hey twenty – eighteen, how you doin?

hello!

you have arrived far quicker than I had anticipated.

i have waited for you to arrive for the past four years and HERE. YOU. ARE.

Welcome, please make yourself comfortable in my world.

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2017 came with it’s own set of changes, transitions, opportunities for growth, and so much traveling.

I learned more about what I want, what I need, and staying true to myself.

It all sounds a little cliche, but the amount of emotional growth that I went through this year was INSANE.

With those things in mind, I am entering 2018 with a new frame of mind.

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I started a detox…an all out life cleanse. I got it from the Tone It Up fitness program & I got a lot of inspiration from the way that they phrased and re-framed the typical “resolutions” into the term, ‘intentions’. So many people set resolutions in order to create a solution to something in their life that they just aren’t a fan of.

I love the idea of motivating myself with these so called solutions, as I have fallen short at these so many times. I think that I focused so much on what I had wanted to be resolved, that I didn’t enjoy the journey of the perceived solution and as such, did not experience long-term success.

Instead, I’d like to set some intentions. This brand new year that we’ve been gifted, doesn’t have to focus on taking things away, but rather creating a life full of more beautiful things. The plan recommended a few places to start:

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One: Be thankful for your past

I don’t think that we can clearly move forward without reflecting on where we have been.

2017 was full of so many things, both adverse and exciting. I can remember the intense feelings of disappointment or apprehension, just as clearly as the moments of bursting joy. It wasn’t easy, but I am grateful. No matter how stubborn I may get or how awful something felt in the moment, 2017 was another season in my chapter. I learned. I grew. I fought. I survived. I thrived.

and now, 2018 will have it’s own set of adverse and exciting moments & I will be ready.

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Two: Meditate on your dreams

Have you ever allowed yourself to freely imagine a life that is truly yours? That speaks to your heart? What does your life look like a year from now? Where do you want to be? What do you want to achieve, right now?

My dreams are filled with fostering connection among strangers, trying new foods, experiencing new cultures, and traveling and experiencing new things.

My dreams want to appreciate architecture and design.

My dreams picture a life that is well lived and well written.

This journey is all that I can want and imagine and all in it’s own time.

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Three: Set your intentions

What is your focus or mantra for the year?

What will bring you closer to this?

“Do more with less. Be intentional. Live well.”

// Pursue knowledge // read books, articles, and  be curious enough to pursue all that inspires growth and change not only personally, but professionally.

// Treat my body like a temple // keep to my plant-based diet, exercise without going overboard, listen to my body.

// Balance // keep yoga in my weekly schedule & breathe balance into my school & fun time.

// Document life // journal the feels, blog about it, hold myself accountable to the photos & the authentic life of Jo.

// Communication // keep in touch, tell people how much they mean to me, & be honest.

// Truth // stand firm in who I am, what I want, and what’s important to me without compromising on value.

// Connection // foster the small moments with strangers in unlikely places.

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Four: Don’t stress about the results 

Now this, might be the hardest. Just remember that in a results-oriented society, it can be hard to feel like we measure up, BUT, we are trying, right? 🙂 Half of the battle is identifying the things that we intend to pursue and improve, so you’re doing great things! Your goals, like so many things in life, are part of a process…lean into it. Trust it.

Ebb and flow when it comes.

Live for the day that we’ve got.

Learn from yesterday.

Look forward.

Smile. 🙂

here’s to us, y’all. here’s to twenty – eighteen.