I woke up this morning with a newfound resolve. Let this mid-year checkpoint be the beginning of a full 180.
Tomorrow is June 30th, meaning that the end of the first six months of the year is upon us. When I think about my New Year’s Resolutions, I don’t feel very progressed in them. That said, something felt different in the air this morning. I’m ready to turn it around. I’m going to make the mediocre good, the good great, and the great even greater! This mid-year checkpoint will prove itself a last breath before my pivot to excellence.
I believe! Don’t you? Let’s go!
Mid-Year Checkpoint: The Road So Far
1. Redesigning the Blog.
This past week, I made another template change! I simplified, polished, and picked a sweet new color pallette. In doing this, my design looks clean, pretty, and leaves room for the words to do the talking.
2. Sharpen my Spanish.
I started “Elite!” I’ve been watching in Spanish with English subtitles. In just the first season, I’ve picked up more on slang and colloquial expressions.
3. Learn a New Language.
Polishing up the Spanish has felt good, which makes me only want to do more! I have a whole Pinterest board for Spanish, Italian, French, and Romanian. That’s right, why dedicate myself to ONE new language when you can instead promise yourself to four of them?
4. Do Blogmas.
At the beginning of June, I had 21 post ideas for Blogmas. Now I’ve got 25! All that’s left is to perfectly plot and execute.
5. Post Consistently on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
I still only have the one flub! Granted, I did a placeholder post the Saturday before my birthday, but it felt more impactful to write my 30 before 30 list (or should I say 15 before 30… SO FAR) on my birthday.
6. Take Care of My Hair.
I feel that my hair could be in better condition, considering how often I’m using a mask. I’m not giving this one the energy it deserves. Starting now, that changes!
7. Read the Books I Didn’t Read Last Year.
I dropped 75 Hard (we’ll get back to that later). With that, I dropped my reading. I’ve been reading the same book, it feels, for a month! I will refocus on the book list in the next month.
8. Moisturize with Sunscreen Every Day.
I’ve missed a few days, mostly because I’ve made a bad habit of running right to work instead of washing my face in the mornings! When I actually do the routine, the sunscreen goes on my face each time. I need to maintain my consistency!
9. Drink More Water.
Up until my birthday, I was doing a great job of this. Since then, my water intake has gone down quite a bit. I had a few dehydration headaches this month. I will resume my regular consumption… during sunshine hours! No more late-night chugging!
10. Play Chess Once a Week.
The other night I asked myself: Why don’t I play some chess? I didn’t. I miss this, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to add in one game. ONE game. Let’s see if I even remember how to play!
11. Finally watch “The Crown,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” “The Undoing,” “The Haunting of Hill House,” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.”
I still haven’t watched “Little Fires Everywhere,” but I pivoted to this list instead. I think I can make time for both!
12. Become a Master Listener on Audible and Earn All Audible Badges.
I don’t think I’ve listened to Audible ONCE this month! This feels silly. I can fix this and chip away at that book, and these badges!
13. Run a 30 Minute 5K.
No exaggeration — The official runDisney account posted that an exciting update was coming tomorrow! TOMORROW. We will see. This one’s on my 30 Before 30 list, too. Let’s see how long it takes!
14. Actually Use My Camera.
Last month, Bo Burnham returned to comedy with a magnificent quarantine-induced stand up performance called “INSIDE.” It is a true masterpiece. One of his bits was “White Woman’s Instagram,” a satirical take on the basic aesthetic. Is it silly? Yes. Is it accurate? Also yes. Will I be using it to inspire a photography series for my Instagram account? Maybe… probably… yes.
15. Whiten My Teeth.
I am so disappointed in myself in how little I’ve manifested into this one! It’s especially tough when I think about how regularly I took care of this last year. I love having great teeth! I know I can be doing more.
16. Write More.
I decided that my next read will finally be Stephen King’s “On Writing.” I’m going to remember what it is to write. I’ve done some poetry and some song lyrics when I’ve felt it cathartically necessary, but that’s not much compared to how much of a passion it is. I’ve been so focused on everything else I’ve forgotten to do the thing that makes me happy! That MUST change.
Essentially, here’s what I’ve learned from this mid-year checkpoint: I need to read more, write more, and take better care of myself. Additionally, I need to do all of these things while maintaining a sense of balance and moderation, so I don’t burn out before I even give myself a fair chance. My burnouts mean that I vegetate for potentially up to weeks at a time. I deserve better. That’s what the rest of this year will be: being better for myself.
Look out world, here she comes!