Another year! 2017 has been a big one for me – my 5 year college reunion, leaving St. Louis where I’d lived for 4 years, moving to Chicago with my boyfriend and Riply, being fun-employed, starting a new job, and of course, launching OMC! Plus all the traveling adventures, making new friends, and creative endeavors, it’s been a solid year. But now it’s time to set some #OMC2018Goals!
No, not resolutions – GOALS! Fun, tangible things I can check-off for the new year. Here are my #OMC2018Goals with a few looks back into 2017!
According to Instagram, this is my 2017 Best Nine. Me, my dog, and baked goods. Sounds about right 😉 But so much more happened throughout the year! Like all the traveling. I was privileged this year to have been able to visit so many places for graduation, weddings, vacations, and work.
Which is also what inspired me for my first #OMC2018Goals:
NUMBER 1: MAKE AT LEAST TWO TRIPS TO VISIT FRIENDS
Not “Oh, I’m in town let’s meet up” kind of visits. But visits just to see people. It’s so hard keeping up with folks without proximity on your side and it’s easy to find excuses not to go. But staying connected is so important and there is only so much connection we can feel by stalking each other’s Insta-stories. Besides, it’s a great way to travel more!
The best way to travel is of course, to eat! I took advantage of my few months of fun-employment after Zach and I moved to Chicago and explored the city the best way I knew how – eating and drinking my way through it. Huge fan of Bang Bang Pie Shop – the shrimp and grits were delish and I could have ate the entire strawberry pie by myself. Also, the doughnuts at Bombobar are probably my favorite in the city!
Now however, I’m feeling like I need a bit of a detox. A few years ago I took on a 3-Month Paleo challenge. This year, I’m stepping it up a bit.
NUMBER 2: PALEO FOR 5 MONTHS
I actually loved going paleo when I last did it. It was tough in the beginning but once I got into the swing of things, I really did feel a difference. I had more energy and overall happier in my body. Paleo doesn’t allow any processed foods, no dairy, and no grains. It’s a lot of work. You have to food prep otherwise it is too easy to cheat. But as long as you prepare, it’s really not bad. This time though, I am making a few exceptions:
- I can drink the occasional glass of red wine. I mean, I want to eat clean and healthy but I also want to be happy…red wine makes me happy 😛
- I can drink if it’s for work. I work for a drinks marketing agency and my clients are all in the liquor business. Tough job, I know!
2017 was also a year of great adventures. From reuniting with college friends for our 5-year reunion to seeing Hamilton in Chicago (and getting to go on stage!) to our many puppy milestones, we’ve certainly made a lot of memories. For how busy I was, I do wish I had more time for simple things like reading. I love getting lost in a good book and really should make more time for personal activities. I don’t believe in “I wish I had more time to read”. You do. We all do. We just need to do it. Which brings me to the third of my #OMC2018Goals!
NUMBER 3: READ A BOOK EVERY MONTH
I’m taking on the monthly reading challenge! I’m also going to try and not read a “beach book” for each month. I feel like that’s cheating 😛. That being said, if any of you have any favorite books, please share them at hello@ohemcee.com! I’ll be posting each month what book I end up reading with my review, to share with you all… and to keep myself honest and on track. Follow along with #OMC2018Reads!
Did you know you can get free e-books from your local library? Most libraries now let you rent books online and it will be sent directly to your Kindle (or other e-reading device). You just need a library card!
My fourth and final of the #OMC2018Goals is about family. I don’t go home to New Jersey very often and unfortunately, I’m not great at calling home either. Which is really quite unfortunate because family should be one of the most important things in your life, if not the most. My parents never stopped supporting my sister and I, even though I live half a country away. The least I can do is to be more present in their lives.
NUMBER 4: CALL HOME ONCE A WEEK
I’m even going to set an alarm as a reminder. For those of you that call home every single day, bless you because that is amazing and wonderful. I’m kind of embarassed to say that sometimes I even go a few weeks without talking to my parents but hey, I’m working on it! Every year that goes by, it’s becoming more important to me to try and stay connected with my family as much as possible.
Those are my #OMC2018Goals! Simple and something I can track. I’m a competitive person and if it takes a competition to help me reach some of my personal goals, so be it. I’ve realized that I’m not that big on New Years Resolutions anymore but I support people, at any time of their lives, wanting to better themselves. No matter what it is, it’s never to late to raise yourself up and reach for something bigger!
Happy New Years Everyone! Let’s make 2018 better 😉