2020 Resolutions

I’m not usually one for resolutions, but this year feels a little different…

See more of this dress here!

Happy New Year, friends! If you’ve been following me for a few years, you know that I don’t usually love resolutions… but this year feels different.

2019 was a doozy. I know from the outside it seems like it was a dream year – with a wedding to plan, a new puppy, a thriving business, and incredible trip to Barcelona and Lisbon… but behind the scenes, there have been a lot of tough moments. Trust me, I’m not saying this to seem ungrateful for everything I have. I know I live a quite privileged and lovely life in the grand scheme of things. I just say this because it’s the truth. It’s been a really hard year.

So, instead of dismissing resolutions, I’m making very intentional ones this year in hopes that I can really enjoy 2020. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 32 years, it’s that there will always be hurdles to overcome. Problems don’t disappear as you get older! But while you can’t control what other people do, you can control what YOU do. And while it’s easier said than done, we all have to remember that we get to decide how we live our lives. WE get to decide what thoughts and actions fill our days.

In other words, I could dwell on certain things that are completely outside of my control. OR I could take deep breaths, work on improving my own self for the future, and be proud of all that I’ve done so far. I mean, 10 years ago in 2010 I was a broke college graduate working odd jobs and auditioning day in and day out. If you told me that this where I’d be as we enter 2020, I’m not sure I would have believed you! Not only because it’s not what I originally had in mind for myself, but because it’s pretty freaking awesome.

So here’s to another decade! Are you ready for it?

My 2020 Resolutions

Bring mindfulness back into my everyday life.

I talk about self care a lot. I know it’s important. But I’ve also realized that I don’t always practice what I preach – at least not as deeply as I should. I see a significant difference in my mood when I get to workouts at least 4 times a week. My stress goes down when I prioritize sleep over social obligations when I’m busy. And I have recently realized that the biggest part of yoga that I miss in my life is mindfulness.

Those moments dedicated to just you and your breath. So, I’ve decided to start meditating each morning after I take Luna outside (at least on the weekdays). Just 5-10 minutes, with a dropper of CBD oil – before coffee, emails, social media, etc. I really think that this will help start each day on the right foot.

Go to therapy.

This is one of those deeper acts of self care that I know I need to do more. I went once last year, but I need to go back with some regularity. It’s time to humble myself and stop thinking that I can navigate everything on my own. There’s no shame in that!

Create more content outside of myself.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that we feel like friends – but I feel like Instagram sometimes makes this job feel like you can only be successful if you share every little bit of your perfect life… and sometimes that is a LOT of pressure. Not enough pressure to make me not want to do this (because this is the most fun and rewarding job EVER) but it does make me pause. I just want to take the time to make sure I’m creating content that is legitimately helpful for all of you! That feels much more sustainable to me than trying to compete with insta-models ?

What does this mean? Well, my 2020 Workout & Wellness Planner launches tomorrow (!!), I have a bundle of wedding planning resources coming this month for all my brides-to-be, and I have a few other ideas up my sleeve for this next year. Stay tuned!

Learn New Skills

I always say that you should never stop learning, right? Well, I’ve already invested in a food photography course to up my recipe game this year – and I have a few other ideas, too! Instead of just doing more of the same, I really want to take the time to find ways to improve this year.

Get involved in things I believe in.

There’s no secret that I feel passionately about women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, common sense gun laws, the climate crisis, and so many other issues. But lately, I’ve been feeling quite helpless. So maybe I’ll go to a Mom’s Demand meeting. Or get over my anxiety and finally participate in a march. Or donate to whoever the Democratic Presidential candidate ends up being. Whatever it is, I want to do something. I know it will probably ruffle a few feathers, but you know what? MY feathers have been ruffled!

Clean Up My Diet

You know I’ll always be an advocate for food freedom. NO ONE should tell you that going out for pizza or eating pasta with your family is bad. It’s not. It’s life! That being said, I’ve let my chips and cookie loving fiance change my eating habits a little bit since we moved in together and it’s time to go back to eating the way that makes me feel my best.

First step – I want to go back to reading labels on processed foods again. It’s always something I have in mind when I grocery shop, but if something appears in my pantry, I’m more lenient 😉 I also want to make smarter choices on nights we order in. Maybe skip the eggrolls that always makes me feel terrible… that would be smart, right?! And lastly, I’ve let sugar creep back into my life, which is entirely unnecessary considering I don’t even have a big sweet tooth! (Kicking this off with a sugar free January – Adam said he’d do it, too!) In other words, there are little things I can shift that I know will help me feel better without feeling super restricted.

Start a Book Club

I will explain more of this over the next few days, but I’ve really enjoyed reading again this past year. So for 2020, I love the idea of making sure that no matter how busy life gets, I will commit to reading at least 1 book a month so I can discuss it with all of you! Right now, this will solely be virtual, but it would be fun to host a few live meetups in the future if this catches on, too!

I’ll announce the book at the beginning of the month and I’ll post a review/discussion questions during the last week of the month. From there, you guys can discuss with each other either in the comments of my blog posts or in my Facebook Group! I’m also thinking about partnering up with other bloggers who like to read throughout the year, too. I think that could be fun for two perspectives to launch the conversation, right? (If you have any additional suggestions, please let me know!)

Be Present 

2020 is a very exciting year. We’re getting married! We’re going to Italy for our honeymoon – something I’ve been dreaming of doing my entire life! And we’ve started talking about buying a place, which I know will be both exciting and nerve-wrecking. But mostly exciting!

In other words, there is so much good coming this next year. I want to do my best to be as present as possible so I can appreciate all of the magic that it has in store <3

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Are you making resolutions this year?

If so, let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear them!

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PS. You might also like 30 Things I Learned Before 30, Reflecting On A Year of Self Employment, and You Are More Than Your Physical Appearance.