2016 New Year Resolutions

2015 was kind of the best year of my life, so I really don’t know how 2016 could possibly top it.

2015 was the year Joe and I got married, and we also moved into our brand new home.

Doesn’t get much better than that.

But regardless, I’m on a mission to make 2016 super freaking awesome, so I’m actually taking the time to make a few resolutions for this new year.

1. Try one new recipe each month

I’ll be really happy if I accomplish this one. I can’t cook to save my life, but I want to so bad! I want to make food that people actually like. I want to serve Joe dinner and have him ask for seconds. So far, I think I’ve perfected like 3 simple meals, but I need to learn a few more. Se each month, I’m going to make every effort to try one new recipe, and I’ll let you guys know whether or not it was a total failure. I’ve been pinning recipes non-stop, and saving tons of videos that pop up on Facebook, so I think there’s a good chance I can do this one. I’ll keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case.

2. Read one new book per month

This one should be a piece of cake, but I’m putting it on my list so that I’m constantly reminded of it. I LOVE books. I really do. But my biggest problem is that I start reading 35 books at one time, and then never finish them. So I want to be a bit more deliberate in my reading, and I want to actually finish a whole book before I start reading a new one. Last month I read some good ones, though. I FINALLY read Girl Boss, which was obviously awesome, and I also read Girl On The Train which was AMAZING. I read it in 2 days…that’s how good it was. Couldn’t put it down. If you like mystery/thriller books that aren’t ridiculously difficult to follow, this one’s for you. Right now, I’m almost done with We Were Liars, and I also have Re-Work and Big Magic sitting on my nightstand. I’m hoping to get through all of them in the next couple of months. I’m not too worried…I got this!

3. Get more sleep

This one’s probably the most important one on my list, but it’s also the resolution I’m most gunna struggle with. It’s funny how I used to love staying up as a kid. My goal in life as a kid was always to find a way to stay up until one in the morning. These days, if I can be in bed at 8pm, dude, that’s like the equivalent of you giving me $500. Like, is this really happening?! I get to go to bed early?!?! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I don’t know about you guys, but I need a lot of sleep to function. I’m not one of those people who can go to bed at one, wake up at five, and then be cheery and happy all day. On four hours of sleep, you’ll be lucky if I don’t punch you in the face. So yea, I love me some sleep! Unfortunately, with so much to do, there’s no way I’m usually in bed before 10:30 during the week, but I’m going to make every effort to change that. I feel like this alone will make me a million times happier, and way less cranky. Joe will like that.

4. Catch up with friends

I think I suck at being a good friend. I don’t mean to suck, but it’s hard to maintain friendships as an adult. First of all, some of my closest friends live hours away from me. Some not even in the same state, and the ones who DO live close to me?? Well, we’re all kind of busy! We work, have lives, some of us have kids… so yea, that makes it hard sometimes to keep in touch. But I’m tired of the excuses, and I miss my friends, so I’m gunna make a better effort this year to maintain my friendships. Besides, I’m way overdue for a good brunch.

5. Fun dates with Joe

Joe and I are married now, but we’re not dead! As much as I love hanging out on the couch and watching movies, I still think it’s important to go out every once in a while and have some fun date nights. Or day dates. Day dates are fun too. It’s too easy to fall into a rut right now. Especially when we’re trying to save money. I swear, every time Joe and I go ANYWHERE, we can’t do it without spending over $100. That’s why some weekends, I’m just like, “No. We’re not going out. We’re sitting on this couch, and we’re not going anywhere.” And yes, that does prevent us from blowing our budget, but this year, I’m gunna mix it up a little bit. We’re gunna go on some fun adventures. With a little planning, it doesn’t have to kill us financially, and it’ll be a lot of fun. Really looking forward to this.

Bonus: Keep my house clean!

I know this one is pretty much impossible, so I’m not gunna set myself up for failure here. But if I can keep it just a LITTLE cleaner, just a LITTLE tidier, I’ll be really happy.

Here’s to an amazing 2016, friends! Wish you guys nothing but awesome stuff!

And I’m curious…what are your resolutions? Let me know in the comments below!

Books on blogging to help you take your blog to the next level:

• Building A Framework
• Blog, Inc.
• Creative, Inc.
• How To Blog For Profit Without Selling Your Soul
• 365 Blog Topic Ideas: For The Lifestyle Blogger Who Has Nothing To Write About
• #GirlBoss
• Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job, Kill It In Your Career, Rock Social Media
• Crush It
• Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook
• Thrive

Books to help you deal with your twenties: 

• 101 Secrets For Your Twenties
• Life After College
• The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter & How To Make The Most of Them
• Adulting: How To Become A Grown Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps
• All Groan Up: Searching For Self, Faith, and A Freaking Job! 

Other stuff you might like:

• Generation Y Redefines Success
• How To Be Rich in Your Twenties
• The 5 Most Valuable Lessons Grad School Taught Me
• Pursue a Lifestyle, Not a Job
• Why It’s Okay to Be Excited About the Awesome Stuff You’re Doing
• Why We Need to Get Over Our Fear of Rejection
• Don’t Wait, Be Happy Now
• The 5 Best Investments You Can Make in College

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