19 for 2019

I felt inspired when I saw this similar list over at Conscious by Chloe, and I wanted to ruminate and come up with my own to share here. Though I'm not a fan of traditional resolutions, I do believe it's important that we set intentions for ourselves as a way of constantly striving to be a better version of our self but also as a means of taking note of what is important to us in this life, in this moment. And although our hopes and dreams do change over time, I believe that we inherently know what we need and what we want to put our energy into. On that note, it was initially difficult for me to come up with 19 things for this list. I wanted to make sure I set goals I have every intention of working towards, so I put some thought into this. I feel pretty damn good about this list!

1. Take more day trips & long weekends

Soon Shawn and I will have the same days off each week, and we'll be able to leave the apartment together for more than a few hours at a time. I'm looking forward to more coastal trips, mountain hikes, and waterfalls! Spending time outdoors together is a huge reason why we moved to Oregon, but life got in the way last year. This year, I'm not going to let it.

2. Keep a food journal

I'm keeping a daily log of what I'm putting into my body, hoping to learn how the foods I eat affect my body and well-being, and which specific foods leave me feeling less-than-stellar on a regular basis. For the month of January I'm also cutting beer and dairy out of my diet.

3. Financial freedom

Big goal for this year is to be completely debt-free going into 2020... I believe I can do it! #15 and #8 should help me achieve this.

4. Read more

I'm ashamed to tell you the last time I finished a book... This year I've signed up for Book of the Month to give myself a little nudge. I've also acquired a library card (woot!) and have been indulging in Portland's quirky weekly newspapers.

5. Sort and organize my recipe pile

The way I store my recipes is atrocious. It's a few fat notebooks stuffed with handwritten recipes (half of them with no title or instructions) written on assorted papers and envelopes. I've been meaning to tackle the pile for months, I'm just not sure how I want to store them yet. The task also seems incredibly daunting, but I need to get organized.

6. Make more food from scratch

I cook lunch and dinner at home almost daily, but there are a few things that I buy pretty regularly that could easily be made at home. Specifically flour tortillas, bread, corn chips. I want to pickle more things and make some jams as well.

7. Reduce the amount of trash we produce

Shawn and I have been talking about how unhappy we are with how many bags of trash we seem produce on a weekly basis. Despite our best efforts to recycle as much as we can, we still end up taking about 2 regular-sized kitchen bags of trash out per week- that's way too many for a household of 2! I've noticed that we throw away a lot of takeout containers from when Shawn brings leftover food home from the hot bar at work, so he's going to make more of an effort to bring reusable containers to work instead. And I'm going to try my darndest to remember to bring my mesh produce bags when I go grocery shopping. I'm also looking into reusable/washable cotton rounds because I use those daily and that creates a lot of waste. Now if only I could figure out a better way to dispose of dirty cat litter...

8. Keep groceries down to $75 a week

For the past two years I've kept our grocery costs at about $100/week, which isn't bad considering the two of us eat enough for three, I eat a giant breakfast burrito almost daily, and we cook from home 6-7 nights of the week. But Shawn often brings home free produce from work, and we're both trying to eat more simply and mindfully, which means we should be able to get away with a slightly smaller grocery bill. This should really help with #3!

9. Make yoga & meditation part of my daily routine

At the end of November I started setting time aside to meditate every morning, and I've kept up this daily practice since then, with only a day lapse every now and then. That said, it's still very difficult for me and I want to keep working at it with intention. I'm slowly setting up my little zen/yoga corner at home and I want to build towards a daily yoga practice as well.

10. Add functional fitness to my routine

On top of committing to a daily yoga practice, I'd also love to add some functional fitness into my routine. Other than yoga and walking, I don't stretch my muscles much. Adding new movement and some small weights can't hurt.

11. Learn to play the ukulele

I bought a ukulele with my Christmas money. It's something I've been talking about doing for years, and I finally got tired of just talking about it. But now I actually have to teach myself how to play - I haven't played an instrument in 15 years! The task is daunting but also incredibly rewarding.

12. Write more snail mail

The amount of stationary I have is almost akin to the amount of recipes I have piled up... but at least the stationary is organized neatly. Keeping it organized doesn't do anyone any good though, so I resolve to send more letters!

13. Attend yoga/wellness workshops

I'd love to start a 300-hr training program, but it's not in the cards financially this year, so instead I intend to attend a few workshops to help keep my yoga brain buzzing. I'm doing an accessible yoga teacher training in March, so that's a good start!

14. Grow herbs indoors

One of my penpals sent me an herb starter kit back in September, and I want to try my hand at growing some. My thumbs are not the greenest, I leave the plant-tending to Shawn... but it'd be really satisfying to grow something from scratch that I can also use in the kitchen.

15. Sell my car

Last year was an expensive year for my 10-year old Versa, which I suppose is to be expected after driving cross-country. I had planned on selling it last year, but it made more sense to fix it up a bit and hold onto it for a few more months. We'll enjoy having it over the summer when we can do more of #1, but come September/October I have every intention of putting it up for sale. No intention of buying another car, because I don't need it daily in Portland, and it's easy and ultimately cheaper to rent one when we need one. The money from the car sale will all go towards #3!

16. Visit my parents

I wasn't able to go to Spain last year and they haven't visited us here in Portland yet, so this year I'd love to take a week off and fly out to see them. If my brother and sister and I can figure it out, we'd love to visit at the same time and have the family back together for a few days!

17. Shop with intention

This is an attitude I've been cultivating for a few years; I started with clothing and have let it slowly trickle into other aspects of my shopping habits. It's a constant work in progress, though I've noticed it becoming easier over time through constant reflection and practice. The intention is to only buy things that serve a purpose in my wardrobe, our home, and our pantry. We save money this way, but also save time and mental energy by not having excess in these areas of our life.

18. Improve my posture

I have a tendency to slouch when seated and I tend towards anterior pelvic tilt. (My family actually calls it Marine Pose...) Being more aware of my posture and making active adjustments towards a neutral pelvis will help with my back pain and overall well-being. Just remember, neutral pelvis, shoulders back, ribs tucked in... I'd love to one day not even have to think about it!

19. Meet new people

Moving to a new city and making new friends is hard, especially when you're an introvert. I tend to stay on the outskirts of big groups and I hesitate to initiate conversations (not a fan of small talk over here) BUT I've met so many interesting and amazing people since moving here, and I want to meet more! Getting out of my comfort zone has yielded some pretty awesome results, so I'm going to continue to err on the side of discomfort.

What intentions are you setting for yourself for 2019? Are they things you're willing to commit to whole-heartedly?