I forgot to mention one thing in the post I wrote last week about my New Year’s resolutions (even though I hate that term). Well, two things actually. But I think they relate to each other.
The first is I am going to try a lot harder to be happy, and make changes in my life if I feel like I’m unhappy. Since I started being a grown up (read: after I graduated from college), I figured I’d follow the status quo and climb the corporate ladder, get a house in the suburbs, take two vacations a year, and retire with a great nest egg. For a lot of people, that’s totally fine. But after I was working, I quickly found out that route wasn’t for me (minus the great nest egg—pass that bad boy my way any time now).
Amber over at And Yes to Joy recently wrote about five things that keep you from accomplishing your goals. It’s like she wrote exactly what I was thinking. All to often, we get hung up on what’s keeping us from accomplishing our goals or making ourselves that we never actually make it to the finish line and feel better about ourselves. I’m tired of feeling that way. It’s exhausting.
So I started to make changes. I quit my job, moved back in with my parents to work at a resort, quit that job to move to New York, and now I’m moving to Minneapolis. While I like to think that I’m just following my heart in these decisions, I know I need to slow down and (this is the second thing) be OK with what I have and quit desiring “more.”
And this is where the two start to intertwine. Instead of constantly striving for more money in my job (which isn’t a bad thing), wanting a better car, a bigger apartment, and more “stuff,” I’m going to focus really hard on being happy with what I have and making sure I need something new in my life before I pursue it.
And I’m going to return to my roots, of sorts. I’m going to take more pictures, write more, cook more (I’m eyeing this cookware set since I don’t have currently have a set and I cannot wait to break them in), and nurturing the relationships with the people in my life who matter the most. At the end of the day, coming home to a bunch of glamorous, material things isn’t what’s most important, nor will it make me happy in the long run.
Kara over at As Always, Kara recently wrote a really great post about unintentionally unplugging. This is something I look forward to doing in some respect. I’m going to designate one night a week as no-Internet time. I might take time to get ahead on a blog post for the following week, write a handwritten letter to someone, or FaceTime with a friend I haven’t talked to in a while. OK, the last one might require the Internet, but at least it’s having a face-to-face, one-on-one relationship with someone and not anonymously living life behind a keyboard.
Above all else, I am going to take charge of my life. Along the way, I’m going to eliminate the things that are keeping me from being 100% happy or reaching the goals I have for myself. And I’m going to immerse myself in new things—food, events, people, activities—to broaden my horizon on life. I’m going to take risks. I might fail a few times (in fact, I’m sure I probably will more than just a few times) but it’s going to be worth it. And I encourage you to do the same.
I’m not sure how well this is going to go, or how long before I become completely discouraged by this idea (which I know is going to happen), but I’m hoping I can find the strength deep within to make it happen.
Do you find yourself always striving for “more”? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by it?