Year (+) in review

I was sifting through some old google docs and I came across a few goals I wrote down for the year of 2014. Now that it's come and gone, I feel like I'm able to see it with fresh eyes. The goals are pretty general, but here they are with sub-bullet point commentary.

• Focus on positivity and happiness/Seek joy and find peace
• After the dark, miserable year that was 2013, 2014 could only be better by comparison, and boy was it ever! I felt so much more at peace and much more comfortable with my beliefs, my decisions, my lifestyle and my existential wanderings/wonderings. In 2013 I was a scared and broken little person with a thousand questions and worries about the purpose of the universe and myself within it. In 2014 I committed to living out the words in the Desiderata poem, and I firmly believe it has changed my life forever.
• Read books on other religions/spiritual writings
• I didn't do this.
• Practice yoga without fail 3-4 times a week
• I didn't really accomplish this at all in 2014. I went to yoga probably 1 or 2 times a week, and some weeks (even months, if I'm honest) I didn't go at all. Things got in the way, or more accurately, I got in the way. It was a year of talking myself out of doing all sorts of things and choosing to do the more relaxing, more comfortable thing. It was an expensive year and a year with many hangovers. Excess, man. It's a slow knife. The other day one of my yoga teachers said, "The hardest part of yoga is getting in your car and driving to the studio." Word.
• Try not to complain
• I'm still pretty horrible at this one. We sure do like to commiserate, us humans. It's good to bring this to the forefront of my mind again.
• Do a cleanse
• I did do this. I like cleanses a lot, but they are expensive and I'm not even sure as to their validity or merit. 
• Create financial stability
• I felt more financially stable in 2014 than I do right now, which is weird, because I feel like I was confused about money last year. I made my first big girl decision to start investing in a Roth IRA and Treasury Bond in November. Shane's dad said I made pretty good decisions, and pretty good from Pat Fitzgibbon is like getting a gold star. I have a lot more to learn about this whole world of finance, but Pat has provided me with some really dense and useful materials to learn about it. I need to carve out some time and get familiar with all the vocabulary and definitions of the different types of investments.
• Maintain my blog
• I did a fairly good job at blogging in 2014. So far this year I've only posted 4 things, which is pretty lackluster. Here's to trying again!

And here's what I wrote this January as I geared up for 2015. Again with sub-bullet point commentary cuz I liked doing it up there.

• Watch less TV
• Ha! If you call watching the entire 7 seasons of True Blood along with every other show that I religiously indulge in watching less TV, then yes, I am a true success!
• Less excessive drinking
• I think I've had only 1 or 2 really horrendous hangovers this year. That's MUCH better than last year. My drinking habits have significantly decreased with the huge increase in working out that I've integrated into my life the past 3 months.
• Less laziness
• Piggybacking on the comment above--I made a pointed decision early on this year that I would no longer accept my body in its fleshy, fatigued state. I wanted change and I made it happen. I'm excited for the day when I can post a before and after picture of how yoga 4-5 days a week and a weekly hike or run has changed my body. Mentally, I feel more clear, more myself and a myriad of other fantastic things as a result of this change.
• Less clutter
• I worked on my closet last month and pared it down a little--but this is an area that is like a constant improvement kind of thing. In fact, I just decided I would skip yoga tonight (I already went 4 nights this week, don't worry) and I am going to work on de-cluttering my room a little more before I go to a concert with Shane.
• Try not to overcommit to things
• I did really well with this one this weekend, actually. On Monday, Katie invited me to go hiking with her and a friend and then to go to coffee and go relax at the beach. I wanted to do all those things, but I had written a to-do list that morning and I didn't want to shirk my responsibilities. So I went on the hike, but I opted out of the other things and worked on some personal activities--email catch up, banking, searching flights, mani pedi, and yoga. It felt great! 
• Less french fries
• At lunch, yes I've eaten less french fries at lunch.
• More reading books
• I started reading The Secret Life of Bees...where did I put it?...mysteries...
• More time with Forrest and Grandad
• Definitely getting this! I love it.
• One on one time with my mom
• We went to the movies the other night, just me and her. It was truly magical!
• One on one time with my dad
• I still haven't really gotten the opportunity to do this. It's something I'm going to put at the front of my mind.
• More yoga
• Now I can be one of those girls who hashtags #yogaeverydamnday, well #yogamosteverydamnday. Namaste. As I mentioned in the less laziness comment, I have really stepped it up in the yoga department. Going so frequently and consistently I have seen incredible changes in my abilities. Before practicing yoga I couldn't even touch my toes! Now I can reach far beyond my toes, do a perfect full mermaid, do a few intense balancing poses and so much more! It's super exciting and super motivating to see the improvement each time I hit the mat.
• More traveling to new places
• First up, Kansas City. Then, Maui. After that, Kyoto, Japan. What in the world!
• More nesting
• Still desiring for my home to look like this and this and this and this. Meanwhile there is a mountain of dirty dishes, four empty beer bottles, clothes on the floor and dead flowers in a vase--and that's just what I can see while I sit on the couch. ::shrugs shoulders::
• More alone time
• Getting plenty of it and loving it. I'm not afraid to be alone anymore! In 2013, when the world looked so dark, alone time was horrible and terrifying. Thoughts swirled and emotions took over. Now after a long year of pursuing joy and practicing yoga, my mind is free and clear--and even when pesky thoughts intrude, I can examine them and let them go. I try repeating: "don't distress yourself with dark imaginings. many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness"--thanks again, Desiderata.
• More french fries
• At dinner, yes. I've eaten more french fries at dinner.

Image via wit and delight.