hello, 2017

new year. new rules. i wasn't always an advocate of resolutions but when you can look back at the end of the year + realize that you are capable of crushing them (realistic resolutions, that is) it feels pretty damn good.

save for future dreams  
guys, this was huge. i had a five figure range of what i was hoping to save in 2016 and although i hit the lower end of that range it is something i have never really done before + i am SO proud of myself. i plan to keep this progress up in 2017, but i also plan to meet with a financial adviser + get a little more well-versed in personal finances altogether. i have said this a million times but it is honestly a travesty that young adults do not get better education here, myself included. going to do what i can now to give myself a pleasant future later.

read a book a month
i crushed this goal in 2016 with fifteen books read. i knew saving money would make me feel good, but i was surprised to find that continual reading made me feel extremely satisfied in a different kind of way. i read all sorts of genres + although most of the books i read were only so-so i always took away something or at the very least let my imagination run wild for a bit so i figured this would be a good one to continue with.

get out
2017 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for travel with trips already booked for palm springs, joshua tree, phoenix, austin + denver. i also have some early plans for spain, france, + costa rica later in the year. i also want to do a better job of getting out in chicago too. i did a pretty good job of visiting places i love like art museums, restaurants, + other places of interest in 2016, so i hope to keep that up this year as well.

advocate for the underdogs
over the past several years i have developed a strong interest in what has been happening in the middle east. the refugee crisis absolutely breaks my heart so i would like to find a way to contribute somehow. if you want to learn more on this situation i highly encourage you to watch frontline's recent special called "exodus." on a more personal level, i want to find a way to advocate for the introverts of the world (like me). recently i have thought a lot about what being more soft-spoken, introverted has meant for my career, relationships, etc. i love that i am me but at times you can feel like the grass would be greener. my conclusion, which i should have always known, is that there is a place in the workplace, home, WORLD for both extroverts + introverts. i want to find a way to make them more empowered...just not sure exactly how yet.

be kind to my body
what would a new year be without some irrational fitness goals?? i'm not going to set specific goals of working out 3x times per week or what-have-you because i know me + i know some weeks i will crush it + other weeks i will fail miserably. i do, however, think fitness is a good goal to remind yourself of at the start of a new year + i also know that i could probably motivate myself more than i currently am.

create
making things makes me happy. i am recognizing that creation doesn't necessarily have to be in the form of a grand thing, but that those little creations can be just as rewarding. creation in 2017 will most likely come in the form of writing (both personally + publicly) as well as making my home a home. in order to hit my said savings goal above i pumped the breaks on decorating. i think i'm in a position now where i can start to pick that back up again (!!!).