Top (Tobi) | Jeans (Gap) | Booties (Jack Rogers)
Necklace (Marley Lilly) | Sunnies (J.Crew)
Happy New Year, my loves! I hope you all enjoyed some much needed rest over the holidays and maybe spent some time with family and friends (I know, I did!). After getting back into New York City yesterday, I’m ready to lay down some resolutions and goals for the new year. Write them down. Set them in stone. Do anything it takes to make sure they stick. However, before I do so, let’s take a little trip down memory lane to recap 2017 resolution and really evaluate whether or not this was achieved.
Last year, I promised myself that I would change my hustling-to-burnout lifestyle and it may be that week of vacation talking, but I think I actually achieved it. This means I wanted to take more time for myself, fewer hours at the office, fewer sleepless nights/bags under my eyes, and more hours with friends & family, relaxation and peace of mind. While it was definitely not easy, I can confidently say that I finished up 2017 with a different perspective than I’ve ever had at the end of a year. Usually, at the end of the year I think about all that I’ve accomplished, all that I’ve done to make that year worth it. This year, I’m thinking about all of the things I’ve seen, the experiences that I’ve endured and the memories I made with the people I love.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I worked my ass off in 2017 (plenty of hours at the office and sleepless/stressful nights), but for once I feel like that isn’t what I have to show for the year. I have so much more and I’m way more at ease with where I am and where my life is headed.
In 2017 I needed a lifestyle change, but in 2018 I’m focusing on turning my resolutions into habits to continue pushing this lifestyle in a more positive direction. It really comes down to three main resolutions. 1| Stop apologizing for things I cannot control 2| Take better care of myself and 3| Follow my passions. While yes, these may seem a little basic there is depth to them, so bare with me.
1| Stop apologizing for things I cannot control. Is it just me or do you find yourself saying ‘sorry’ about 20 (if not more) times a day? I actually cringe every time it comes out of my mouth. Like why am I sorry that the trains were delayed or sorry that the coffee machine is leaking? I’m not the MTA or Keurig, these are things I cannot control. At first when I told my family that this was one of my resolutions, my sister sharply responded with ‘so you want to be more bitchy in 2018….’ No, that is not the plan. I just want to be more confident. Own my mistakes when they are mine to own, but also have the courage to say ‘it is, what it is.’
2| Take better care of myself. Isn’t this everyone’s New Year’s Resolution? It certainly seemed that way by the looks of my packed Soul Cycle class yesterday. However, this means so much more to me than simply going to the gym and eating well. I’m not focusing on loosing weight, I’m just trying to turn my healthy occurrences into habit. This includes going to the doctor on a more regular basis, going to sleep earlier (and getting a full 8 hours 😱), finally nailing down a skincare routine, and getting into the habit of exercising for fun. Growing up as a dancer, this was never something I had to worry about. Staying healthy was always built into my everyday routine. Now, I need to think a little harder about when and how I’m keeping healthy, which leads pretty perfectly into resolution #3.
3| Follow my passions. Speaking of my former life as a dancer (fun fact: I was a dance minor in college after training for over 15 years 😱😱), I couldn’t tell you how much I miss it! If I’m being honest, I haven’t taken a dance class in about 4 years (besides Zumba!), and getting back to it is actually terrifying. I’m so afraid that I won’t be able to keep up like I used to, but I know that if I let this passion go I’ll be missing out on so much of my personal happiness. The second passion that I’ll be following more closely is of course my passion for ThePreppyMAG. 2017 was such a big year for ThePreppyMAG (ya know, with the launch of our boutique and everything, *hair flip*), but I don’t want to lose momentum. It is so tempting to sit back and take a breath right now after a crazy holiday season, but I’m also bursting with excitement and really looking forward to riding this wave with all of you amazing readers. Seriously, I could not be more blessed to have such a supportive and encouraging community to root me on through this journey. So thank YOU for being one of my passions, I hope I do you proud this year!
Woof, while these definitely seem more achievable than last year’s lifestyle shift, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and intimidated by these goals. What do you think? Is it possible to achieve these three goals this year? Would love to hear your resolutions and thoughts in the comments!
I love this post! Thank you for sharing! Even being in meetings everyone is apologizing for a “stupid question” everyone needs to stop that! Thanks for sharing!
-B
http://Www.justaroundtheneighborhood.com
Thank you! I’m totally guilty of doing that. This is the year that I stop owning my shit.
You’re the best, your positivity & will power is something that rubs off on me every time I’m around you! Of course I haven’t picked my resalutions yet but I’m happy I have examples like yours to help me think outside the box this year.
OMG you are too sweet! I wish this wasn’t an anonymous comment!!. I get most of my inspiration from the amazing people who surround me, so thank YOU! Good luck in crafting this year’s resolutions.
Marie, Your New Years resolutions are very inspiring and I am going to adopt a few of them as well (or at least try to). I love how you are raising the bar for yourself but still staying committed to the incredible job you do with your work while raising the bar in that area as well. Taking care of ourselves will make us better all around! I look forward to the ThePreppyMag 2018! Love You!
Thank you, mom! Couldn’t do any of this without you. <3