2018 is coming to a close, and for the first time in several years, I’ve decided to tackle some New Year’s resolutions. I haven’t had many resolutions in the past, I think because I didn’t feel like they were important enough to save for the beginning of a New Year. But this year, I’ve decided to tackle some pretty tough and important items to me, and to hopefully, blog about it along the way.

For this post, I will briefly tell you what each resolution is and a quick run-down of why I’m doing them. Later on, I will create separate posts that further discuss the purpose and thoughts behind each resolution, but to save on length for this post, I’ll go over them briefly. Let’s get into it…

I’ve never been good at maintaining a blog. I’m not sure if it’s because I lose interest, lose focus, or because I just don’t force myself to stick to it. Whatever it might be, I know that I enjoy blogging, so why not force myself to do it. And honestly, I’m not blogging with any hopes of gaining a loyal reader-base. I think for me it’s just a great outlet and hopefully a way to help keep myself accountable for my 2019 New Year’s resolutions. And so, resolution #1: Keep up with my blog.

My second resolution is more a kick-start program in my mind. It’s a bit short-term to start, but I’m hoping it will inspire bigger change throughout the rest of the year. Time to get real… (deep breath)… I smoke too many cigarettes, I drink too much alcohol, I eat too much crap and overall, I’m just not taking very good care of my body (more on the physical part of that later). This isn’t to say that I chain smoke everyday or that I’m a blithering alcoholic, but it’s something I’d like to step away from for a moment and see not only how my body feels, but my mind and spirit as well. Resolution #2: 2 Week detox starting in January – no cigarettes, no alcohol, no sweets.

My third resolution is something that I’ve been slowly working on over the years and has much to do with why I started this blog and my Youtube channel in the first place – living a more sustainable life by purchasing things that are secondhand. If you’ve seen any of my videos, you’ll know that I usually score some pretty rad stuff at my local thrift stores, and looking over those videos and items makes me question why I would ever buy anything brand new in the first place (certain items excluded of course). Not only that, but do I really need anything else? I have everything anyone could ever want or need and feel like the pull of consumerism and instant gratitude are just filling my closets and cupboards with crap! And so, resolution #3: No purchasing anything brand new for all of 2019 (unless of course, absolutely necessary).

My fourth resolution is sort of along the same lines as the third, but is not only about sustainability but about saving money. It is also solely focused on sustainability and frugality through food. There are two different facets of this for me, one of which is related to grocery shopping in general and the other to actually receiving my groceries. The first part is in relation to growing and sustaining my own food source by having a home garden. I was able to have a garden last year with fairly good success, but this year I want to kick it up a notch and add even more fruits and vegetables to my choices. This will not only save me money, but will give me the satisfaction of knowing that the food came from my own backyard. The second part of this resolution is in how I actually receive my groceries. I am a delivery fanatic – you name it and I will have it delivered. The convenience is awesome! The fact that I don’t ever have to step foot into a store – double awesome! But what isn’t awesome is the price; it can add up quickly. I’m also not supporting any of the smaller companies or people that sell at farmers markets and overall, aren’t I just being lazy? Resolution #4: Become more self-sustainable (physically and monetarily) when it comes to food/groceries.

My fifth and final resolution is pretty standard in that I think it’s a resolution most people have and that is to take better care of my body. This for me specifically is by working out in some capacity every day whether it’s a short walk, a workout video at home or the possibility of a gym membership purchase(which I am actively considering). I turned 30 in November and since then it’s almost like I can feel my body getting older. Aches and pains that weren’t there (or that I hadn’t noticed before) are here with a vengeance and are screaming at me to take better care before it’s too late. And so, the final resolution, #5: Take better care of my physical form.

Phew! Ok, so I think that’s everything for now. If I decide to add any resolutions (which I don’t foresee myself doing), I will add them here. I will also, like I said before, add some more detailed posts about how I plan to tackle each of these resolutions and how it’s going along the way. I want to know what your resolutions are too. Do we have any that match up? Do you have any that you’ve ever stuck with that changed your life for the better? Let me know in the comments and maybe we can even support each other on our journey to a more sustainable and prosperous life.

MelissaRose