I’ve created blog posts before to try and keep myself accountable to the lofty goals we all try to set for ourselves every January. Spoiler alert: I just tallied, and last year, I went 1 for 15…

In the 24 days of 2015, it’s been increasingly weighing on me to put some semblance of commitment to myself into words. I take on too much and leave too little for leisure. I have so many lofty goals but they’re always on hold as I catch myself saying yes and yes to more and more. I’m declaring 2015 as the year of ME. I’m taking my life back.

I’m off to a good start, at the end of last year I shed some much needed skin and started working at a place that values me as a human being, has a no working on weekends policy, and actually told me they were happy I was finding my voice instead of stifling it under impossible expectations and even more ridiculous deadlines. I cannot tell you how much happiness you find when you simply feel supported.

But, beyond all of that I still need to make room for more of what I want to do. Truly, you only live once, (cringe-worthy YOLO, and all that jazz).

2015, the year of ME includes more:

• Painting
• Being Outside (will this be the year I finally go kayaking?)
• Yoga (thanks to my relentless and incredible friend Chantil)
• Vegetables (and other healthy habits)
• Seeing the world (this is simply non-negotiable)
• Languages (I’m going to finally learn spanish, or get damn close)
• Reading, Exploring, & Learning
• Budgeting
• Spending time with the people I loveThe 2015 year of ME includes less:
• Dairy & Carbs (I’m crying already, but we’re doing the Whole30 starting in Feb..)
• Negativity (which thanks to my new work life balance, this has almost disappeared anyways)
• Excuses
• Projects I don’t want to take on
• Stuff (I LOVE buying stuff – see oniochalasia – but I need to focus on doing it less)And there you have it. Habits are hard to break, but wish me luck – and expect some very different recipes in the coming weeks…