New Year’s Resolutions to Usher in an Epic Not Bored Decade

I don’t normally blog about these things, or even bother to think about them seriously (you can decide to change whenever you want!). However, I’m no longer in my twenties and I’m starting to feel the passage of time as the balance tips in favor of “I’m never going to be able to do this” versus “There’s always time to do this later”. That feeling I had in my early twenties when it seemed like the world was mine to conquer and the rest of my life was stretched out infinitely before me has now been drowned in a sea of responsibility and reality. I think though that because of all that it’s become even more important to me to make the most of every single moment. In that light, I now list my resolutions for 2014, because like my friend Mshel once told me “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

1. In 2014, focus on activities, not food. – I’m not sure when my life started to revolve around food, but it was probably around the time I decided to practice cooking for the hypothetical kids I’m going to have in the future. On the one hand, cooking is a hobby that has proven to be useful (and quite popular!) during parties and events. On the other hand, my constant obsession over new things to make has evolved into an obsession over new food to try, period. At first this was really exciting and great for blogging. But an additional 30 lbs later, not so much.

2. Work out at least 4 times a week, before doing anything else. – See #1. The “before doing anything else” part seems crazy, even to me, but I tried it for 2 weeks and it definitely reduces 2 things:

• The feeling that being healthy means not being able to accomplish much else in life (it’s like literally MAKING time to work out because I have to wake up earlier than usual).
• The crushing guilt I feel throughout the day, knowing I probably won’t end up going to the gym.

3. Do yoga once a week. – This is related to #1 and #2, but mostly inspired by the fact that I’m a huge worrywart and Negatron. Someone in college once told me she “never sees me smile”, which is ridiculous, but something to think about at the very least. Anyway, I don’t think it’s a secret that yoga is supposed to help reduce stress.

4. Blog at least once a week. – I blog to reach out to my family and friends who aren’t around me as much as I’d like them to be, but also for myself. I have a tendency to forget things I’ve done, and this blog is a reminder that I do get things done sometimes, during those weekends when I feel useless as I waste away playing video games and marathoning/fangirling the latest British tv show I’ve come across. It’s also a reminder that I should probably get my ass off the couch and do something productive.

4. Do a photography project every weekend. – I recently bought Tom Ang’s “Digital Photography Masterclass”, which sounds like it’s for people who already know what they’re doing, but really seems to be for enthusiasts who are still learning. The discussions are centered around “assignments”, and since I can’t quite justify spending money on actual photography classes when I only use books for my day job, this is a good compromise. I’m not actually reviewing this book as a good one (I haven’t even started yet!), but it is my inspiration for this resolution.

My new baby, “River Song”.

5. Do Photo A Day for an entire year. – I recently replaced my backup camera, the Canon EOS 60D, with an Olympus OMD E-M5. I’ve gone mirrorless! Errr, some of the time. It’s weather-sealed, a lot smaller, a lot lighter, and honestly, a lot cuter. The idea was to find something a little less intimidating for street photography, and something I wouldn’t mind carrying around even on weekdays. This resolution is a justification for getting the E-M5 for myself instead of say, a classic pair of nude Louboutins a la Kate Middleton (or maybe a few decent sweaters).

Not everyone can pull off “hobo chic” like Cara.

6. Stop dressing like a hobo. – Ok, so this is a bit of an exaggeration. Half the time I think I do have a fairly decent sense of style, but half the time I just grab one of the 5 things in my closet that still fit. This technique may work for some people, like say Cara Delevingne, but unfortunately it does not work for me. I’ve definitely been known to drop $150 on dinner like it’s no big deal, and then stress out over spending more than $20 on a sweater. This is for sure something I’d like to balance out this decade.

From http://www.babynameslog.com/top-french-baby-names/

7. Go through Rosetta Stone’s French 1 and 2. – I don’t think I need to tell you why learning a new language is useful (not to mention cool).

I should probably stop there, since that’s already quite a list, but #1 is pretty vague, and the vaguer a resolution is, the harder it is to focus on getting it right. So in the interest of nailing #1, here’s my bucket list for the coming year:

1. Go skiing.
2. Go hiking.
3. Go paddle boarding.
4. Go to a new dog run with Gizmo.
5. Watch 2 Broadway shows.
6. Watch an off-Broadway show.
7. Watch a concert.
8. Watch a dance concert.
9. Do a weekend trip to one or two of the following: DC, Philly, Miami, San Francisco
10. Do a major overseas trip (as if I’ve ever skipped this one).