twenty fourteen

It seems to me that when New Year's Resolutions are made, they are rarely kept. I've never been big on making them myself. Over the past couple months I've had a lot of ideas, plans, and thoughts come to my head that I haven't acted on, so I've formulated a list of these things. I'm not calling them resolutions. They're just plans. Things I'm going to spend time focusing on in the upcoming year. I've decided to share my list here so that not only will I have documentation of them, but also so that I can come back and look at them when I'm feeling stuck in a rut in 2014, because inevitably that will happen. So here's my list, in no particular order:

1. Go blonde. Not like, Barbie blonde, but a nice dark blonde. I've been in a sort-of personal style struggle for ages (think I'm just bored) and I've decided that maybe a drastic hair change will be for the good. I haven't been blonde in years, and the last time I was blonde, it was not a good blonde.
2. Post a video on YouTube. I've always enjoyed singing but have never taken lessons and am too self-conscious to sing in front of people. I don't really know why but for awhile now I've wanted to record something and put it on YouTube. I think it will just feel like a personal feat of sorts.
3. Do volunteer work. I don't know where, or doing what, but I'd really enjoy doing this. I am a person who thrives off of making other people happy, or doing things that I know make a difference. 
4. Read as many books as I can. I've always been an avid reader, but in the last 5 or so years, since becoming a mom and going to school and working full-time and well, really just growing up, I've spent less time with books. I'm going to make an effort to give more of my time to them.
5. Practice yoga routinely. I flirted with this idea in 2013, but mainly because of timing issues, it didn't work out so well. From the little yoga I've done, I've decided that it is calming, stress-relieving, and strengthening, both physically and mentally.
6. Work harder on health and fitness. I've done so much better in the last 2 years than I ever have in my life. I've been going to the gym, and I've been paying more attention to what I eat. However, I still struggle with keeping up on this on a regular basis. It comes and goes in spurts. I need to focus on making it a constant practice.
7. Progress long-term plans with my boyfriend. We're something like 3,650 miles apart, and have been our entire (two year) relationship. I'd like to devote this year to closing that gap.
8. Complain less. I find myself complaining often. Half the time I probably don't even need to be complaining. I'm not saying I'm going to try to be content 100% of the time, I'm just going to try not to waste precious time complaining about how I'm not.
9. Learn a new hobby. I have a few ideas but I think I'm going to try to teach myself to play the piano. I have a couple years of lessons under my belt (from back when I was like 13), so I have a very, very basic understanding, but I want to advance that!
10. Appreciate more. This sort of goes hand-in-hand with number 8. Time is too limited to not appreciate what you have. Also, I believe in karma. 
11. Put my camera to better use. Didn't I go to school for photography? Why is my camera in my closet? Why are all my pictures iPhone pictures? 'nough said.
12. Spend less time staring at screens. Technology is great, sure. But my generation spends WAY too much time on their phones, on their computers, watching TV. I'm guilty as well. I do plenty of the aimless web browsing and channel surfing. I'll find activities or books to replace this with.
13. Do more DIY projects. I've done quite a few of this in recent months, and I've really found them to be quite satisfying. I want to find more and do more!! 

I think 13 is a good number to stop at. Can't get too crazy with the list or it will become an overwhelming to-do list that gets put on the back burner and only occasionally thought about, and never looked at.

Here's to a year of self-improvement! 
-ted x