Words to Live By: Timing is Everything

When you’re a control freak with a Type-A personality, like myself, it can be hard to slow down and let life take its course. I have so many goals, dreams and aspirations but I have to remind myself to take it one day at a time before I get discouraged.

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I have so many questions that are left unanswered but I’m learning that any progress is still progress! Stepping outside of my comfort zone is good for me. Learning to cook healthier meals is good for me. Dating complete strangers online is (in some ways) good for me.

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

I have the tendency to want to plan, plan plan but I can’t always do that. I’ll just stay positive and hope for the best! With hard work and the right timing, things will fall into place. So tell me, how do you stay motivated when the going gets tough? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

My 2015 New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! What are your resolutions? My 2014 resolutions were:

1. Stop spending so much money on coffee. (Nailed it!)

2. Watch more Disney movies. (Nailed it!)

3. Visit my friend in Nashville. (Failed, but made plans for 2015!)

4. Pay down my student loans. (Kinda nailed it!)

I didn’t do so bad with my resolutions. I eased up on the coffee spending and watched a throwback Disney movie every so often. I also made progress on my student loans. I have a ways to go but I’m getting there. I didn’t make it to Nashville last fall, but I fully intend to this spring. Yee haw!

Now for my 2015 New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Stay positive and complain less. Day to day, it wouldn’t hurt to be more optimistic. I wouldn’t say I’m a grouch, but sometimes I point out the flaws in a situation instead of focusing on the good.

2. Continue to pay down my student loans. I’m going to keep trucking and staying positive.

3. Reach 10,000 steps a day 5 days a week. I’m not one for fitness-related resolutions because usually they crumble by March, but this one I think is attainable. If I hit 10K steps most of the week, that’ll be a huge accomplishment and I’ll definitely feel more energized.

4. Do more other stuff, less Netflix. I’m not a Netflix junkie by any means, but I’d like to read more books, do more crafts, go on walks and explore more Minneapolis-St. Paul places.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

New Year’s Resolutions Revisited

Remember when I wrote a post about my 2014 New Year’s Resolutions? Let’s revisit that.

1. Stop spending so much money on coffee. Okay, I think I’m getting a lot better about this! I don’t buy fancy coffee (lattes!) unless it’s part of a social thing like I’m meeting a friend for coffee. I always felt like I had to buy fancy coffee at my old job but now there’s a communal coffee pot at my new job so I help myself to that. It’s dangerous.

2. Watch more Disney movies. I could really hit this one hard. There’s definitely room for improvement. I watched a few movies in my apartment this winter when I was hiding from the cold and snow. What should I watch the next time we have a rainy day? Any suggestions?

3. Visit my friend in Nashville. This one really needs to happen! Maybe in the fall once wedding season dies down. I’ve been dreaming of Nashville for longer than I can remember. I can’t wait to visit museums stocked with outfits, clothes and music scribbles from legends like Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert!

4. Pay down my student loans. I’m pretty proud of myself on this one. I’ve just paid off another (very small) loan this month. Every little step counts. I need to take pride in the little steps, otherwise I’ll get very discouraged and depressed. It’s overwhelming but I have to take it month by month. I’ll keep staying positive and plugging away.

How are your resolutions going? Tell me!

My 2014 New Year’s Resolutions

If you didn’t know already, one of my favorite friends, Kala, has an amazing home decor (and lots of other things) blog called My Breezy Room. Last year, Kala wrote a post about her 2013 New Year Resolutions which I just loved, and it inspired me to copy-cat her and write about my own resolutions. I also like that she revisited her resolutions in July and November just to check in on her progress–super smart! (Anyways, check out her blog when you get a chance.)

Here goes nothing for my 2014 New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Stop spending so much money on coffee. $2 here… $4 there… it’s adding up! I try to limit my addiction to Caribou and Starbucks but I really need to crack down here. Now that fancy-pants holiday drinks are phasing out it should get easier. I have coffee grounds at my house and I need to ALWAYS make one (or three) cups in the morning. What I should do is make one cup at home and take one to-go…then I wouldn’t buy a black coffee some days at work. (OK just so we’re on the same page… going to cool-girl coffee shops in Minneapolis with friends does not count toward this resolution. Social coffees are OK…solo coffees are where I need to rein it in.)

2. Watch more Disney movies. I want to watch one or two old-school Disney movies a month. You know, the ’90s and early 2000’s stuff. They make me so happy and cheery, mostly because I can sing and dance around my apartment with no shame. I started to do this  Disney resolution one year and later forgot about it, but I loved it while it lasted. Finally a resolution that doesn’t feel like a sacrifice!

3. Visit my friend in Nashville. One of my best friends from high school is going to school in Nashville for a few years before she’s placed in a different part of Tennessee. So I need to act fast and fly my butt down to visit her. Not only have I been obsessed with country music since kindergarten, Nashville just seems like a great city to visit. I have a few weddings and things going on  in 2014, but I’d love to set aside some time for myself and take a trip.

Now for the most serious and not fun at all…

4. Pay down my student loans. I need to hack away at these bad boys. I’ve been doing a great job of paying more than my minimum payment each month, but I could definitely make a few improvements with my budgeting. Everyone has loans or things they’re saving for so this isn’t new news by any means. I just want to keep making progress, even if it’s small!

Anyways, those are my resolutions. Some are fun, some are serious! I can’t remember the last time I’ve had my resolutions down in writing. Maybe this means I’ll take them seriously this time.

What are your resolutions for 2014?