2020 Resolutions
To be responsible, keep your promises to others. To be successful, keep your promises to yourself. - Marie Forleo
I'm a big believer in goal setting and making resolutions. They help me to create forward momentum, which can be so necessary during a "what am I doing with my life" phase.
As I laid out in my last post, I feel both motivated and weighed down by the fact that I've taken so few risks in my 20's. Through therapy (which I encourage everyone to try), I've worked out that I've always set goals that would keep the people around me safe and satisfied. I won't get into the personal reasons why, but I will take responsibility for that, and try to change my outlook as I turn 30 and enter a new decade.
Getting a job and moving up the corporate ladder at a big company in the finance industry is more than acceptable - I've been an incredibly responsible young adult. But personally, I haven't felt very successful. I haven't allowed myself to explore what kind of commitments I want to make to myself, and figuring them out will be my biggest resolution this year. If you'd like to watch me stumble along the way, follow along by subscribing to my email list, or joining me on Instagram :)
A few other resolutions:
- Increase my savings, aggressively.
Azim is in school right now, and we're about to enter an important period in our lives where having our financial house in order will be paramount. Finding a home (a house) and starting a family seem like a silly fantasy to have in the city of Toronto, but it's important to me. Before you shake your head and say: "Jocelyn, it sounds like you're being really responsible with this goal, and you said you wanted to take risks..." let me stop you right there. Don't get it twisted - financial freedom will always be a priority no matter what crazy dreams I come up with.
- Travel at least 2x
I'm setting the bar low here - I tend to travel more than twice a year, but I know I'll be making frequent trips to Michigan to see Azim, and that can eat into my time I'd otherwise allocate to vacation. I try never to cut down on travel to save $$ because "travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer". It's cliché, but I've never regretted a dollar I've spent on my trips. To achieve goal #1 I'd much rather cut out other frivolities, which leads me to goal #3... - Do a no/low buy from January - April, and beyond if possible
This is actually less about saving money and more about starting a sustainable approach to how I curate my wardrobe. I'll be buying no items from fast fashion shops, and a low amount of items only from secondhand or vintage shops. I'll be writing a whole post on this soon! - Become fluent in French again
C'est l'année! - Move my body 3x a week
Before I started my job, I was working out regularly. I felt healthy and strong. Now I sit for 8-9 hours a day, and I wake up with sore joints. This is not how I'm going into my 30's! - I will take a lunch 3x a week
Right now I take a lunch 0x a week, and neither does my boss who works harder than I do. I'm kicking us both out of the office, even if it's just for a quick walk and refresh. - Learn to cook 3 things really well
Guys...what can I say. I am really that #millennial bitch who relies on Uber Eats, and can't cook an omelette (sorry, Antoni :(). This year I'm going to master THREE recipes, and feel really smug about it. - Cut screen time in half
Since I've been on Instagram again (I hate it, but I think it's necessary for my blog, but I hate it), my screen time has gone WAY up. I think it's the major reason why I only read 20/36 books last year. As of Jan 1, I put limits on all my apps, and deleted Twitter (where I read the news, and then got distracted by dumb threads) off my phone. Siri plays my headlines for me, and I'm going to try to use Instagram in a way that works better for me. Stay tuned. - Read 30 books
Look out for a post on my favourites from 2019 coming soon! And please leave some recommendations for my bookshelf in 2020 :) - Monthly activity with my bestie
We started off the year right with a chocolate making class! I'm looking forward to the next 11 activities!
As always, thank you so much for reading! Your love and support means more than you know :) xox