Friday, January 3, 2014

2014: Direction

As I sat down to write about my goals and intentions for this upcoming year, the word "direction" popped into my head suddenly. I realized that this word truly encompassed what I need to see in my life in 2014.

Last year, so many great things happened. At the same time, it was a very difficult year for many, many reasons. Looking back, the major thing I lacked was direction. After I graduated college, I jumped at the first job that offered itself to me and it turned out to be a major disaster. I tried a few other things before I finally landed the two jobs I have now (which are amazing and right where I need to be!). Working as a teen librarian has really set me and my husband in a direction that we both need to be heading. I feel really positive about this year because it's already starting out 100% different than the last. We are in a better place in just about every area of our lives and I am so incredibly thankful for that. So, choosing this word will serve as a guide and inspiration to shape my decisions and attitude in the upcoming year; it will help me be mindful of observing and managing my direction.

That being said, I've always stuck to things when I wrote them down somewhere. I always kept a journal growing up, and would flip through the pages often to remind myself of what I had said I was going to do or try to accomplish. While I don't normally set "New Years Resolutions" each year, I felt it was the next logical step if my "word" was direction. Goals often yield direction, so here are a few of my goals for this upcoming year.

Get at least 60 minutes of physical exercise a week. I know this is a cliche of all cliches, but for me, achieving this (tiny) amount of exercise is extremely important. It's not about looking a certain way, or even maintaining a specific body type- it's about prevention and wellness. Exercise keeps me in control of my body and also keeps me accountable for how I am taking care of myself. Physical activity gives me the energy I need to live the life I need to live.

Learn a new language. All throughout high school and college, I took Spanish classes, so I feel like I have a pretty decent grasp on it. I also took a course on French in college and it came so naturally to me. So I've decided that by the end of the year, I want to have a solid grasp on the French language. It's such a musical language, beautiful and expressive, and I feel like I need more of those two things in my life. Allons-y!

Pay off one of our bigger student loans. This is really high on our list of things to accomplish this year and will require a lot of willpower and fortitude to accomplish. Last year, I paid off all of the credit card debt I had (which, admittedly, wasn't much, but it still feels good!). Doing this will, naturally, allow us to achieve other long-term financial goals that we have as a couple.

Successfully bake a batch of French macarons. It will be done this year!

Get better at not comparing my life to the lives of those around me. I know this will add greatly to my happiness.

Read 100 books. I've goaled myself to read 100 books this year. That should be easy seeing as I work as a librarian, but I don't think I've ever counted how many books I read. Reading in college was impossible because I already had to ingest so much other material, so I've really been catching up these days.

Complete at least 5 things off of my 25 Before 25 list. I was happy to see that I've already accomplished 2 items on this list, but seeing as I turn 24 in about two months, I gotta get moving!

I'd love to hear some of your 2014 goals. What are you hoping to accomplish this year?

7 comments:

  1. Some of my 2014 Goals are:
    -Read the whole Bible
    -Attend church more
    -Spend more time with friends and family
    -Try new recipes
    -Live life without worrying about fear
    -Pay off Debit
    -Learn Spanish
    -Find a stable job in my field of psychology and human resource
    -Workout
    -Save
    -Go on vacation outside the U.S :)
    -Eat healthy more fruits and vegetables
    -Stop comparing my life to others
    -Be happy and stress free

    Love reading your blogs and your photography! Thank you for sharing

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  2. These are some great goals! I'd say most of these are on my to-do list as well :) I'll see you soon!

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  3. 100 books?! You're gonna be a busy gal!I know all too well what a crappy job can suck out of your soul so I'm glad you were able to get out. Being a fitness junkie it's good to hear about (however cliche) your exercise goals - it really does give you control and energy so good for you. Best of luck keeping your goals this year. Look forward to hearing more. As for myself I'd really like to amp up my blog and create a great community and following, also find a good job or build my own biz once I graduate at the end of the month as a LMT.

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  4. Emilyraphael@gmail.comJanuary 7, 2014 at 8:13 PM

    Being a teen librarian sounds awesome! You have to let me know the newest and best YA books out there! Also, I am dying to make some macarons. It seems so scary and I keep my place way too humid for them to work.

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  5. Sorry for the late response- I was never notified of you comment! Thank you for stopping by! I will definitely keep it up :D

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  6. Oh gosh... I never considered the humidity. I'll have to do it before the summer comes around then. It gets crazy humid here... I love talking books :D I'll be sure to pass some titles along. Have you read "Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell? That's a great book!

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  7. Hey Elise!


    Those are great goals. I've been goal planning for this year too, and even though I'm frustrated by how long it takes to achieve things, I'm excited about the coming year.

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