Tag: new year resolution

life curation · relaxation

Welcome to 2022!

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We made it!

I hope your New Year Day was fantastic! If it wasn’t everthing that you’d hoped, just take heart in the fact that it’s only one day out of 365: you are able to create even better experiences in the year to come!

As for me, I had a chance to bring in my New Year Day in the BEST way: re-reading one of my favorite books (Rejuvenate! It’s Never Too Late by Eartha Kitt), journaling in one notebook, working on my vision journal, and sipping my favorite wine. I set some intentions and savored the moment when the clock turned 12.

I didn’t go out of my home because there’s no need to take a risk with my health unnecessarily, and it wasn’t like I had many friends in town, anyway. But I was happy to spend this day enjoying my personal space, and I feel that the experience of bringing in the new year in a space you enjoy is a great way to set the tone for the year.

I also started working on future blog posts (which, honestly, is what I do on most weekends, so long as I’m not too busy). I have a lot to share in the upcoming year and organizing my thoughts beforehand will help me tremendously with ensuring that those ideas are shared in the most effective way.

I had a wonderful and peaceful entrance into the new year, and I’m excited for all the incredible experiences that will find their way to me in the months to come. On a side note, I find it no coincidence that this is my 777th post: a good omen if ever there was one!

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fitness · health · life curation · luxury · reading list · travel · writing

New Year, New Goals

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To commemorate this new year, I want to share some of the intentions that I’ve set for 2021.

Over the past few years, my goals have felt a little lackluster, so I’m excited to share some goals that really light me up! I looked at several areas of my life, and I pinpointed what changes I need to make in order to make those areas of my life feel more balanced and abundant.

So, without further ado, here are my 2021 goals:

  • Publish 5 books
  • Lose 15 lbs
  • Manifest 3 international trips
  • Earn 6 figures from my businesses
  • Read 100+ books
  • Luxury purchases – an item from Hermes, a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, a pair of Sophia Webster shoes, and a pair of Ralph & Russo shoes
  • Cure my fibromyalgia (as I mentioned in my last Fibro Friday post)

I discuss my goals further in this video, along with why I’m not creating a vision board this year (I’ve created one every year since 2014 or 2015). I usually don’t make my videos this long, but I needed this amount of time to discuss all of the things I’m planning for my YouTube channel as well as for this blog. Enjoy, and I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!

health · life curation · Uncategorized · words of wisdom

A Graceful Ending

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I wonder if the world’s population has ever been as ready for a year’s ending as we are right now. 2020 has been a momentous year: devastating at times, solemn at other times, and tremendously unpredictable throughout. There seems to be a collective desire to close this chapter and move cheerfully into the next.

While I am as eager as everyone else to end the year and turn the page, I am cautious to give this year end the graceful closure it deserves. If there is nothing else that can be said about 2020, it should be noted that this year has been highly instructive. I want to share some of the lessons that I learned in 2020.

Patience – I had to learn to be patient when it comes to my travel desires, as well as being patient as everyone around me adjusts to a “new normal”. Funny enough, I have always found it easier to be patient with other people than with myself. So when I occasionally get frustrated with myself (I’ve set multiple deadlines that I ended up having to adjust later), I try to remember to show myself a little bit of the patience that I usually reserve for others.

Love – I had high hopes for meeting a life partner this year. And while I did meet some interesting suitors, I didn’t find the romantic love that I desired. I did, however, experience an abundance of love in my life, in the form of family and friends that have been incredibly supportive and caring this year. I learned to look for authentic love in all its forms, and I wasn’t disappointed with what I found. I did not lack for love in 2020, and that was such a blessing.

Gratitude – As I expressed earlier this week, I am thankful for the fact that most of my family and friends were all healthy and happy this year. I am thankful for platforms like Zoom that made it possible for us to stay in contact while staying safe. I am thankful for having a beautiful home to quarantine in, within a safe and welcoming neighborhood. I honestly have so much to be grateful for, and I try my best to stay in the energy of gratitude.

Slow down – One of my key traits in years prior was to stay in constant motion. I loved to always have a project, or trip, or activity, to keep me occupied. This year has forced me to slow down in unexpected ways. I couldn’t just run to my favorite hangout spots: I actually had to stay home and learn to entertain myself in different ways. Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m an introvert, so staying home wasn’t hard. But I was forced to really examine my life, resulting in the decision to slow down and really enjoy the small things.

Rest – I previously had the motto, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”. I’m fortunate to have matured from this point of view, and now I value my sleep. What my body has needed this year has been intense self care, with sleep being a centerpiece of my care routine. So much of my health improvements has depended heavily upon my commitment to rest and restoration.

In conclusion, this is my way of blessing 2020 as I move forward to 2021. Thank you, 2020, for the lessons. I’ll never forget them.

life curation

The Most Delightful Season Of ALL!

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It’s no secret that December 31st is my favorite day of the year. I dare say, I prefer New Year’s Eve over any other significant days (including my own birthday!) during the year. The energy of a FRESH START is the best feeling in the world!

Untitled design - Edited.png

I will be working on my vision board tonight, and setting the tone for the experiences I desire in 2020. This is something I’ve done for the past few years, and I’m delighted to confirm that many of the things I visioned have come to pass. Since it’s worked well over these years, I decided to go ahead and keep it up. I enjoy the practice, and it works, so there’s no need to stop LOL!

I started clipping photographs and quotes a few days ago, and I’m picking up my poster board today. I already have my decorative supplies (glue, glitter, construction paper, etc.,), so I’m looking forward to putting it all together. With that, I’m excited to cut, paste and daydream this evening as I create my board!

Do you have any New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day rituals? I’d love to heard about them in the comments below!

life curation

Finish 2018 on a Strong Note

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Hi friends! Can you believe we’re already in the month of NOVEMBER? I know, time flies when you’re having fun!

Welcome November - Edited

With two months left in the year, you probably think that you won’t be able to do anything impactful before the years end. Nothing could be farther from the truth! 60 days is more than enough time to do something that will really help you to finish 2018 on a strong note. If nothing else, you can get a good running start for 2019.

So take out those goals you had for 2018 – you know, the ones that got lost in the sauce sometime in February – and give them a good once-over. See which one would really mean the most to you, and get started on it NOW! If you need an idea for how to get started on your goal, I have a post about one of my sneaky tricks for successful resolutions.

Start by doing something today that will take you five minutes or less (preferably less). Take the action immediately, and you’ll already feel like you’re headed in the right direction. As for me, I’m spending 15 minutes today on my “big goals” – five minute on each of my 3 goals – to get some momentum going. And then I’ll be jumping into my writing, because it’s NaNoWriMo! Check out tomorrow’s post for more about the NaNoWriMo festivities for this year.

Talk to you all tomorrow!

life curation

Sneaky Trick for Successful Resolutions

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This will be a really simple post, but I am about to share my sneakiest tip for guaranteeing successful New Year (or any time of year) resolutions. After all, January 1st is less than two weeks away, and who wants to be unprepared for the New Year?

SusanOHalloran

(image courtesy of Susan O’Halloran)

 Are you ready for my sneaky tip?

 My trick, that has made my resolutions STICK and generate success, is . . .

Start NOW.

Don’t wait until January 1st to start. The moment that you are sure what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year, take some action – ANY action – in the direction of your goal.

Nielsen.com listed the Top Ten New Years Resolutions based on their surveys. If you want to know a quick action you can take to move closer to your goal, look at the suggestions I’ve added after each of the top 6 resolutions mentioned by Nielsen:

  • Stay fit and healthy

–          Get on YouTube and do a quick exercise routine. Try Fitness Blender and do some activity for at least 5 minutes. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to do your 5 minutes of exercise daily. Then set a calendar reminder to increase your 5 minute routine, to 6 minutes, after 2-3 weeks. Every 2-3 weeks, add one or two minutes to your routine. Adjust the minutes based on your fitness level and motivation.

  • Lose weight

–          See the recommendation above. In addition, look up some healthy meals, write out your shopping list, and, if it isn’t too late, go out and buy those groceries RIGHT NOW.

  • Enjoy life to the fullest

–          Think of one thing you’ve been wanting to do but just haven’t accomplished yet (pull out your bucket list). Determine the easiest thing on the list, and immediately reserve the lessons, appointment, etc., that will make it happen.

  • Spend less, save more

–          Go to bankrate.com and look up the savings accounts with the highest annual yield. Open an account and set up an automatic draft so your money can save on autopilot. Don’t memorize your password for the bank account: the harder it is to recall, the less likely you’ll be to check on it and withdraw funds.

  • Spend more time with family and friends

–          Pick up your phone immediately and call someone that you’ve been meaning to talk to. Set a phone reminder to call at least 3 friends or family members every week. Send out a mass invite to several friends and family members for a get-together event in 4 -6 weeks. Don’t flake out on the get-together.

  • Get organized

–          Choose an activity to do right now: clean out one dresser drawer, tidy up one folder, empty all of your trash cans, fold up all of the clothes at the end of your bed. Or go buy plastic containers to help you organize your stuff.

If you’re serious about accomplishing your goals, don’t wait for January 1st to start on them. Start today, and give yourself an advantage when New Years Day rolls around!