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?