My Accidental Resolutions for 2014

No one ever keeps their resolutions so why bother making them, right? That was my mentality up until recently. When friends asked me about my resolutions I shrugged it off, explaining that I’d given up on trying because it was a lost cause. I mean, we all know how crowded the gym is in January until it’s back to normal in February…

But in the back of my mind I felt a few goals inadvertently forming and I found myself saying that I was “turning over a new leaf” in 2014. I began outlining the things I was going to accomplish and do differently until I realized that –dammit!– I had made some new years resolutions, after all.

 

With all the discussions, the blog posts, the facebook statuses, the news articles, and the nagging little voice in my head, I finally succumbed to the inevitable and sat down to articulate the resolutions I had already accidentally made for 2014. And to be honest, it felt good! I’ve made some goals that are realistic and attainable and that I know are necessary to improve my quality of life.

 

I’ll not lie, 2013 was rough for me emotionally. But in the grand pendulum swing of life I feel like it was necessary in order to propel me forward into the upswing that this year will be, and to create a contrast that will give me a greater appreciation for the amazing things that are to come. So here are the things I’ve decided to focus on for 2014:

 

Improved Attitude and Positive Outlook:

This is the greatest change and most important priority. For the last few months I was sinking into a kind of depression I’d never experienced before. And not like “ohmygod I found out Tom Daley is gay, I’m so depressed” (although that did happen…), but an overwhelming feeling of unhappiness to the point of apathy and forgetting what it felt like to truly smile. But whether it’s the fact that the school year finally ended or I because have an upcoming visit home, I’ve found a new spark of joy and I am focusing on improving my attitude. I’ve found that if you insist to yourself that you try to be happy, sometimes it actually works.

 

Redesign My Blog and Grow Readership

Even though I live in the world’s capital of plastic surgery, I don’t plan on going under the knife any time soon. But that doesn’t mean my little blog can’t get herself a face lift! It will be happening soon, as soon as I grow the brain cells needed to learn coding… I would also like to build a Kaleidoscope Community of readers. I don’t intend to ever try to make money from this blog, but I would like for it to be a launching pad for other projects and moreover a place to meet other like minded people. I just want my stories to be enjoyed by and perhaps inspire as many people as possible.

 

Exercise and Body Love

I’ve told of my various (and sometimes hilarious) adventures in Korea trying to lose weight (here, here, and here) but the truth is I still shudder when I look in the mirror on most days. With an extremely slow metabolism and digestive issues that no doctor has been able to sort out, getting my body to reflect how active I actually am is a near impossibility. But this year I want to focus on simply doing my best and accepting the outcome, however I look in the end.

Travel Goals

I am SO excited at the travel plans I’ve made for the year, and now I just need to plan the details and time them in a way that keeps them within my budget.

 

My international travel plans include:

• USA
• Taiwan
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Borneo
• Japan (maybe… will depend on the radiation situation since another reactor is currently melting down)

My Korea travel plans include:

• Jeju Island
• Boseong Tea Fields
• Biking 550 km along the rivers from Seoul to Busan
• A temple stay at Beomeo Temple
• Visiting as many of these places as possible

Read More Books

Last year I only read 16 books– 7 of which were Harry Potter, which I feel is kind of cheating (I found the whole series in my classroom library… what would you do?). My goal is to read at least 30 books this year. It looks like I’ll have plenty of plane travel time to do it!

 

Plan My Round the World Trip for 2015

That’s right, folks! This is the first time I’m announcing it publicly, but starting in March 2015 I will be embarking on travels around the world from Southeast Asia to Australia to South Africa to Europe and who knows where else in between. I’ve got lots of budgeting, researching, and booking to do!

Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions?

What’s in store for you in 2014? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! 🙂

Photo credits: Body, Taiwan, Malaysia, Jeju, Boseong Tea Fields, Globe