New Years Intentions

It's a new year, and with that comes a time for solemn reevaluating of one's self and life. Or, you know, a drunken bacchanal followed by a week of halfhearted gym attempts.

1. Renew a habit I've tried to start in the past of writing down 3 good things that happened each day. Read through this journal periodically to remind myself of small happinesses.

2. Be more authentically me. I've noticed that the more I feel like I'm being my true self, the more interesting my life (and the people in it) seems to become.

3. Exist more consciously. Don't say yes to that outing/plan/event because I feel I have to. Don't continue relationships of any sort out of pure momentum. Make the conscious choice to remain connected to a person, thing, or activity.

4. Replace as many instances as possible of "I'm jealous of you for X" with "I'm excited for you about X". Even if it's a method of faking it 'til I make it, I want to purposely cause this shift in my thinking.

5. Write more. This is kind of an ongoing goal in my life, but I really do want to make the effort to do more writing. In 2016, I'd like to get something published (and perhaps even get paid for it!). The first step: actually show people things I've written. Perhaps even tell people about this blog! (Note: if you're reading this post, I've succeeded!)

6. Accept compliments/praise! It might sound like a silly one, but this is something I often struggle with. If somebody praises me for a thing, my immediate reaction is to spit back a reason why it's not that impressive.

7. Think less about my body. My relationship with my body and what I put in it is a complicated one. I aim to think more about putting good inside it, and think less about the "bad" things. Accept my body as it is and as it becomes. Step away from the mirror and the scale.

8. Be more vulnerable. Talk about when I'm feeling anxious, insecure, jealous, angry, or just plain sad. Discover the facets of my relationships that are built from the negative, not just the positive.

9. Love without consequence. I tend to go into each new relationship with a mindset of "here are all the ways this interaction could go wrong". Don't do that. Seriously, just don't.

10. Tell people how they've affected me. I know so many people who have inspired me in some way who likely don't even know it.

These are not easy goals for myself. I know that. They're hard to consciously implement, and so easy to forget. If I can work even half of these solidly into my everyday life, 2016 will easily be my best year yet. Here's lookin' forward!