Good-Bye 2014

As the New Year approaches, I think it’s only natural to reflect back on our individual lives and begin thinking about what we want in the coming year. So often resolutions have a negative connotation to them. They are never achieved, we never stick to them, and they are too hard. While I have never been big on making definite New Year’s resolutions, I do find it is nice to stop during my busy schedule and think about what Paul and I have accomplished and what we still want from our lives. 

A cozy night at home

It’s a little surreal looking back onto this time last year and where we were. My graduate thesis was being drawn out longer than I had wanted and I still wasn’t anywhere I wanted to be with my career. There were a lot of tears and frustration. Honestly, I was having a really hard time staying positive. 2013 was a very difficult year for us. It was like we almost needed to have a blank slate and fresh start at the end of the year to get out of the mind-set we were in and change our outlook on life.  It was empowering and refreshing to look towards a new beginning as midnight chimed. Despite some of the sadness I loved how those positive thoughts made us both feel. I believe that how we view things is what 

One of my goals this past year was to create and read more

I love that resolutions give you a goal and something to work towards, I find that they are often so specific that they can be unattainable. In the last year or so I’ve come across many people who choose a word or phrase instead of a list of resolutions to help focus on throughout the year. If you’re anything like me, you have a list a mile long of resolutions or things that you want to accomplish. I find picking a word that encompasses everything I want from the year. What works best for you? Are you able to accomplish all your resolutions or do they fizzle out after 2 weeks into the New Year?

Stop taking pictures and play with me mom.

There are several goals and changes I want to accomplish this year and I look forward to sharing them throughout the coming months. I can’t wait to share some big changes there are to come! One thing I hope to continue is simplifying our lives which I’ve already wrote about here and here. I look forward to continuing the process. I also am working on getting back into shape. I am not so much interested in losing weight as much as I want to be healthier. Along with that I want to change the way my family and I eat. I look forward to posting more about that too. Along with a lot of projects and reading I have planned, I mostly want to change my overall lifestyle. I want to focus more on my family and how I spend my time. I’m looking for more quality and happiness in my life. So after a lot of thought, my word this year is family.

What is on your minds for this coming year? Any similar resolutions? I wish you all a very happy and safe New Year. May it bring a lot of joy, peace, and new adventures!

Out for a walk with the family.