#resolutionkit

I want to become healthier. All my life I've struggled with my health. It's not like I have body issues or anything, it's just something that's always been there. I want to overall live a healthy lifestyle, not just by losing weight, but by eating cleaner and being more active just to overall improve my quality of life. In the new year I plan on filling my life with more physical activity, be it going to the gym or just having an adventure. Also, I will be eating less processed food, more natural things and eliminating all the icky preservatives and chemicals from what I eat.

I want to be more organized. I always seem to start out things being very organized and put-together. Be it my agenda's always up to date or actually keeping up with my calendar or my room staying clean, but it never lasts. This year that will change and I will keep myself together for an entire year because with college coming up I need self discipline now more than ever.

I want to be closer to God. God has always been a part of my life and obviously an extremely important one, but I feel as I have grown up in the past few months I have greatly strayed in my walk with Him when it should be the exact opposite. I want to have such a great relationship with Him that I bother people because I am so overcome with His love. I want to draw people closer to Him and inspire others to seek Him in their lives just by existing. I want to be the best version of myself all for His glory. I've been praying more often, and have been using the strength He gave me to turn to Him in my times of need when I normally would just push all my problems on myself.

There are a few things that I am trying to improve about myself.

 I'm going to work a being a better cook with a bigger variety of dishes. This is also important because my roommate is going to need a special diet soon and I want to help in in every way I can.

I want to be more proactive when it comes to cleaning, for example, once dinner is done, the dishes go in the dishwasher and not stacked in the sink for days.

+ Read more this year! Shoot for 10 books, ones that will make you think, laugh, cry and smile. I bought a lot of good ones from the book sale at the library this past season, time to pick one up and let the page turning begin!

+ Speaking of smiles, do more of it. Positive thinking and surrounding yourself with people that will always make you do so. Surrounding myself with my boyfriend, my family, my boyfriend's family and all of my lovely friends helping. 

+ Gym-keep on trucking! So many people making the resolution to lose weight, but I don’t want you to think of it like that, I want you to think of it as building a healthier life style so that you can live longer and make many more resolutions of progress in the future. You’ve been going 4-6 times a week since you’ve signed up! Before you know it, you’ll be toned and have hit that goal you set for yourself and your next step will be to maintain and inspire.

+ Friendships, try to rekindle those that are important to you which may have dwindled this past year and there is always room for new ones! Already making plans with old friends to meet up and catch up. I'm also making plans to hang out with some new friends and meet some of their own gang. 

+ Less spending more crafting. Save that money and create things! Work on your sewing, knitting and designing skills. You’ll not only save money for bigger and better things but you’ll have pieces of your own that you’ll be so proud and happy to wear knowing that every thought and stitch that went into it was all you!

+ Adventure more often. We get stuck in day to day routines, especially with a full time job. Take some time, even just on one of your days off and go somewhere. You can turn any trip into an adventure, even if it’s just to a park or Target. Picnics, nature walks, people-watching, rolling around in snow/leaves/sand…any of that for even just a day can make you feel more alive than ever.

+ Rember that Nikon D70s you have? USE IT! I want to start taking more pictures. I was so into photography a few years ago and I have a really nice camera, I need to put it to use. I want to start bringing it everywhere I go. New York on Jan. 20th with Tom is going to be the first of many photo adventures.

+ Keep blogging. Time to go forth and make that fashion blog that people have been encouraging you to do. This will be fun and it’ll also combine with the above resolution.

+Spread love and kindness. Everyone around you is dealing with something in their lives. Spread your love and kindness to all, even those who can’t put their current troubles behind them in order to give another stranger a smile. It could change someone’s entire day. I’ve done this many of times and when people let me know that I’ve done so, it’s the best feeling in the world.

My lifestyle, of course, is not exactly what I want it to be like. So here are a few of the things I'd like to change, to work towards- basically, my goals.

1. I want to get home earlier from school so I have time to work out. Lately, I've been home late and have used it as an excuse to not work out.

2. I want to start taking progress pictures, so I can watch my muscles grow.

3. I want to drink two cups of water each morning as soon as I wake up- I usually don't start drinking water until I get to school.

My goal? Lose 35 lbs by August.

My plan?

1. Keep a food journal (myfitnesspal)

2. Workout 5-6 days / week. Mix of strength and cardio (cardio at least 2ce a week)

3. No soda!

4. Drink water throughout the day.

Time to make some goals.

I really want to improve my running.

Right now I'm working towards running 5k.

To accomplish this I've lengthened my 2k run to a 4k, I'm running/walking it for now.

Once I'm able to run all of it I know that the 5k will be cake.

of things I want to change :

I want to find the wild part of me that I left somewhere ...

I want to stop over thinking that often

I want to stop blaming myself for sometimes being just a human

I want to easily stay away from easy distractions and create my own

I want to push myself more to talk and see people who matter

I want to be more creative

I want to learn how to let go

A new year signifies new beginnings. It's an opportune moment to reevaluate and set new goals moving forward, hence the infamous word 'resolution.' Shortly following my last post, I was unfortunately in a car accident. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but I was extremely shaken up and upset by the occurrence. It wasn't really the best way to end my year, but I need to thank God for keeping me safe and continue to look forward positively despite this set back I'm now facing.

But in keeping with the spirit of making resolutions and moving forward, I've made a quick list of a few of my resolutions, or goals really, for the year (in no particular order):

Keep my expenses budgeted. HA!

Attend church every Sunday (okay, most Sundays)

Take the LSAT this summer

Continue training for my two half marathons and continue my training schedule following the races - I'm so much more than loving this right now.

Apply to a graduate program by Fall 2012

Become a member of the SNL cast (This is lofty and probably unattainable, but in the spirit of being positive, I'm putting it on my list.)

Learn a few new things; a lot of new things would be better :)

"Stay far from timid, only make moves when your heart's in it, and live the phrase 'sky's the limit.'" - Yes, that's a Notorious B.I.G. lyric, but it's pretty legit.

More in-person get togethers. Write handwritten letters. Read more books.

Bake more cookies.

Live by Timothy 4:12

Do whatever I have to do to get to Colorado

And to cash in on the totally awesome branding campaign that Nike is running, I'm going to #makeitcount.

I'm sure there are many more I could think of, but I don't think I'd ever get this post up if I continue to let it linger. I think the idea of 'making it count' is really the important thing. And this...