Historically speaking, I’ve never been one to be into New Years’ Resolutions. I guess I’m just kind of a grinch about the new year. I have never seen a point in making resolutions, especially because I negatively always assumed that I would never keep them anyway. Plus, I always thought that it was silly to wait until the new year just to make lofty goals.

To this day, I still think that they’re kind of silly. And I also still think that the new year isn’t the only time you can make resolutions, of course.

All that being said, for some unknown reason, I feel that 2015 is going to be different. 2014 was a rather rough year. I know that 2015 is going to come with its own unique set of challenges, as every year does. But as the new year approaches, I’m actually kind of excited to have a clean slate, a fresh start, and start working on more personal and professional goals.

I made this. Please don’t steal it. If you’d like to use it, asking me for permission would be the cool thing to do. Kthx.

Anyway, the whole point of this blog post is to discuss some of my 2015 goals/resolutions, in the hopes that I can inspire others [and just so I have written documentation to hold me accountable… ha!]. Letsa go!

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In order to keep things somewhat simple, I have decided to narrow my focus to seven attainable goals for 2015. Why seven? Well, it’s just my lucky number [I’m normally pretty pragmatic, but it is just a good number, okay?], and it seems like a good place to start.

Here are seven of my high-level goals for 2015. I’m breaking them down by categories, because that helps my brain not be so scattered. I’m also adding a “WHY” section below each goal. This is where I can list my reasoning(s) for the overarching goal. I think that reinforcing the why is a good way to help me stay accountable as well.

– Self-Care + Self-Discipline: It’s especially important for me to be very self-disciplined and take good care of myself since I am also managing clinical depression and anxiety. And if I’m being perfectly honest, I really need to improve upon taking better care of myself.
1. Become more physically active; develop a sustainable/enjoyable exercise routine.
– WHY: Like many people, I have trouble staying physically active. I’m just not naturally super active [I’m not exactly lazy either; I’m just not really a high energy person], and I’m especially not athletic in any sense of the word. Obviously, I don’t have to be an athlete or bodybuilder to work on my fitness. I just need to find something that works for me and that I find at least somewhat enjoyable. It will help with both my mental and physical health. ‘Nuff said.

2. Develop a healthy sleeping pattern.
– WHY: Let’s just be blunt: I absolutely suck at sleeping. I have insomnia, and my brain never shuts off. I’m a light sleeper, and I am a night owl. It’s just not a good combination of issues. But lack of sleep – as most of us are well aware – is known for causing all kinds of crazy problems. It has a tremendous effect on my mental health [depression/anxiety – hooray!], so it’s especially important for me to have normal sleeping patterns.

3. Create a budget and stick with it.
– WHY: Well. I’m not the greatest at following a budget. While I have a decent income for a fresh college grad, I also have a lot of expenses at the moment from loans and a small amount of credit card debt. My bills always get paid, but I’m just not the greatest at managing money. I think I’d be better off using a structured budget so that my finances stay under control.

– For Funsies Goals: These are goals that – while they’ll certainly assist with my personal development and growth – are meant to allow me to have a bit of [my idea of] fun. They keep life interesting, and help me to stay sane.
4. Post at least three new {food related} blog posts per month.
– WHY: I really enjoy food blogging, and I want to continue improving upon my baking, writing, and photography skills. This blog makes me happy, and getting into a sustainable blogging routine means I can continue with a healthy hobby.

5. Compliment one person [can be a stranger] at least once a month.
– WHY: Honestly, we could all use more positivity in our lives. Compliments always pop up into my head when I’m interacting with others, but I get weirdly shy about actually verbalizing them. I guess part of me feels as if I’m being a creeper, but that’s just silly. Most people love receiving compliments; it often makes my day when someone genuinely compliments me!

– Professional Goals: These are goals that are related to my IT career to assist with professional development.
6. Continue with my Masters program for work.
– WHY: Because I want to continue my education and expand upon my business/management skills in relation to IT.

7. Engage in more leadership/development activities at work.
– WHY: I feel as if I’m really lacking in this area, and I think that breaking out of my comfort zone at work will help me both professionally and personally.

Alrighty then. I think that’s enough rambling for Part I of my 2015 Resolutions. In Part II, I will break down my goals using what’s called the S.M.A.R.T Criteria.

Part II will be posted on New Years’ Day! Stay tuned for more. 😀