Can you believe there are only five days left of 2018!? This has been a huge year for us. On Christmas Eve of 2017, I moved to Washington, DC with J Cole and we have since: had two apartments together, worked for uniquely disruptive companies, began acquiring our own company, both had birthday’s in our Nation’s Capitol, made incredible friends, had amazing adventures, road tripped home to Florida in J Cole’s car, and moved to Los Angeles!
It has been surreal to say the least; but with all of these big picture pieces moving, sometimes the small pieces can fall through the cracks. So before 2019, and countless more adventures, I want to create detailed solutions for those areas in my life that I want to improve.
Besides a few passion projects and side hustles, my most important ones are:
- Being Solution-Minded
- I recently took an Enneagram test (which I will elaborate on in another post) which said I am a 4 with a wing of 3. Basically this is a personality test, and one of my less favorable traits is that I can have a tendency to bail when the going gets tough. Looking back, I do notice this pattern, especially when it comes to big life changes (of which 2018 had plenty). So my first solution is to be more solution-minded; when the goin’ gets tough, the tough make a plan, break it down, and get goin’.
- Graduate School
- This one is self-explanatory; I am in the earliest stages of making a decision on where I want to go, and what I want to study (only minor details…) but the current plan is to be in graduate school by Fall 2020!
- Health
- Since leaving DC in October, spending time at home, and spending the holidays in California with Cole, I have not put my health or fitness first…nor second, third or fourth! I’ve recently been feeling uncomfortable in my own skin, sluggish, tired, and unmotivated. I’m setting up a training schedule and vegetarian/vegan nutrition routine (which I will share in another post) and am ready to be my best and most fit self this year.
- Family and Friendship-Oriented
- This has become an essential one for me, especially after just spending months at home surrounded by family (and pups) and my best friends. Moving far and often, can put strain on those relationships we hold so dear. Sometimes, I don’t realize how much I miss an old friend, or how much my mood comes up after talking to my mom. So this year, a big solution for me is to keep in communication with all my peeps around the globe, no matter how many thousands of miles are between us.
- Meditation
- Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I have been practicing meditation since coming to LA. Cliché I know, but I have felt real results in the few times I have meditated. Moving 3,000 miles
away from family has not been the easiest feat in the world, and meditating in the morning has helped immensely in gaining clarity on my goals, spirituality and purpose (not a bad reward for a few minutes a day). I’ve been using Headspace, and this Russell Brand video that is everything.
- Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I have been practicing meditation since coming to LA. Cliché I know, but I have felt real results in the few times I have meditated. Moving 3,000 miles
Those are my big ‘solutions’ for this year. I have a penchant for setting massive goals because I want to get everything done right NOW…only to catch the ‘analysis-paralysis’ bug. I’m using that term to mean having so many things to do, that you feel paralyzed and just want to curl up and nap. So when you set your resolutions, make sure they are realistic while still being rewarding!
Leave a comment to let me know what goals you’re setting, and what has worked for you in keeping up with them!
I really like it whenever people get together and share views. Great site, stick with it! Marleen Vachel Menides