Thursday, January 2, 2014

Goals for a New Year

Hey guys! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! It's been really nice having some much needed time to step back, relax, and reflect, but I'm glad to be getting back into the swing of things.

It's now 2014 (!!!) and I couldn't be happier about that. To be perfectly honest, 2013 was a really hard year that was full of anxiety, debilitating perfectionism, rocky friendships, and not being able to let go. While there were certainly great things that happened (starting this blog for example!), this last year has been overwhelmingly rough. I'm happy that it's now 2014, and with this new year, I'm trying to affect positive change and get things off to a good start.

Now, I'm not usually one for New Year's Resolutions- in the past I've found that I've set unrealistic goals that I know, even as I'm making them them, I won't be able to follow through on. So, this year, I'm all about setting attainable, continuing goals. A lot of these goals are things that have been in the works for a while, so what better time to set them into motion than in this brand new year!

1. Get my anxiety in check/work towards managing it.

It's gotten bad. Bad to the point that I've been breaking down (we're talking full-blown tears and occasional panic attacks) over things like chocolate on cookies not setting up properly or not knowing where I'll be able to put lovely Christmas gifts that I've received. Bad.

Earlier in the week, I paid a trip to my doctor about it and she got me set up with a set of natural remedies, so this goal is already in motion. So far I haven't seen a ton of difference, but hopefully I'll see some changes in the next few weeks!

2. Learn to let go.

Whether it be a struggle in my personal life, an unresolved situation that I have no power over, or a bout of perfectionism, I need to learn to let go. It's something I've been working on for a while, and admittedly, I don't really have a plan of action for this one, but it's a thought and an intention I'm going to try to keep at the back of my mind.

3. Speak up.

This is a goal that I've been practicing for quite some time, but it continues to be a struggle in some areas of my life. I'm prone to avoiding potential conflict since I'm a peace-loving creature, and while I've been working for years on speaking up more, I need to continue to improve. My feelings matter, my opinions matter, and it's ok to voice them. Preferably calmly and respectfully, but I know that won't happen 100% of the time- no one's perfect!

4. Eat better!

While I'm not actually after any sort of weight loss (ok, fine, it would be nice to lose the 5 pounds that showed up over the course of the holiday season), I'm hoping to make better choices for my meals and snacks. More whole grains, more veggies; less candy, less simple carbs. I'm all about everything in moderation, though, so don't worry- ya'll will still be seeing plenty of baked goods around here!

There's just the four goals, but I think they're good, important ones that will really help affect positive change in my life.

Did you guys make any goals for the new year?

XOXO

-Becca
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32 comments:

  1. These are some great goals for the new year. Making goals you can work hard for but that are attainable is so important and I think you've hit the perfect balance here. Good luck with reaching these and a very Happy New Year ^_^

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  2. I'm going to try to learn as much as I can this year, money and time permitting.

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    1. That's a great goal! I always love learning new things!

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  3. Good luck, especially on the anxiety front! I have the same goal. :)

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    1. Thank you so much! I hope it goes well for both of us!

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  4. Man. A huge resounding "SAME HERE" on all your resolutions. Especially #1! Mental health is a bumpy ride :S

    Elyse @ Cuddly as a Cactus

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    1. Aw, girl, hang in there! I hope we both do well with our resolutions this year!

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  5. These are wonderful, healthy goals! I can definitely relate. One of my goals is to do breathing exercises and a little yoga every day. From a fellow person with anxiety, best of luck! It sounds like you're off to a great start :)

    Isabella
    adventuresinhel.blogspot.fi

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    1. Thank you so much, Isabella! That's a great tip, for sure. I'm trying to do the deep breathing whenever I think of it!

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  6. these are great, healthy goals! I wish you the very best in accomplishing all of them! So proud of you for already taking some big steps towards accomplishing them :) xo

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  7. Like others have said, these are great goals! Although I struggle more with depression than anxiety, I know how scary and hard mental health issues are. Sending you love <3

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    1. Thank you, Sonya! Man, mental health stuff is rough. I hope we both do well with it this year!

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  8. Happy New Year, Becca! Alex

    tobebeautifulingodseyes.blogspot.com

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  9. Best of luck in your battle against your anxiety! I know you can do it! I too have struggled with anxiety and I know the yucky feelings it brings and how ugly it can make day to day life. I am lucky enough to be doing very well right now and owe it all to my emotional support animal, it really was the catalyst of all my treatment. I still have bad days and you will too but if I can do it you can do it too! You just have to find that one great thing and hold on to it :)

    xo

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Elissa! I'm finding that all of these goals I've made are really intertwined, and that in its own right has been helping a lot. I really appreciate the encouragement!

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  10. these are extremely good resolutions. anxiety can be positively crippling, and there's no one right answer that works for everyone, or every time. as i type this, i'm searching for a weighted blanket to help myself get to sleep when i'm feeling overly anxious. i felt calm when there's weight on me, and weighted blankets are supposed to help. it sounds like your other resolutions should play major roles in decreasing your anxiety too!

    if you ever need a sounding board for mental health-y stuff, or anything at all, i'm always available.

    xo nicole
    writeslikeagirlblog.com

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    1. Aw, thanks, lady! The anxiety is totally tied to the other goals, so recognizing that has actually been a big help. I'm doing ok with things so far and hope to keep improving! The sounding board offer you made goes for you too, Nicole! Thank you!

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  11. Becca, I wish you all the best in 2014. I really enjoy reading your blog, you are very inspirational! I'm sure that all four of your New Year's Resolutions will improve in time! Actually number 2 and 3 also count for me. It was in some way nice to read that I'm not the only one who finds it hard to stand up for herself. Thank you, Becca.

    Sofie x
    Little green Sofie

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    1. Thank you so much, Sofie! I hope we can both stand up for ourselves more this year. Good luck with your goals!

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  12. I related a lot to what you said about anxiety, I get those same issues sometimes as well. I've found that taking deep breaths can help (when I remember to). You can do it! I will be trying harder as well :)

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    1. Thank you so much for the encouragement, Danielle! I hope you have good luck managing your anxiety, too!

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  13. Great goals! I am also struggling to manage some stress and anxiety.. I can't say I've gotten to any of these points quite yet. I more just let it build over days and situations and let it all flow out with the tears.. not the best way to handle it. Hoping that getting back into yoga and listening to more music in my day can help. It typically does, I just have to be intentional. Other than that I made it easier on myself this year by making my goals 'fun' ones. So hopefully that will get me feeling happy rather than overwhelmed more often. Good luck on yours, and I love my bellhibou print that I won a few months back via your blog. :) Stop by sometime and say hello. :) -Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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    1. Thanks, Alexandra! I think that those sound like great ways to help get your anxiety in check! Having fun goals is a great idea! I'm so glad you've been loving your prize!

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  14. Happy new year Becca!!! These are a great list of goals and I really love your honesty and openness here. I had a some rocky friendship situations this year too, it's rough. Here's to 2014!!!

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! Happy new year to you, too! I hope 2014 is great for both of us!

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  15. Kudos for setting such great and productive goals, and for being so open about them. Cheers for 2014!

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  16. Cheers for self-care in 2014! I struggle a lot with anxiety and speaking up. Something that really helped me reduce the anxiety a lot was practicing deep breathing. Not just when I felt anxious, but anytime I thought of it. It took a little while to notice a difference, but after a few weeks I was able to calm myself during anxious moments. Also, it can be really helpful to take a moment to think about WHY you are anxious in that moment, and tell yourself it's ok to feel anxious. Sometimes acknowledging a feeling to ourselves and allowing ourselves to feel it is enough to bring the intensity down. Hope you find what works for you!

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    1. Thanks, Marlene! That self-care stuff sure is important! These are great tips and I will definitely try them out!

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