Category: 2020Resolutions

May Wrap Up: 2020 Resolutions Update

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We’re almost at the halfway point in the year! I want to celebrate all my little victories but at the same time I can’t help but feel like this year, in terms of goal-setting, is no more special than last. That said, I set these goals for a December 2020 end date. Let’s reflect on how we’re doing 5 months into the game:

1. Read 52 books – I have finished two books this month and am listening to an audiobook. I genuinely think that I will get four books in by the end of the month. I said I was going to read Star Wars books for the month of May, and I have, but I think I’m also going to read other Star Wars books later in the year. I really liked them. I’m falling down a Star Wars rabbit hole and honestly, it’s about time.

2. Do pull-ups – Quarantine is making this tougher than it needs to be, but I’m trying harder to work my body out to get this done by the end of the year. I’m emotionally prepared to have to start from square 1 when my gym opens back up and I have access to a pull-up bar.

3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING. – I actually feel like I made a modicum of progress here! I told myself that I can only scroll when I’m doing my steps, and it’s worked! Along with that, I’ve been staying off the phone while re-watching “Community” with Aaron. I still have a long way to go but I feel like I’ve taken a step towards being better about this.

4. Write 104 blog posts – I think twice this month I’ve thought “… Oh, right! Gotta write!” I’ve maintained my consistency, though. At least I’m staying on top of this here!

5. Romantic trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 – Jan. 2 2021 – As restrictions are slowly lifted, I’m keeping things optimistic about this end of the year trip not falling through from spikes in cases. Fingers crossed!

6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude – I’m still on the right track here. I fell victim to rabbit hole twice this month, but I think it was just for ten minutes at the most both times. Twenty minutes on something that I used to spend hours on is pretty good!

7. Take better care of my skin – Skin is still improving, thankfully! I hope that my shoulders and back continue to heal with my face. I can put foundation on my face, but if I want to wear a bathing suit, it gets really awkward when I have acne on my back and chest. I feel like this has improved in the past few months too!

8. Go stargazing – There’s still a nighttime curfew in lockdown, but we’re heading into June! It’s warm and if we get anti-bug candles, it could be a dang nice night.

9. Get a new job – I have nothing new to report here, and I’m really hoping that changes soon.

10. Do a handstand – I didn’t work on this at all this month. It’s still on my list. I haven’t given up and I won’t.

11. Go see two of my favorite performers – So fun fact, an email was sent out two weeks ago saying that all dates before Labor Day Weekend have been refunded. I would say this is the only resolution that might not come true, based on my scheduling, that I can blame on quarantine and not my own failures. They say life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans, and whomever they are, they’re not wrong! I hope I can reschedule for November or December, but if not, I think next year is going to be a great year.

12. Lose weight – Physical progress? Not so much. Mental progress? Very much so. See you next month.

13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday – Well well well! The Disney parks will be opened by his birthday. Wheels are back in motion! I’m thinking dinner at his favorite restaurant and a new lightsaber at Hollywood Studios. Yay!

14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter – I think May has been my best month for this. I had a great Skype call with my best friend where we talked about life and how much we mean to each other. I’ve been supportive for my friends going through big transitions and crazy circumstances in light of what’s happening in the world, and sending funny TikToks along the way! Aaron and I have really grown so much as a couple since quarantine started. I think we fall more in love and feel more happy every day. As far as family goes, I went home for Mother’s Day for an extended weekend and spent a whole night gabbing with my brother and sister, and even went jogging with my mom. My dad and I talked on the phone earlier last week, and I spoke to both of my grandparents on the phone this month. It was my grandmother’s birthday this month, so I sent flowers, helped my mom make her a birthday playlist, and sent a photo album (that I made myself!) of wedding photos and she loved it. I should keep this up next month! I love the people in my life!

15. Be happy –  I am so lucky. I feel so loved and so grateful for what I have. I am still doing my best, and working to accomplish my goals. I wish I could bring the peace I feel in my heart sometimes and give it to other people. The world is scary and I’m so thankful for the security blanket I have.

Okay, June. Birthday month? Bring it!!

Quarantine Diaries: A to-do list

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May it be said that this month has started off precariously. Firstly, we have been made aware of killer hornets present in North America. This is a new development that has our society wondering who moved what artifact to curse 2020? As well, we are currently seeing the restrictions being lifted in regards to quarantine conditions for COVID-19. Restaurants are opening at 25% capacity, retailers are being allowed to open under specific guidelines, and more “non-essential” businesses are being allowed to reopen (again, under specific guidelines). Most seem eager for a return to normalcy, but others are concerned that the return to normalcy is too soon and will lead to a second spike in COVID-19 cases.

I’ve enjoyed my time in quarantine as much as one can. I’ve mostly been in sweatpants, with no makeup, and snuggling with my cats and Aaron when I’m not at work. I’m very lucky to say this, I know, and I’m aware that most people are struggling under lockdown conditions. With that in mind, there have been parts of life that I have sorely missed while being in lockdown. As such, I have put together a “bucket list” of sorts of the things I want to do when things are truly over and the world has returned to homeostasis.

Here’s a look at what my schedule holds, loosely, when we are officially all done with “quarantime”:

*note: this list does not include stargazing, because that’s already implied with my new years resolution!

1. Play tennis. Tennis is one of few sports I enjoy and do well playing. I used to play somewhat regularly with friends and Aaron a year ago, and I miss it! I found local courts near my neighborhood and I’m hoping that I can get access again for a few games before it gets too hot.

2. Go to Disney. Travelling will appear a fair amount on this list (and for good reason), but come on, fam! How could this not be at the top of the list? I haven’t been able to enjoy Disney in months, missing an entire EPCOT festival with it. I’ve missed the parks so much. Aaron and I have plans to visit at least my favorite Disney restaurant (with an excellent view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks) for my birthday, but I want to do a weekend day trip like the good ol’ pre-COVID days.

3. Play minigolf. I love minigolf. It is so much fun. I went minigolfing earlier this year (coincidentally at Disney) and I had so much fun. It’s just delightful! I want to either go to the Disney minigolf course or go to the one at CityWalk (or the dozens of others in this theme park/family vacation hub of a city)!

4. Visit Boston. I miss my girls (girls referring to Allison and Kelsey, or as we call ourselves, “The Snapdragons”), and I love being in Boston with them. I foresee us going to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, the dim sum place we love, and Boston Commons, where we can sit in the shade and I can climb a tree. I can’t wait to see them.

5. Visit Camden. Another Snapdragons trip! We were supposed to go to Greece this year, but I don’t see that in our future anymore with these current travel conditions. That said, there is a summer home in a quaint lakefront town in Maine. It is so Americana and quiet and beautiful, with walking trails, boating, and a delicious waterfront restaurant called Peter Otts. We all agreed that taking a week off from work seems a bit of a stretch this year, but a Friday and a Monday off to go to the family lake house? Doable. Oh so doable.

6. Visit New York. I refuse to say anything about my July trip for my grandfather’s birthday. And my best friend’s birthday. And my Hamilton tickets with said best friend. I’m going. No one can stop me. It’s happening. SssSsSssSSsSsssSsHhhhhHHH.

7. Go to *a* waterpark. I love a waterpark. I love waterslides, I love wave pools, I love feeling something akin to zen on a lazy river. I am thinking I want to go to Volcano Bay, since I could get in for free one day as a perk of my job. That said, I’ve never been to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon! I have options!

8. Enjoy a good spa day. I’ve added facials into my monthly self-care routine, but I want more on this day. I want the facial, the massage, a float, and maybe even an eyebrow wax. I also might want to put on eyelashes. Who knows? I will plan something perfect.

9. Go to Gideon’s Bakehouse. This place is the stuff of legends, and by legends, I mean Instagram. Gideon’s Bakehouse is on the far side of Orlando for me, which is why I haven’t gone YET. This bakery has the most droolworthy cookies you could imagine. They have a partner BBQ restaurant in Disney that occasionally sells their cookies, but I haven’t gotten one any of the times I’ve been to that restaurant. The line is almost always out the door for these cookies. I want to make the drive, brave the line, and just… enjoy. I officially proclaim that I will have no cookies until I go to Gideon’s. They are open right now under COVID-19 restrictions (pre order online, contact – less pickup), but I’m not going until this has ended. Where’s the drama in that?

10. Go to Dave & Busters. I am a girl of simple pleasures (minigolf and cookies, clearly). My ideal date? Eighty dollars worth of tokens. Skee-ball. Air hockey. That one arcade game. That other arcade game. Pizza. Maybe laser tag as a pregame. Aaron and I have yet to do a Dave & Busters date. After quarantine ends, that will change.

 

I want public safety, and I want to be able to do these things without picking up or passing on the germs that cause COVID-19. I’d hate to accidentally infect someone, especially someone I love, and I’d be doing all these activities with someone I love (except the spa day. That’s ME TIME). Until then, I will keep my visits to the “outside world” sequestered to grocery trips, my Couch25K runs, and the occasional trip to a local restaurant for pickup. Aaron has already requested bagels for breakfast on Friday. I am powerless before a bagel.

April Wrap-Up: 2020 Resolutions Checkpoint

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I almost titled this “April Wrap-Up: How Pathetic Are We?” I think that that the humor of “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” has me leaning heavily on my tendency to self deprecate. I don’t like when my friends speak negatively about themselves, even in a joking way, so I should give myself the same courtesy!

The end of April symbolizes the end of the first third of the year. If you love trilogies, that means that we’ve just finished the original! MAYBE this could be like the first three Toy Story movies, where the first one was groundbreaking and fresh, and then the second and third ones were equally heartwarming and had better animation because technology improved.

Seriously, though – I wanted to make this a benchmark, a lap completion, to hype up my intentions for this “third” of the year (and hopefully the rest of the year).

So once more with feeling: let’s take a look at the new years resolutions for 2020.

1. Read 52 books – I finished two poetry collections this month, and I’m finishing two other books now. I keep wanting to put four books in a month, but I think I’ll feel better about the goal if I give myself a few days’ flexibility, especially since I start my books late from fatigue so far. So while my next entry will be in May, I will have roughly read four books this month.

It’ll make sense in three days, okay?

2. Do pull-ups – I mentioned this month, and with quarantine things haven’t changed: my body is a bit out of luck right now with the gym being closed from COVID-19 and the doors in my house being too tall for a pull-up bar, but I did a push-up challenge that really built up my muscles, enough that Aaron noticed! I have to keep it up, but I’m taking a week or so off of the strength training right now after a squat challenge taken too far annihilated my lower back. Down not out, I pinky swear!

3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING. – I am awful at this. I put TikTok on my phone and it didn’t help. I will be better about this in the future. I want to find a way to start small. No scrolling in bed on school-nights?

4. Write 104 blog posts – I’ve been doing a great job with this! I want to keep doing well here.

5. Romantic trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 – Jan. 2 2021 – I haven’t heard/seen this trip get cancelled yet! COVID better not come for this trip, it’s in DECEMBER. That’s more than enough time for everyone to get better, right?

6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude – This is mostly better! I’ve avoided the online gossip of people who were often the center of my schadenfreude, to the point of actively saying “take this off my feed” in my Youtube recommends.

7. Take better care of my skin – Skin is looking good! I seriously can’t wait to get back into my facialist for the micro-dermabrasion. I can’t do that at home. I’m hoping that when quarantine ends this will only continue to get better!

8. Go stargazing – I WANT TO DO THIS BUT COVID. I WILL GET THERE.

9. Get a new job – Whooooo boy. I made some decent strides in the past week alone, to the point that I’m terrified it’s actually either going to happen really soon or never happen. I will keep trying and keep breathing while I do it.

10. Do a handstand – Again. Doing my best with the circumstances. I haven’t given up on this one, I tried it the other day and I felt it in my arms!

11. Go see two of my favorite performers – No change here. Just kidding! Dear Evan Hansen was officially cancelled. They haven’t taken Hamilton away from me yet, though. I think I’m going to reschedule Dear Evan Hansen for November or August. Fingers crossed I haven’t set myself on fire by then!

12. Lose weight – Still trying. Still failing. Still feel bad about it. We’re not self-deprecating. We’re going to keep going. We feel good about this. Who is we? I don’t know.

13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday – Because of COVID conditions I can’t super seriously plan this right now. Conditions are getting better though, so hopefully, I can not only plan his birthday by this time next month but also plan a great anniversary trip to Vermont/Disney for our 1 year!

14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter – I have been doing a great job of keeping in touch with my friends during this lockdown. Ditto with my parents and my sister. I spoke to my dad on the phone the other day and sent an email to my grandpa to tell him I love him. I feel like I will never say “I love you” enough to any of these people. I hope I’m doing a decent job on this with Aaron, because I live with him. With COVID he’s just here. All the time. We get to spend almost every minute together and I genuinely think it’s making us happier. Isn’t that nice? I think it’s nice.

15. Be happy –  I’m in a very zen state now. I have my job, I have good friends, I don’t have to wear confining clothing all day at work or commute to work, I get to bake and write a lot, and I get to snuggle with my cats all day. I’m genuinely content. I think I will feel better though if I do a better job of reading more, reaching out more to my grandparents, and uh… item 12. Just. Item 12.

 

With that, I’m going to chug some water, get the last of my steps, and WHY DOES MY HOUSE SMELL LIKE SOFT PRETZELS?

Falling Not Failing: My 2020 Resolutions

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I am feeling quite disappointed in myself today. It is March 31st, with a new month on the horizon, and I REALLY missed the mark on my 2020 resolutions this month. I’d love to blame it on the lockdown and social distancing, but as Brit Hume once said, “Winners take responsibility. Losers blame others.”

I think today I want to look at my resolutions and reflect on why I didn’t meet my goals. This hurts me more than it hurts you, dangit!
1. Read 52 books – I started two books this month, and finished none. I decided to make all my books this month to be about women, by women, for women. I feel like a bad feminist for not getting this done.

via GIPHY. Saturday Night Live. “Weekend Update.” 2017. Performances by Tina Fey, Michael Che, and Colin Jost. Produced by Lorne Michaels.
2. Do pull ups – I spent the first half of this month tackling this head on, but then COVID happened, and my gym closed. Unfortunately, all my doors are too tall for me to place a pull-up bar in the doorway. I’ve been working my arms, back and shoulders doing home workouts to split the difference, but I’m not sure how effective it is.
3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING – This got SO much worse! You’d think with all the time at home I’d spend more time that I now have on more creative endeavors. No. BIG swing and a miss.
4. Write 104 blog posts – I managed to keep this one going!
5. Romantic trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 2020 – Jan. 2 2021 – Assuming this lockdown doesn’t last until December, all is still well here.
6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude – While there weren’t any intense rabbit holes, I definitely poked my head in more than once.
7. Take better care of my skin – My skin looks good! The skincare I have seems to be working for now.
8. Go stargazing – Haven’t gone yet. Too cold. COVID curfew.
9. Get a new job – In the beginning of the month, I churned out applications to each job I mildly had the ability to do well. I need to keep this up, but I think my timeframe isn’t as realistic with the whole world in a big freeze.
10. Do a handstand – I hope I can keep working on my upper body strength to pull this off, but I’ve also found a new way to work up to this goal.
11. Go see two of my favorite performers – Broadway shows are on hold during the lockdown. If we’re not out by July, and I miss my Hamilton date, I will riot.
12. Lose weight – No change at all, between me doing well and then cancelling it out with bad habits.
13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday – My brain has hatched a few ideas for this.
14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter – I made a lot of effort towards this goal. I am adjusting pretty well to this lockdown, but a lot of my friends are going stir crazy and anxious. I think I’ve done a good job of being present for them. I went home and surprised my family with a visit this past weekend and I think that made a big difference! I’ve been working to strike a balance of being there for my friends who need it, while also giving Aaron quality time. However, I only called my grandfather once in the past two weeks. He and my grandmother don’t have company with them right now at all because none of us want to accidentally give them the sickness, and I can’t believe that I didn’t make more time to call them or write them or something.
15. Be happy – In general, this month was okay, but I definitely feel crummy today. I had a rough start to my morning and things didn’t get much better from there.

I know I will feel better when I’ve accomplished my goals. I feel so tired at the end of the day that I just want to do nothing. I just stare at my phone until I get up and go to bed. I hate feeling so numb to the world, and I know that when I have kids I’ll have to spend that time in the evening checking homework and doing carpool and providing my kids with love and attention, while still being a good supportive wife and sharing some of that time to just be with Aaron.

I want to take this as a learning opportunity to shift towards a more promising way to get past these bigger missteps:

  1. Read 52 books. I will read these books. I bought them and I will finish them. To that effect, I will have something to write about as far as my monthly reads for March. Coming soon! In April, I will be focusing mainly on poetry. Poetry collections aren’t really three hundred pages of tiny type, they’re more nuanced but shorter. When I finish my four books this month, I hope I can revisit at least one of these books.
  2. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING. I need to enable a rule about this. Maybe a few. Here’s a challenge: I can only scroll from sunrise to sunset. No more spending hours in bed scrolling!
  3. Stop engaging in schadenfreude. In my bouts of schadenfreude, I never felt satisfied. I recognized (and then stopped) in the moment, “Hang on a second, this isn’t making me happy.” I felt frustrated or angry. I need to let it go.
  4. Lose weight – I am at an unhealthy weight. Forget looks, I don’t feel good. I feel sluggish and weak. I need to put more stock into what I eat and how I keep active.
  5. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter – I will contact them twice a week every week in April.

I am a big believer in “there is no failure, only failure to try.” I have not abandoned my resolutions, even if I haven’t done as well with them as I would like. I will fall seven times, but stand up eight!

Will Do I Got This GIF by The New Celebrity Apprentice - Find & Share on GIPHY

 

February Wrap-Up: How we doin?

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Happy Fat Tuesday! Or is it “National Pancake Day?” Maybe it’s both. Either way, it’s the last Tuesday of the month. Time for a full month’s reflection!

  1. Read 52 books – I am on book 3 of the month, and I think I will have it finished by tonight! I am very excited about my progress. I’ll discuss my books later, but for now, I’ll just say that this month’s reads felt a bit lighter.

    via GIPHY

  2. Do pull ups – I had Aaron “spot” me at the gym to help me improve my form. According to him, I’m very close to getting it! I’ve been using my muscles the wrong way, so I’ve started adding lat pull-downs to my workout. I feel like I’m still using the wrong muscles, but I’ll keep trying.
  3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING.  – Not great Bob. I really need to focus on this one in the new month. I think that my phone is straight up a crutch. I need to leave it at home.
  4. Write 104 Blog Posts – I think I’m doing well with this! I like writing, it keeps me focused.
  5. Romantic Trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 – Jan. 2 – Should I keep writing about this one if I’ve already completed it? Mission accomplished? I think I’ll skip this one moving forward unless something happens and our trip gets cancelled (and therefore need to reschedule/get a new trip).
  6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude – I think I’m doing better with this one! I can’t remember the last “scandalous” or “gossip” video I watched. I may have fallen down one or two twitter threads, but that’s not bad considering how long I used to scroll comments and Reddit forums of passive aggression. I’ve been trying to flip my mindset in general to be focused more on when people do something nice. I think that helps, too!
  7. Take better care of my skin – This is going well! I signed up for a facial membership and got new products. I’ve started using a Neutrogena scrub on my back because for some reason my body has decided now, at 25, is a good time for me to get crazy bad bacne. Lord, beer me strength. I’m using the skincare my facialist provided me on my face and chest, but the Neutrogena scrub on my back and shoulders. I’m going to be rigorous with both and see which side of me looks better. If all else fails and I don’t see results after 3 months, I’ll go to a dermatologist. I got invited to a wedding in December and I’ve got a dress that would look great if I lose the bacne and do well with resolution 12.

    kourtneyskin
    Image from Google Results. It’s Kourtney Kardashian.

  8. Go stargazing – Not yet, but it’s still cold outside at night! March and April will hopefully be warmer but not sticky, so I can enjoy it more!
  9. Get a new job – I have a projected timeline of being out by this summer. Hopefully by the end of next month I can say “I’m out cub scout!”
  10. Do a handstand –  I had Aaron “spot” me with this one too! He recommended I practice getting closer to the wall to build up my strength. I’ve hit a mental wall because when I get off the wall, my shoes scuff the paint. No one’s saying anything but even if I wipe the wall I just wipe off the paint. You can see the streaks of my shoes if you look at the wall. I think if I press my luck more I will get caught and have to pay for the wall to get repainted. IN MY DEFENSE THAT WALL HAS BEEN BLUE FOR THE PAST HOWEVER MANY MONTHS. WHY IS PAINT COMING OFF WHEN I WIPE THE WALL WITH A SINGLE CLOROX WIPE.
  11. Go see two of my favorite performers – The performers previously mentioned are still not on tour. John Mulaney added dates for a venue in Canada, but I think that’s for taping a live show/Netflix special. The rest are still MIA (save, again, for Billie’s tour next month that would be too expensive). I decided to commit to my January suggestion and aim to see “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Hamilton.” And… mission accomplished! I’m seeing “Dear Evan Hansen” in April and “Hamilton” on Broadway in July! I can’t believe it! I’m finally seeing the two shows I’ve been dying to see for years! I can’t wait! I’m so happy!

    schuylersisters
    Hamilton: An American Musical. By Lin-Manuel Miranda, directed by Thomas Kail, 21 Apr. 2016, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York, NY. Performance.

  12. Lose weight – Words cannot describe how much I’m tanking this one. I’m still eating too much sugar (and not the good sugar from fruit, like.. handfuls of chocolate chips from the bag), and my body just REALLY doesn’t care that my brain wants me to be healthier. I hope that I can say I’ve made more progress by this time next month. I’m really embarrassed by my lack of progress here.
  13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday – Aaron and I haven’t fully discussed his birthday yet. I’ve been determining better weekends for me to go up to Boston to see my friends and see my family in New York, and I’ve set aside both the weekend before and after his birthday (his birthday is a WEDNESDAY) to make sure we have a nice time. I think he’d like going to St. Augustine or maybe even Sarasota, but I am not sure he even knows what he wants. I’m taking down random gift ideas he has (basically every time he wants something I write it down somewhere) so I can at least get him a good gift.
  14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter – I sent my grandpa a nice email yesterday catching him up on life. He doesn’t answer the phone much but I know he checks his email. I saw my dad last week and we talked about the current political climate and his life. I think he’s not taking good enough care of himself because he has chronic back pain. He says his doctor says all he can do is medicate and then when he can’t take it anymore, do a very risky surgery. I refuse to believe that is all “Big Pharma” has to offer. My dad assures me that he knows what he’s doing and he’s doing great for someone his age. I don’t know if I believe him.

    caringloudlyatme
    Image from Giphy. “Pilot”. Parks and Recreation . NBC. 9 April 2009.

    I’ve done a better job of checking in with my brother, but my sister went through kind of a rough patch and rather than keeping in touch with her, I gave her space. She told me that disappointed her and I felt awful about it. I know now when I need to be present and when I need to give her time to herself. In this context, I decided to go home in two weeks to be with both her and my mom for a “Girls’ Weekend.” I think that’ll be really good for us! As far as Aaron is concerned, I feel like our relationship gets better and better with each day that we’re together. He’s working really hard and I’m sharing my encouragement and support regularly. I love him and I ask him regularly how to be better. He doesn’t have many complaints, lucky me 🙂 I’ve made time for each of my friends this month, too! Between birthday parties and future travel plans, I think everyone knows I love and appreciate them. At least, I hope they do!

  15. Be happy – I had a really great month. I wish I were making more solid progress on items nine and twelve. I think if I make steadfast progress on both next month, I’ll be really solid on this resolution!

I think this helps me confirm what my focus should be in March: lose weight and get that end-date! Again, my actual weight right now is NO ONE’S BUSINESS, but it is a goal. I HAVE SPOKEN.

gamesetmatchlinetti
Image from Pinterest. “The Apartment.”Brooklyn Nine-Nine . FOX/NBC. 25 February 2014.

My 2020 Intentions — A Check In!

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Only three days left in the first month of the new decade! It’s been a weird first month, and I’m eager to see how February goes.

Here’s a status update on each of my 2020 “Intentions”:

1. Read 52 books. On my way! I’ve read three books this month, and I would like to read two between now and the end of this week. I’m thinking a monthly book club post can be expected soon regardless.

2. Do pull ups. I’m able to hang a bit, and pull myself up slightly. Aaron provided some truly excellent feedback about the targeted muscles of the pull-up, which really made a difference this past week. To that point, Aaron thinks that my goal isn’t all that lofty, since he previously went from doing zero to seventy pull ups in three months. I think compounding with a hand-stand goal balances me out, though!

3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING. In general, I think I’m doing slightly better. I scroll less when I’m with other people, but I still find myself refreshing my Twitter and Instagram feed way too frequently for my liking.

4. Write 104 blog posts. This will be my eighth post in the new year. Making progress!

5. Romantic trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 2020 – Jan. 2 2021. The Gods (or rather, my mother) have smiled upon me– mission accomplished! A special offer inspired my mom to book a cruise for the end of the year. It’s not in the exact time-frame enumerated above, but I’m okay with that! It’ll still feel like a good way to celebrate being together for the holidays on a romantic adventure.

6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude. This resolution had several very specific targets. I haven’t indulged in one of them, but I’ve grazed two and full-on consumed another. One of my “grazes” made me feel uncomfortable, so I think I’m halfway there. If I can stop with the full-on consumption of that “another” in February, I will feel much better.

7. Take better care of my skin. I’ve been better about washing my face! I also discovered that I should be using my face wash on my shoulders. Hopefully that will help expedite my progress for clean skin all over, and not just what my coworkers will see!

8. Go stargazing. I haven’t set a date for this yet, but I did slow down on my morning walk to the gym this morning because the sky was just that breathtaking. Stars really are something. I might wait for a good stargazing night, like an eclipse or a meteor shower. Then again, maybe not!

9. Get a new job. I’ve been working with a coworker from a different department to get her accustomed to the website platform. It’s been great! The more she learns, the better the transition will be when I leave. I have a meeting with my supervisor for next week where we can hopefully discuss opportunities further. Meanwhile… customers have made me feel hostile, depressed, and hopeless. That only motivates me to leave even faster.

theofficedesperate
Image from Tenor. “Chair Model.” The Office. NBC. 17 April 2008.

10. Do a handstand. I’ve practiced a few times at the gym against a wall, but I definitely feel unnerved by the process. I feel like people are staring (and by that I mean a single person. Because it’s the gym. At five in the morning. And some weirdo is leaning her potato body against a wall while kicking upside down and trying to stay upright). I need to work on my confidence!

11. Go see two of my favorite performers. Boy oh boy, did this go downhill. Of the performers I mentioned last time (John Mulaney, Bo Burnham, Ali Wong, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, and Panic! at the Disco), only two of them are doing tours this year. Billie’s concert tickets are way too expensive, and Ali’s tour dates do not include Florida.

Image from GIPHY. “In Care Of.” Mad Men . 23 June 2013.

I may reevaluate this resolution, and try to (on one of my trips to New York this year) see “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” both of which are Broadway shows I’ve been wanting to see for years.

12. Lose weight. I lost a few, gained some, and now I think I’ve found something that may work long-term (for REAL this time). I hope it does!

13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday. I still have time to plan this, but I keep a list of presents to get him in my phone to add to whenever he says he wants something. Hopefully in two months we’ll have an idea of what he wants for his birthday. I’d like to surprise him with something special!

14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter. I’ve talked more in depth with my friends and siblings this year. I talk to my parents way less than I should, and I haven’t spoken to my grandparents once this month (I may have left a single voicemail). That is positively embarrassing. I’m ashamed.

15. Be happy. Well, after reading that last item, I’m not very happy! I guess it’s a good thing, because if I have nothing to show for the end of next month I’ll feel even worse, and I don’t want that. But in general I’ve enjoyed this month a lot more than I enjoyed the previous month. Having the kittens around has made a world of a difference.

And that’s January! There’s still time for me to read and speak to my grandparents. I really don’t have an excuse, do I? Onward and upward!

My 2020 Intentions

Posted on by admin

Happy New Year, world! Welcome to the roaring twenties. I’m going to KEEP SAYING IT, because as I’ve stated before, I love the glitz and glamour and Gatsby of it all… minus the massive Depression that followed. If we could hold off on that this time around that’d be great, because I don’t think I can handle that.

This time last year, I provided my biggest resolutions for 2019. Like most people, I really did NOT do a great job on them. I decided to include some of them in this year’s resolutions, though. The only failure is failure to try, right?

In 2019, these were my goals:
1. Do an unassisted pull-up.
2. Do a handstand.
3. Make mindfulness a regular practice.
4. Make style changes.
5. Do something new.
6. Take a Career Step.
7. Go stargazing.

So, how did I do?
1. Do an unassisted pull-up – did not happen, but I did get close! I have included this in my 2020 resolutions. This is the YEAR OF THE PULL-UP.
2. Do a handstand – did not happen. I still want to accomplish this, but my focus is pull-ups.
3. Make mindfulness a regular practice – I accomplished this to a degree, but not as much as I’d like. I found myself taking moments to ground myself and enjoy silence when I needed it, but I wasn’t meditating for five minutes every day.
4. Make style changes – Mission accomplished, mostly? I changed up my style a bit in the past year, but not dramatically so. In a later entry I’m going to compare my style post from last year to my current closet. I think this is ongoing, as my body and tastes change, and I didn’t include this in my 2020 resolutions. I definitely did a lot less “phoning it in” in how I dressed!
5. Do something new – Ate gator, pistachio gelato, and multiple different kinds of ultra hot sauce. Held a lizard and a snake, posed with an albino gator. Traveled to Italy, France, and Greece. Got this done, fo’ sho.
6. Take a Career Step – I took bebe steps to this. My workload was massive in the first half of the year, but it gave me a great opportunity to learn more, and do more, within my position. The second half of the year, things calmed down, but at the same time, my life was consumed with the wedding, honeymoon, and family gatherings. Between ALL of it, though, I sat down with my supervisor and discussed my goals for this upcoming year. I have loved the position I have now but I’m ready for something new, go after the real career I want. Thankfully, my boss is supportive and has helped me with this process, but again, it’s been baby steps. I’ve made this a top resolution for the new year.
7. Go stargazing – Mission KIND OF accomplished. On our honeymoon, Aaron and I walked the ship at night and he pointed out different constellations. Turns out he’s really into astronomy! We were only outside for a few minutes though, because it was freezing and I needed to go inside. I’d love to take a night to do that with him, just us, a picnic blanket, and the stars. I see a starry date night in our future… just maybe when it’s warmer!

So, where does that leave us for this year?

Behold, my 2020 Resolutions!

  1. Read 52 books – Last year, I pointedly did not make book-reading a goal, and with that, I actually think I read more this past year than I did in a while! I want to set a target goal of reading one new book a week. I’m going to monitor this goal by doing a “book review” at the end of the month to discuss each book I read that month. And yes, week 1 is already complete 😉
  2. Do pull ups – I really want to do it! I’m hoping that my ability to pull myself up will inform my ability to push myself up into a handstand, but if not, that’s okay. Apparently if you can do one pull-up, you can do more than one pull-up. Let’s see how that goes!
  3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING – Holy heckin’ bob, I spend so much time on my phone! Everyone and their mother has an opinion on how much I’m on my phone. I’ve honestly watched so much time fly while mindlessly liking photos on Instagram. I need to get out of other people’s lives/digital media footprint.
  4. Write 104 blog posts – Two entries a week seems reasonable, right? I’ve started mentally planning an entry for each week this month. Very excited to be consistent and track my year’s worth of thoughts, ideas, and goals!
  5. Romantic trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 2020 – Jan. 2 2021 – Those dates may vary, but I want to take the last “week” of the year off of work. I want to leave work before Christmas Eve and not come back until the new year! At the top of my list is a trip to Vermont to have a snow-covered Christmas, and then go skiing for the rest of the year. My mom has also been contemplating taking my siblings, Aaron and I on a cruise in the tropics at the end of the year. If my mom wants to treat us to an end-of-the year Bahamas trip, whomst am I to refuse? That said, I saw photos of Amsterdam all lit up for Christmas and it looked very romantic, and I also considered the idea of going back to London with Aaron, and doing a few days in Scotland before ringing in the new year by Big Ben. How special would that be? So, ideas! Intention! Execute!
  6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude – This feeds into item 3, but a part of me secretly loves when people on social media I don’t like get their comeuppance or get called out for being terrible. It’s just bad karma. I like “tea” as much as the next person, but I don’t think it needs to dominate my brain as much as I let it now!
  7. Take better care of my skin – Maybe it’s end of the year holiday food, maybe it’s just not showering RIGHT after a workout, but dang, I have serious acne on my shoulders right now! Boo! Didn’t ask for that! Thankfully I don’t have terrible facial acne, but I have scars that are just… unconcealable. I want to spend more of my hard-earned money on self-care, in the form of facials and massages. Calmer muscles = calmer skin. Also water.
  8. Go stargazing – I’m honestly embarrassed I didn’t do this last year. I went to a holiday party during which a friend and I discussed bioluminescence kayaking, which is when you go out kayaking at night in a place where the water looks like this:
    bioluminescent_plankton-click link for sourceI think sparkly seas and sparkly skies is an ideal date night. Except Aaron isn’t a big fan of open water. I’ll figure this out, somehow!
  9. Get a new job – This is a MUST for this year. I love my coworkers and enjoy designing/revising websites, but I’m ready for something more. It’s time to move forward in a new position, and I will have one by the end of the year.
  10. Do a handstand – PULL UPS FIRST, then handstand! I think once I have the upper body strength I’ll be in good shape, the handstand true difficulty comes with the mental part of it. Balancing my whole body weight on my lil’ hands? Mind over matter!
  11. Go see two of my favorite performers – Stand up? Music? Either or works! Depending on who is touring (and where), I want to see John Mulaney, Bo Burnham, Ali Wong, Ariana Grande, Panic! at the Disco, or Billie Eilish. I’ll go on my own if that’s what it takes, but if John Mulaney is coming to Boston and I am FORCED to go see my best friends in Boston and go with them, I will do what is needed.
  12. Lose weight – I have a specific number in mind, a goal weight that I want to achieve. You don’t need to know that, though! They’re my numbers and no one needs to match my standards. I think weight loss is a common goal for people in the new year; that said, in today’s increasingly body-positive world, wanting to lose weight has negative connotations. I am all for celebrating yourself and loving the skin you’re in, but I definitely feel uncomfortable in my body lately. By scientific standards, I am obese right now (yikes). I’ll share when I’ve accomplished getting down to a healthy weight, and when I’ve reached my number, in reference to keeping up with my goals. I won’t share any numbers, but know that I’m doing this for me and not because society is making me.

    TheOfficeIDontEvenConsiderMyselfPartOfSociety
    Image from Pinterest. “Women’s Appreciation”. The Office. NBC. 3 May 2007.
  13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday – Last year, his birthday fell by the wayside between family events and being sick. He had his birthday dinner and got great presents, but we had planned on going to Universal and that didn’t happen! I want to make sure that for his 26th birthday, I go all out and give him the works. He deserves it.
  14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter – I feel like this past year I was so absent, like I let things happen to me and didn’t really take actions for myself. With that, I heard my friends, but I didn’t always listen. I let Aaron vent but didn’t soak up what he said. I felt drained, so I didn’t spend a lot of time with my siblings nor my parents in a meaningful way. They did so much for me this past year, but I don’t know how my mom is doing. I don’t know what my brother wants to do with his life. Apparently my dad has taken up medicinal marijuana? What dimension is this? On top of that, I should call my grandparents more. I just should. It wasn’t consistent acts of selfishness, I just recognized that I could be better. I want to take better care of myself this year, but also take better care of my relationships with the people I love. This year, and every year, I will do better. I think if I accomplish all of these things, I will complete my biggest 2020 resolution:
  15. Be happy – In 2020 I will accomplish my goals, both personally and professionally. I will live a life of love and chose love every time.

 

At the end of each month, I will post my status/progress on each of these goals! I feel good about all of them, and I think this will be a good year for me. My brain keeps saying “Don’t jinx it!” To my brain I say “Stop second guessing yourself! Embrace the good! Go fold your laundry, it’s been in the dryer for three days!”

Happy New Year. Let’s make it a good one 🙂