SIX INTENTIONS...

We are already 18 days into the new year, so it's perfectly acceptable to still be thinking about goals for the year right?? Well I've been thinking and here is what I've come up with regarding my thoughts on 2017. I'm not making any official resolutions. I'm not going to come up with a "word" for the year. I'm barely wanting to make any official goals. All of those things are great things to do, but I'm just not into that this year. Last year was incredibly challenging and full of so much change. Change is good, but quite honestly I'm exhausted from so much of it. However, I know that change is always good. I learned a lot of new things about life and about myself. And in ways, I feel like I became a somewhat of a different person - a better one. I'm more relaxed in many ways, I'm more willing to just go with the flow, and am really coming to a place where I'm secure with my imperfections and comfortable with who I am. So this year, I'm not putting any pressure on myself to make any one specific CHANGE or word happen. Of course I want to do things like maintain my health, continue to grow as a person, learn new things, etc. But those are goals that I have every single day.

But I wouldn't be human if I didn't have a list of things that I wanted to accomplish outside of my everyday goals. So this year decided to come up with a simple list of "intentions" - kind of like a to-do list of sorts. They are simply things that I intend to do this year. They are simple and might not seem super exciting, but that's ok. If they happen - fabulous. If they don't happen, well that's fabulous, too. No pressure - because I think it's the pressure that we put on ourselves that can sometimes keep things from happening. Here goes...

1. Update this blog. - It's very long overdue, I know. My life has changed a lot since I first started this blog and even since the last re-design, so I'm really thinking about the future direction of this blog and how the new design will reflect that. That's honestly been the holdup...  One thing I know for sure is that no matter what, the new design will have a peaceful, clean aesthetic, and will be easy to navigate. That's what I love and what I think most of you appreciate, too. Any feedback on what types of content you would like to see more of here would be a big help in the process, so let me know!

2. Start doing yoga consistently - at home. Pilates and long walks are my favorite workouts, but it's always good to mix things up. One thing that I've learned about myself is that attending a 1 hr workout class for anything here in the city can take about 2 or more hours of time to do when you include getting ready, traffic, parking, etc... That is enough time to talk myself out of going to do something new. Yoga is something I've started doing at home, usually at night before bed, and I want to get more intentional and consistent with it this year. I'm liking this YouTube channel, but let me know if you have any favorites!

3. Update my kitchen. If there was a bed in my kitchen, I might sleep in there a few nights a week. That's just how much time I spend in there. Since I'm quite acquainted with my kitchen - and will be a lot going forward - then I want some nice non-builder grade stuff ya know? No oak cabinets, no boring backsplash, no faux granite countertops, no poor lighting, no poor storage, etc. I just got an AMAZING dishwasher, so just that alone has me excited to update everything else. If you've been reading my blog for a while, then this is probably the 3rd time you've heard me mention a kitchen update (remember this post??). Sorry! Life keeps getting in the freaking way, but fingers crossed that it will happen this year.

4. Continue to make my spiritual practice a priority. I have/had health issues, and can get anxious, easily overwhelmed, impatient, and easily irritated by others. I'm far from perfect. Just being real... The only thing that has provided consistent relief of those things is having a daily spiritual practice. I learned that last year thanks to all of the changes... :) I've always been spiritual, (i.e. church, praying, and random reads of the Bible), but never spent time with God on a daily basis until last year. But now I meditate every morning, listen to spiritual podcasts in the car every day (Joyce Meyer's podcast is my fave) and do my own bible study every night (including weekends!!). All of those things have worked wonders in terms of calming me down, and shutting my mind off with things get crazy - which in turn has made me a happier, healthier person, and has reduced my anxiety. I for sure plan to stay on top of that this year!

5. Increase my 401(k) contribution by 1%. One of the best things I've learned from my parents is to save. And then save some more. So I do. It's really hard sometimes, but it must be done. Saving in general for emergencies is important, but saving for retirement is even more important- especially these days. I'm seeing firsthand with some of my older family members how expensive things like healthcare becomes with age. It's quite alarming and I don't foresee things getting easier or cheaper. Even though I'm a long way from that, I want to stay on top of things. So I have actually already increased my 401(k) contribution by 1% - and plan to keep doing that each January for the next few years in addition to contributing to my Roth IRA. One percent doesn't seem like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things it will make a huge difference.

6. Find a new charity to support. Since I don't always have the time to volunteer, I try to make it a point to contribute financially to an organization on a consistent basis. Each January, I research a new charity to support during the year. I keep a list of causes that are important to me. I pick a cause from the list, research different charities that support that cause (I use Charity Navigator), then pick one or two to donate to each month during the year. If I ever have kids, this will be something we do together as my way of teaching them how to give back. Last year, I chose St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which will honestly keep getting my support. The work they do is incredible...

Pictured: Coat: Banana Republic (old), similar versions on sale here | Sweater: Banana Republic (old), similar here and here | Jeans: Banana Republic | Booties: Zara (old), just got these, though and LOVE them! | Clutch: Clare V. | Lips: Nars "Fire Down Below"