I’ve seen many posts on social media over the past two days that pointed out how amazing 2014 is going to be (YES!), but also how people couldn’t wait to get rid of 2013.  Closing the door on the past, good riddance, and “thank goodness it’s over!”.  What I wish everyone could hold sight of is that even though there were tough times in the past year, there were so many great moments that we’ll never want to forget.  We can’t let bad moments put a cloud over the beautiful ones.  2013 was wonderful for me and it marked fantastic changes in my life, both personally and professionally.

 

I’ve learned that New Years day isn’t just a time for resolutions and to ‘kick last year to the curb’, it’s a time to look at your life with fresh eyes.  To really sit down with yourself, promise to make the changes you’ve been longing to make, and dream big for the future.

One of my promises for 2014 is to make sure my loved ones know just how much I appreciate and care about them.  It’s easy to get lost in my own world and forget that a friendship is a two-way street, and I need to invest in my friends and family’s growth just as much as I would want them to invest in me.

 

Another promise I’m making to myself is to blog more.  Blogging for me is not just a way to show current and potential clients what I’m up to, it’s a way to share more of my life with them.  I try to capture beauty all around, and I SHOULD share that!

Now living a healthier life has always been a struggle for me.  I LOVE coffee, chocolate, and butter.  I also tend to ignore my own personal health, which is dangerous in combination with those vices.  In the past I used to think that I should make resolutions to diet, exercise more, to eat nothing but kale and cauliflower every day, but really, WHO DOES THAT???  So this time, I’m promising not to make a yearly change, but a lifestyle change.  To maintain ‘everything in moderation’, and to make better choices in my diet and routines.  All in all, to be more conscientious.

And the last promise I’ll share is that I’m making a promise to lead a more “green” lifestyle.  There are so many small ways to reduce our carbon footprint on this earth!  Just one simple way to help is to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.  Sound silly?  I receive at least 2 pieces of mail EVERY DAY that are junk.  They immediately get placed in the recycle bin and I never care to look at them, what a waste!  Then I found this link, which has information on how to opt out of junk mail and prescreened offers.  There are so many silly little ways to not just reduce, but reuse (pinterest is FULL of them!), so why not take an extra minute to do them?

Best wishes to all, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!