and see how it went.
1) Continue my twice-weekly yoga practice and progress that practice to include a tri-pod headstand.
Um, there's a big, fat, fail. I think I went, on average, once a week. Better than previous years, but I'm no closer to doing a tri-pod headstand than I was in 2014. Yoga just... ain't my thing.
2) COOK! Try one new recipe in the kitchen a week.
NAILED IT. I even went vegan. Wait, have I mentioned that? Seriously?
3) Break 1:50 in a half-marathon.
Nope. I focused on the exercise I wanted to do. Which was SoulCycle. And Bar Method.
4) Stick to a budget and SAVE MONEY
I mean, I wanted to. I tried. I succeeded a little bit. It's HAPPENING THIS YEAR. Day 6 and I'm off to a great start. (Rag + Bone sale you will not sway me.)
5) Travel.
2015 was the year of work travel: New York, London, Boston, Atlanta, Vancouver, New York, Miami... and a trip to Maui for some play. 2016 we're starting off with a Hawaiian vacation and I'm hoping to hit some new locations as well towards the end of the year.
6) Live Authentically. Be happy.
I feel like I did this. I did ME. I took risks, I went outside my comfort zone, and I lived each day optimistically and happy. Relationships are wonderful. Friends are wonderful. Family is amazing. As in any year, there were ups and downs. Highs and lows. Thankfully the ups and highs outweighed the downs and lows. But that's life. Progress, not perfection.
And now, we look ahead.
Rather than a list, this year, I want to commit to a pair of words.
CONNECTION.
I want to deepen the connection in my existing relationships, connect with new people, brands, opportunities, and communities. Connect with new ideas, initiatives, and workouts.
POSSIBILITY.
Take risks, live in a world of possibility rather than in a space where failure is feared. To go outside my comfort zone whenever possible. To try new things. To make mistakes. To really go for it. To see what I can create.
So there we go. 2016 in a nutshell.
Connection + Possibility.
I can't wait to tackle the next 300-something days.
Tell me how you're going to make this year amazing.