New Year's Resolutions

So many people treat New Year's resolutions as annual goals. As with any solid goal, they have a specified limit frame: they start on January first and conclude on December 31st. In theory. But most resolutions never make it past the first few months.

This has been my experience with resolutions. There was one year that I committed to practicing yoga every day for at least a month, and I did make it into February (with a few skipped days). But otherwise, nary a resolution has been kept by yours truly. 

Two thousand twenty-two has been different. The two goals I made this past year maybe didn't meet all of the successful goal-setting criteria (S.M.A.R.T.), but they did provide a framework for me to work on self-improvement. While I didn't accomplish them in the strictest sense, I did make progress toward my goals, and I count that as a massive win.

At this point, dear reader, you may be wondering what my goals were. I'll go ahead and satisfy your curiosity: I wanted to read, on average, a book a month, and I wanted to improve my health.

So, did I read twelve books this year? No, I only finished six. I did, however, accomplish the purpose of the goal: I read more. I used to read quite a bit as a kid, but during college and grad school, I only read the assigned readings, and, in the process, I lost the joy of reading for pleasure. This year, I've started a journey to reclaim that joy. Sure, some of the books I read were related to my health and financial journeys, so maybe they seem a bit like work, but I chose to read them because I wanted to, not because I had to. And I'm thankful I did. I learned a lot from these books and I'm glad I read each and every one.

I suppose you might also want to know, dear reader, what books I read in 2022. Here's the list:

• Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
• Brave New Medicine by Cynthia Li
• Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
• Rich Dad's Prophecy by Robert Kiyosaki
• The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballantyne
• Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Are there any on this list that you've read or would like to read? I'd love to hear your thoughts down in the comments!

My second goal ties in to the blog you are reading right now. When I started the year, I wanted to improve my health. At the time, I thought the best way to do that was to start allergy immunotherapy (i.e. allergy shots). My experience with receiving injections led me down a very different path that ultimately inspired me to rebrand this blog and share my story with you, dear reader. After six months or so traveling this new path, I've realized my journey is just beginning. I certainly have a lot more work ahead of me in the coming year!

And speaking of the new year, inscribed here for posterity are my goals for twenty twenty-three:

1. to read at least 12 books this year.
2. to continue to work on my health and wellness.
3. to increase my financial education and start on a path to financial freedom.

As we be begin this new year, I look forward to continuing what I began last year and sharing each half step taken with you. Happy New Year's!

- Kristen

What are your goals for 2023?