Fall has fallen upon us and I am beyond psyched. There is this amazing beauty and peacefulness about this season that is just…inspiring.
Like clock-work, everything changes from it getting darker earlier to colder weather to the leaves changing colors and falling to the ground. I have never been a big fan of change, but I love those changes.
And speaking of changes, what better time to talk about the changes that I have made since the beginning of 2013. And the changes I have yet to make.
Early in the year (or late last year, I don’t quite remember), I jotted down some goals in an old journal while I was riding the train down to Philly. This is my list and progress:
–Add cardio into my weekly schedule: I am happy to say that I have done this and stuck with it. I try to walk at least three times a week in the morning and I also walk later in the evening with a walking friend. I hope to also start going to the gym and really getting it for my Jamaica trip. Woot Woot!
–Eat healthier by adding more vegetables and fruits in my diet: I never imagined that when I wrote that goal I would stop eating meat, but it’s been almost two months since I have eaten chicken, pork or beef. And I enjoy it…most of the time. I will write an update about that soon.
–Make more of an effort to hang with friends and family: I come from a very large family. I have eight siblings, seven nieces and nephews and even having a small gathering means you are inviting at least 25 people. It can be overwhelming at first if you are new to our family, but it’s those gatherings that I enjoyed most about my childhood. I didn’t really ever care about presents for Christmas, but having all of my siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles in one house was magical. We clearly didn’t fit at one table.
But the past couple of years, we have kind of lost sight of that close-knit bond, so I have implemented monthly family gatherings so that we can all get together again. It’s going really well, but I would like to implement ice breakers to really talk about what matters to each other.
–Dress more appropriately for my age: You know those people that just have that “It” factor. It seems like everything they wear just comes together perfectly? Well, in my head I’m that person. In real life, not so much. I dress like a little school-girl most times and I want to have that “It” factor.
I began dressing up more wearing dresses and skirts and breaking out the heels. I have also started wearing more make-up and I love it. Just yesterday, I went through all of my clothes and packed up everything that couldn’t fit or I don’t wear. Now, I am forced to go shopping and buy the clothes I really want and not just what is on sale.
–Find a new job: Honey, I am super excited to say that I actually found a new job and it was just perfect timing. Monday was my first day of training and yesterday was my second and I am really enjoying the role. It keeps me on my toes and makes me pay attention to the details as well as make me thankful for good health.
–Invest in a savings tool: A couple years ago, I took a financial preparedness class and I was really hoping to be able to put some of those teachings into practice immediately. But with my pay situation at my last job, I never felt comfortable enough to do it, so it never happened. Now that I will have more stable pay checks coming in, this is definitely something that I would like to do ASAP.
Some other goals include: Work on self-esteem and negativity, be more social and live, don’t make excuses. These are things that I am still working on daily and look forward to improving throughout my life.
