Hey there!
Welcome to my blog Candidly yadi, I’m so happy that your here and that your reading this right now! I wanted to do kind of an introductory blog post before the new year rolls around. I don’t know where 2017 went, honestly. Time does really fly fast.
I started Candidly yadi in 2017 as a creative outlet. Actually, I really started it waaaay before that, but I didn’t really have the courage to go public until the summer of 2016 and ever since Ive been learning a lot and trying my very best to be a “blogger.”
One of my very first post that I wrote was on my 2017 new years resolutions and to start this new chapter in my life I thought it would be more than appropriate to end it with a reflection of 2017.
This year was definitely a year of learning and growth.
First, I’m happy to say that I graduate college with my B.A. in History in the Spring of 2017. It was a very exciting feeling turning in my last finals and shopping for graduation dresses, my cap and gown, and taking my senior pictures.
After, I started my very first “adult” job, working full time at a call center which lead to a stream of other jobs right after. All which lead me to realize that I was still in search of my dream job.
Finally, by the end of 2017 I landed a job at a school as an Instruction Aide. Which I’m really looking forward to. Also, moving into our (my roommates and I) very first non-college apartment and trying to find balance between a full time job and reaching all of my other goals.
This year to say the least was full of fun and not so fun surprises. But isn’t that life…
Now as 2017 is coming to end I’m reflecting back on my goals, what I accomplished and what I can continue to work on. That way, I can keep a much clearer path towards my goals this year.
If your interested in following my journey. Please be my guest and stick around for a little longer
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
01. Im starting the year off with gratitude because I notice that once I took a step back and started feeling grateful for what I already had, opportunities started opening up for me. Most importantly, my mindset changed. It was eye opening to see that the things I take for granted I once wished to have. I think its important for self growth to practice gratitude.
02. At the end of the day you are your best friend and your worst enemy, and what I mean with that is that you have the best intentions for yourself. If you “fail” on something or if you don’t do something that you really want to do, you’ll be the one that regrets it. No one else. So trust yourself a little more. Trust your gut, its there for a reason.
03. Don’t do something because others are doing it too. Just because someone chooses to do something doesn’t mean thats also the right choice for you. We are all different people with different goals and ideas and aspirations. At the end of the day you will be more happy by doing what you love without feeling the need to follow someone else path.
These are the three things that are technically my new years resolutions, to be grateful, to trust myself, and follow my own path. With these three things in mind Im looking forward to a new year.
2018 GOALS
01. Remodel my Bedroom and save up for my own place – I’m 99.9% certain that I spend most of my time in my bedroom and my roommates can voucher for me. I’m such a home body and I find that I’m my best self when I stay indoors which is why one of my goals for 2018 is to re-decorate my room.
I am such an environment oriented person, so I love the excuse of buying candles, cute pillows or a new desk where I can sit down draw sketches, create ideas, write in my agenda etc to feel motivated. I love that my room is white so I can be really creative with the colors and add mirrors and cool art pieces and have fun with it.
Also, I want to one day own a home. I still have allot of plans like traveling that I want to accomplish in my 20’s, but its never too early to start taking small steps towards bigger goals. (More on that on a future post!)
02. Spend more time in the outdoors – I know what your thinking, “but yadi, you just said you like spending most of your time inside your room!?” And yes, that is very true, but as much as I like spending time indoors. Its also very healthy to spend time outdoors like taking a walk around the neighborhood or taking the pets (customary your dog, but if you want to take your fish our for a walk no one is going to judge you ;)) out for a walk.
Health and Fitness – I feel like this is such a cliche new years goal BUT I think it’s really important. In college my roommates and I would go workout almost everyday and we would go twice especially during midterms and finals week to distress.
I love putting on my headphones, drowning out the world and just running. I’m a really active person in general, but I started slacking after graduation. I was also taking yoga in school and really found it helpful to decompress.
This year, I want to feel re-inspired to love health and fitness again.
p.s its really helps to have cute workout cloths in my opinion. I love asking family for workout cloths as my christmas present that way when the new year rolls around I find motivation in wearing the clothing and working out.
03. Being an early bird – Again like with fitness, I used to wake up early all the time when I was in college and even in high school and I had accomplished so much by 10:00am and now waking up at 7:00am seems like such a drag.
I found though that I do awake up early, its just a matter of getting out of bed. Like if I just found something to wake me up for those first 5 minutes. After Im ready to rock and roll. I’m full of energy and ready to start the day, which If I’m going to accomplish all of my other goals I could use that time early in the morning when everyone else is still asleep.
04. Traveling and/or road trip – Last year I really wanted to travel somewhere. Anywhere, but I wasn’t putting my priorities straight. This year, I really want to make plans explore more. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. More like discovering things locally that I wasn’t aware of before. Maybe finding a new place to eat or a cool coffee shops.
That being said, I do want to travel to other countries and/or states which is why I want to start saving up for them. Just like my goal for saving up for a home that I don’t see myself having any time soon. I can take a big goal and break it down to something manageable like saving up for it, even if its just loose change for now.
05. Building Friendships – If you know anything about being an adult, It’s that it’s difficult to find friendships like you use to in your school days. Not saying that I’m an adult necessarily (far from it). In elementary school If I bonded with a boy/girl on how nasty the cafeteria food is, we were instantly best friends for life. Its doesn’t work that way for adults. You really have to put the work in to build friendships.
This year, I want to focus on being more intentional with friendships and spending time with old friends but also meeting new people.
06. Organization and Time management – I’ve done fairly well with this one over the past years and it still continues to be one of my goals for the year because It’s still something that I’m working on constantly even though I feel like I’ve improved leaps with this one, but I always find I like to be challenged and find ways where I can improve even more.
07. Reduce my Debt and building an emergency fund – Like most college students out there, and especially most grads. Reality hits when you have to start paying back your students loans. For me, Im proud of myself that I didn’t borrow too much, but I still borrowed money that I need to device a plan to return so that I can use my income to pay for what matters most to me. (Insert blog post on budgeting in your 20’s)
A big goal of mine for 2018 is to budget my money. If you know from my post on my 2017 goals was to spend wisely. This year, I found a blogger who breaks down her spending to weekly and know where most of her money is going by the end of the week. Also because I have allot of goals that require some $$$ I want to start spending my money wisely.
08. And Finally, but not least is my Blog – I really enjoy blogging and what I have learned so far. It’s so cool to have a new hobby and every time I improve on something or gain a new skill I get so excited. Like I was really focus last month in learning about Lightroom and photography and I had lots of fun with it. Which is why a goal of mine for 2018 is to have fun with photography and my blog.
I not only want to write about cool things that interests me, and I hope others, but I really want to work on being a better photographer and just having fun.
Obviously this is a long list. From previous years and many “lesson” of new years resolutions I learned that these are just guidelines to the kind of life I want to have and small things I want to accomplish.
I’m only human and Im aware that life gets though some times at the end of the day what matter most is that I dust myself off and continue walking towards becoming a better me. Its a battle we all go through daily.
