I don't know if it's the winter or the fact that my mind really needed a mental break from work lately, but I've been feeling really low on inspiration when it comes to anything creative. I'm usually bursting with inspiration for several creative side projects at a time. If I'm not creating a list of new blog post ideas, I'm working on my novel, or I'm taking and editing photos. I've never really thought of it this way, but being creative is such an important part of my life, and I almost need to work it into my routine somehow.
These past few months, however, have felt kind of long and exhausting. Honestly, with the couple of trips I took toward the end of the year, I just wanted a few days to do absolutely nothing. I got my wish for that this past week, and it was much needed. But now I'm feeling that urge to be creative again. The only problem is, I'm still feeling really low on inspiration.
The beautiful thing about it being the first few days of the year though, is that it's the perfect time to set new goals of creativity (and otherwise) for the year. It's the perfect time to reconsider my routine, and prioritize the things that are most meaningful to me. That's part of the reason I wanted to make a "New Year's resolutions" type of post - although I still really, really hate calling them that. So let's just say these are the goals I want to focus on in this next year.
Finish the first draft of my novel
The funny thing about this one is that I've actually got two novels I could finish, which are both at around 80,000 words right now. But I'm pretty set on which one I want to complete first. I took a long break from any writing for most of last year, but I started to make a lot of progress again in November, and I think I'm ready to start pursuing this seriously again. The thing is, I can truly see myself finally finishing a first draft this year. I just have to be more consistent, and keep writing no matter what.
Spend less time on my phone
This is something that I have really felt I need to start doing lately. I'm going to be completely honest - I can't even remember the last day I didn't check Instagram. I'm on social media pretty much daily, and for much longer than I need to be. Over the past few months, I've also occasionally gotten migraines, which I think come from the fact that I work on a computer all day, and spend much of my free time afterwards on my phone (an eye exam might also be a good idea...). In a way I'm grateful for that though, because it's only one of the reasons I need to start cutting down on my social media time. It's become such a time waster in my life. Time that could be spent on so many other things (like reading, which is one thing I never seem to do as much as I want to).
Be more intentional about my fashion choices
This isn't just referring to dressing in a more stylish manner, though that is a part of it. I finally watched The True Cost documentary on Netflix, and it was the push I needed to finally stop buying fast fashion for good. Actually, that decision has made me not want to buy any cheap clothing at all. While building a capsule wardrobe seems a bit too intense right now, I definitely want to start the journey toward investing in a few pieces that I truly love and getting rid of all the ones I barely wear, or that don't really feel like what I want to wear. I've already cleared out so much of my closet, and my goal from now on is to buy one nice, new piece of clothing every other month or so, until I have a wardrobe that's more intentional and feels like me.
Pay off all my credit card debt
I'm so blessed to not have any student loan debts, but like most millennials my age, I have a few credit accounts I'm still making payments on. The fact that I don't have any major debts actually makes this more frustrating, because I could be completely debt free if I just paid these smaller accounts off. That's easier said than done though, and if there's one thing I've learned this past year it's that I'm really going to have to be intentional about this. I'm talking about actually making a budget and sticking to it kind of intentionality, which I've never fully dived into before. If that means less traveling, then so be it. I really want to make this a priority for this next year, which I failed to properly do in 2018.
I know that's only four goals, and not 5 or 10 which would seem more appropriate, but these are the things I really feel that I want to focus on, and I don't want to add anything else just for the sake of it. If anything, I hope this post will keep me accountable in the months to come. :)
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