I’m not one that’s big on self reflection — particularly when it comes to my accomplishments. As an editor, there’s always another deadline looming, so any spark of joy I might feel at having completed one project gets quickly overshadowed by my innate desire to finish the next. With so much time spent looking forward at what’s ahead, there’s not a lot of time left over for looking back at what I’ve already done.
This year, however, I spent some time writing out a few goals, or New Year’s resolutions, if you will, that I hoped to accomplish in 2019. As with most years, I set my intentions and promptly forgot about them. Looking at my list 11 months later, however, I’m amazed by how much I managed to get done in the short 365 days that once again flew by way too fast. While I didn’t complete everything I hoped to this year (the gym is STILL calling my name), I came pretty damn close.
And so, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’m doing something rather unprecedented: I’m acknowledging all that I’ve managed to get through and how grateful I am to have done it. I think it’s something we should probably all do a little more of, and hopefully, it inspires you to do the same.
The Goals
1. Find a Full-Time Job I Adore
In the past several years, I’ve had some bad luck in the job department. Despite snagging freelance gigs at some big players in the industry, it’s been a challenge to find one with full-time hours and benefits that will let me work remote — something that’s more or less essential, seeing as how I’m based in Chicago and my entire industry is based in New York.
I’ve also come across several individuals who, for whatever reason, were determined to undermine me in my position. A combination of poor management and a handful of “mean girl” (and guy!) coworkers quickly turned once exciting ventures into complete and total nightmare scenarios, making me question my own abilities as a journalist, and ultimately, my choice of a profession. Needless to say, my number one goal for 2019 was to find a full-time gig I adored.
It took a good long while (I’ve got a few *thoughts* on job hunting that will be making their way onto the blog at some point in time!), but… I DID it. In fact, I did it twice! Ironically, I got hired by not one, but two great companies in 2019, right around the same time. While I ultimately chose the one that best fit my needs, it was a great reminder that I am not only capable of doing my job, I’m capable of doing it extremely well — so well that I beat out other, local candidates for the positions. All of those doubts I had been experiencing were not a reflection of my own competency, but rather the result of toxic people and work environments that aimed to strip me of my confidence. Ultimately, I learned that it takes a hell of a lot more than a bunch of calculated power plays and a few snarky putdowns from people who don’t really matter in the grand scheme of my world to keep me down.
2. Step Up My Fashion Game
While working from home has its perks (while the rest of you suckers are out there commuting in that freezing sleet and slush, I’ll be on the couch with my computer and a blanket, thank you very much!), my personal style has definitely taken a hit. There’s just something about being given free rein to lounge in your pj’s all day that makes one inclined to, well, skip getting dressed. On days I did manage to throw something on, it was usually a hideous-yet-cozy find that was once relegated to the back of my closet (think cutoff sweatpants, ratty tees, and sometimes, even just my robe).
You’ll have to ask my boyfriend about my progress in this department, but I like to think I’ve come a long way. The fact that my new job requires multiple weekly video conferences certainly helps to motivate me to put something on. Is it always the super chic, business-like ensembles I had envisioned? No. Some days it’s whatever is nearest when my meeting time is fast approaching. But I’m definitely making more of an effort. I’m also dipping my toe into the glorious world that is upscale loungewear so that I don’t look like a total slob on days I want to be cozy.
My sense of style has also been evolving on a larger scale. In my younger days, I shopped with the sole purpose of looking cute. At the ripe old age of 34, however, after many, many years spent freezing my ass off due to ill-equipped winter clothing or nasty foot blisters acquired from boots that *weren’t* exactly made for walking, I’ve finally, finally begun to take function into account. Don’t get me wrong — I still love to take a risk with a daring little two-piece set or an animal print (you’ll have to pry my beloved leopards from my cold dead hands), but now, I marry them with shoes I can actually walk in or coats that have, I don’t know, a lining. It’s all a balance.
3. Write for a New Outlet
Seeing your name in print somewhere for the first time is a thrill I don’t know that I’ll ever outlive, and a goal I hope to continue for many, many years to come. Less than a month into 2019, I had already accomplished this one several times over. I picked up a few fashion stories for a website called The Whisp, and by March, I had placements in two major national outlets — MTV News and Travel + Leisure. I also landed a byline in a print issue of Us Weekly — my first time in a national print magazine.
A few months after that, I landed a gig as a regular freelance writer for Brides, which at the time, was a part of Condé Nast. Yes, friends — for a whole two months, I worked for the same exact company as Anna Wintour — at which point they promptly sold the publication to Dotdash. (Whatever. I’m still counting it.)
4. Travel Somewhere … Anywhere
Believe it or not, prior to this year, I hadn’t left the Godforsaken state of Illinois in several years — I think the last time I took a vacation may have been in *gulp* 2013. For whatever reason — cats, jobs, life — I’ve been in a travel rut, rarely venturing beyond my own four walls. While I didn’t make it abroad (I WILL get to France, Rebecca!) I did travel back to Michigan to visit my best friend from college, to Dania Beach, Florida, for one of my interviews, visited my dad in his new(ish) home of Waco, Texas, and jetted off to my new office to meet my coworkers in NEW YORK CITY for the first time ever.
I saw Times Square. I walked along Fifth Avenue. I visited saw the famous Grand Central station. And I’ll be back soon to explore even more. Watch out, world!
5. Write More Blog Posts
This one was both a hit and a miss. I had my prolific periods, to be sure, but I also had some months with next to no content — namely in the last two months. I DID however completely rebuild and relaunch my site in May without paying a cent for a buildout or migration — something I’m very, very proud of!
Overall, I wound up posting 22 blog posts in the last year, which was slightly down from the 26 I posted in 2018. This is one I’ll continue to work on as I find my balance in my new gig — bear with me!
6. Recycle More
I’ll admit it: I produce more than my fair share of waste. Though I make my best efforts to separate out my garbage from my recyclables and dispose of them accordingly, I’ve got a nasty little Starbucks habit. What’s worse, I don’t drink hot coffee. That means most of my brews come in one of those little plastic cups that are apparently quite difficult to recycle — right along with the plastic straws that go along with them.
It was a goal of mine to buy and start using a recyclable cup to reduce my imprint, and I’m sad to say I failed here, in a big way. I bought a thermos, and I recently acquired a cold cup and a reusable straw, but for all of my good intentions, I rarely remember to grab them when I’m headed out on my coffee runs. I’ve also grown accustomed to having my coffee delivered by Uber Eats (shameful, I know!), in which case I don’t have the option to use my own cup. There’s no excuse for this one. It’s something I just need to double down and do, so it’s one that will remain on my list for 2020!
7. Workout 3 Times a Week
Remember when I said you can’t have it all? Well, this goal, in particular, turned out to be … laughable, if we’re being honest. Though I’m super grateful to be employed (with a title! And benefits!), by the time I finish my work, most days, all I want to do is lounge around on the couch and watch the Housewives or some other trash TV. And, being that my job revolves around me sitting on my ass typing for a good chunk of the day, that’s not exactly ideal.
I did make more of an effort to increase my daily steps (some days more than others), but my gym membership has still gone unused, and my yoga DVDs have definitely been steadily collecting dust in the last several months.
I’m not writing it off just yet, though. My friend Jessica recently did a great YouTube video about how to motivate yourself when you’re a busy mom, and while I’m not *exactly* a mom (do my two needy cats count?), I’m going to give her tips a go to see if I can’t get this one rolling in these last few remaining months of the year.
8. Read More
In between all of the madness, I always try to read a little more than I did the year before. Last year, I made it through 14 books, and this year, I only made it through 11. Then again, the reading selections I made were also far less breezy than 2018’s. (Currently, for instance, I’m struggling to get through the original works of Edgar Allan Poe, and, spoiler alert: It’s not exactly a beach read.)
I challenged myself to read things outside my comfort zone, with books like The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and The Nix by Nathan Hill, all making their way onto my reading list. Consequently, they also took me a bit longer to warm up to. Some were incredibly worthwhile, and others … not so much. But all have probably expanded my range, so I’m calling this one a win. *Shrugs*
9. Drink More Water
Anyone who knows me will laugh at this goal, because it’s something I’ve struggled with for YEARS. In college, I was actually hospitalized for dehydration, and a few years back, I was #blessed with the f*cking nightmare that is a kidney stone.
I’m still not perfect in this department — I could absolutely stand to guzzle more H2O — but I do make far more of an effort than I used to. I’ve also been incorporating things like tea and collagen into my routine that encourage water consumption. Bottom line? There’s room for improvement, but I’m making progress, dammit!
All in all, I’m really proud of everything I’ve managed to accomplish in 2019. I changed a lot of things that were making me unhappy, and improved areas of my life that had grown stagnant. There’s always more work to be done, but sometimes, it’s good to slow down and take stock of where you’ve been and how far you’ve come.
Here’s to making even bigger moves in 2020!
How often do you self-reflect? Let me know in the comments below!
Xo, Nicole
