Jan 12, reflections

Last night, I did some journaling and reflecting on 2024, what things I want to bring into the new year and which things I want to leave behind. I made a list of “ins” and a list of “outs.” Some of my “ins” include:

1. Keeping a journal
2. Spending more consciously
3. 5k/10k runs
4. Cooking balanced meals
5. Matcha tea lattes
6. Camping, cooking from my new campsite cookbook
7. Publishing my poetry
8. Keeping blogs and using more insightful social medias
9. Cooking meals for people instead of going out
10. Writing a recipe book
11. Gingham and stripe prints, bright colors in my clothes
12. Vintage jewelry, accessorizing my outfits

Some of my “outs” include:

1. Spending money carelessly
2. Wasting groceries that I buy
3. Leaving my car messy
4. Too much sugar
5. Apologizing too much
6. Not sleeping enough
7. Dehydration
8. Too much caffeine
9. Complaining and getting too overwhelmed with little things
10. Only being on campus for class

I enjoy setting intentions loosely for the New Year rather than making hard-set, intense “resolutions.” We live in such a fast-paced, production-based world, and it’s easy to get caught up in it. While I have big goals, I also respect my needs for rest and introspection. Last year, I struggled the most with my budget, meal planning, and my self-care routines. I would fall asleep with my contacts in, shower at different times each day, forget to drink water, or accidentally go a week without working out. Consistency is my main theme for 2025. I owe myself routine so that when things feel stressful, my body can keep up. I also want to practice intentionality and thoughtfulness. I found myself running out of the house with my backpack unzipped, bed not made, snacks not packed, most days. I want to enjoy my mediocre tasks that set my days up successfully.

I also want to bring in more art, creativity, and slow thoughtful living. I love writing in journals, taking the time to make tea/matcha, watching a good movie or reading a good book in a clean room after a long shower, cooking meals and gathering around the table with the people I love, and showing my love in other gentle platonic ways. Here are some pictures of things I’ve been enjoying lately. (These are inspiration pictures from the internet, not mine.)

I also bought a nice planner that not only has daily sections but also has monthly journaling, where I can set goals and main objectives for the month. My goal is to write all of my assignment deadlines a month in advance so that I know when I might get overwhelmed. After writing my ins and outs, I reflected on my semester, which things I did well and what I want to improve upon. My goals for the semester are to improve my active recall techniques, take notes before class so that I can add on small comments instead of trying to keep up, turn everything in early, and communicate with my professors. I also want to spend more time studying outside of my room; last semester, I tried studying at a brewery late at night, and it was a really nice environment. I will definitely keep finding cool places to do homework so that I don’t get distracted in my room. I’m excited to have a fresh semester.

Today, Bella and I joined our friend Alicia at the gym and got a membership. It’s the Crunch Fitness on Broadway. The most expensive membership includes fitness classes (hot yoga, cycling, Pilates), unlimited guests, and the rest and relaxation room. I hope to get back into a good workout routine this year with my friends. It’s more fun to workout together. If I keep getting stronger, I want to try lead climbing, which is a slightly different type of climbing where you clip your rope in as you go. It’s more physically demanding, so I’ll have to condition more.

Today, we did deadlifts, cable rows, shrugs, reverse flies, and cardio. We focused on small weights and good form. I hope to take a class with everyone soon. The membership I selected also includes all locations, which means that when I go camping, I can find a gym to go take a nice shower in.

Soon, I’ll make a page with only the good recipes that I cook and the workouts I do! That way, you can go click on just the pages to keep up with those specific things.

Love you, Pappaw!