TALKIN BOUT A RESOLUTION

First: Sorry for the blog silence - I took a little time off this holiday season to get as much quality time as possible in with my family. It's amazing how the older I get, the more I truly cherish spending time with my parents and siblings. Like, I'm actually hating that I'm in Nashville while everyone else is still home in Champaign. Growing up, I guess?

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and safe and happy New Year! I had a great time ringing in 2014 at a party at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Super, super fun, and if you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw a few pictures from the night. Since resolutions are kind of the thing, I thought I would share mine. Nothing super serious, but a few things I'd like to work on in the new year!


1. Be a healthier person. This is something I am really not great at. For someone who was very active growing up, I have become pretty lazy when it comes to exercise. I probably worked out a grand total of 10 times in 2013... which is not okay. It's good for your heart and health to be active, so while I'm not trying to run marathons or do an Ironman, I need to hit the gym. I also want to go to sleep earlier, eat better (not going out so much), and be more self conscious about what goes in my body. Yay!

2. Improve my relationship with God. I'm sad to say this isn't anywhere close to where I would like it to be, and probably hasn't been at it's best since high school when I was active in Younglife and Campaigners. First steps: find a great church I really connect to in Nashville, join a bible study, and read the Bible.

3. Travel. I have incredible wanderlust and huge desire to travel - both within the United States and outside. Since going abroad is a little more expensive, I'm going to focus on saving my pennies for an overseas trip (someday soon, I hope!) and try to travel more in my own backyard. My sister got me the New York Times 36 Hours in the Southeast book for Christmas, and I'm anxious to make a few weekend trips to new cities.

4. Worry less about the future. This is something I struggle with on a daily basis - I'm always thinking about what is next. Time to focus on the present, and pray about the future. Worrying gets nowhere.

5. Continue to improve my blogging. There's a few ideas floating up in my head for 2014. The end of 2013 brought some great inspiration and momentum to the blog for me - and I credit it to some of the blogger connections I've made in Nashville and the comments I get on here from you readers! Thank you so much for following and supporting me and my creative outlet. It's so motivating and inspiring to receive feedback from you all!

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Cheers, 2014! Let's make it the best year yet.


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2013 GOALS

Okay - so I'm about 7 days late on this post. I've never been big into New Year's resolutions - it's one of those things that is a nice idea the beginning of January, but come March, I've typically forgotten or abandoned pretty much all of the resolutions I made for myself. But I've been thinking of a few goals I'd love to make (and keep!) this year.


1. Focus less on the future and live more in the moment.  This is something I really want to improve on. I don't know if it comes as a result of loving to plan, but I'm always thinking - and a lot of times dreaming - of the next step, rather than simply enjoying where I am. Time to chill out and enjoy the present.

2. Take full advantage of living in Nashville. I've already been able to experience some pretty cool things in my short time in Nash, but I want to really make Nashville feel like home and see/do all this city has to offer. Probably time to make a bucket list!

3. Write more snail mail. Who doesn't love getting a handwritten note on a pretty card? It's my goal to write a few quick notes to friends and family each month. I love any time I hear from friends, but there is always something so special about it being handwritten and not via email.

4. Stop comparing my blog to others and remember why I started Love Your Life. Blogs have completely exploded, and I have a fair share that I follow, from interior design to fashion to lifestyle. I absolutely love reading posts from all these talented women each day, but I need to stop comparing my blog to theirs. I worry my posts don't look professional enough, that I'm not established enough, fashionable enough, etc. I started this blog to reflect on and share all the things I love, and it's time I stop worrying about what my content looks like as much as having content. On that note, I would love if some of my friends and readers would leave comments on what they would like to see more of on my blog - or what some of their favorite posts have been. It would mean so much to me and would really help motivate me if I knew what you all wanted to see :)

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