The last few days of 2016 reminded me of the things, people, and activities that I value the most and that I haven’t been able to focus on in the past years.
1. People
Unexpectedly, I was able to attend a number of events with my college barkada before the year ended. 2016 had been pretty barren in block events and outings, so I’m grateful that there were plenty of meet-ups during the last week of the year. There was the afternoon after Christmas at Chili’s, I hosted a dinner at home, and Sandy’s 1st birthday—all in the span of one week.
I was able to reaffirm how being with my people energizes me.
Hence, 2017 is going to be about saying yes to more things. Saying yes to going out with my friends, saying yes to meeting new people, saying yes to personal interactions, saying yes to family outings (well, it’s just gonna be me, dad&mum), AND getting over my mom’s phobia of me taking public transportation (uber/grab). I will learn to drive again by February.
2. Minimalism
I’ve been having this internal struggle for a few years now. While I’m stuck at home with lupus, I’ve accumulated a ton of things that I don’t need but fill up that space that was intended for human interaction.
Thankfully, the universe has been helping me out! You attract what you seek, after all.
- Mari Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up;
- Living With Less: The Power of Being a Minimalist with Joshua Fields Millburn;
- Jenny Mustard’s Blog and YouTube Channel;
- and just today, James Altucher: Reinvent Yourself and Create the Future.
These resources fortuitously appeared in my hemisphere and they are just what I needed.
Having too many things, for me, is a distraction. Just like having three fountain pens in front of me takes away time deciding what color to use when I can just dive into writing. Having more things or more of the same things (Nintendo 3ds, 7 fountain pens, cameras, and other gadgets: a kindle and an iPad) are usually distractions. So I’m NOT getting more things, I’m getting rid of some things. And if I do get things, I make sure, these are things I love or need.
3. Create More
Create more output: Write more. Write everywhere. In my blog, journal, Day One Diary, try to vlog, and try new experiences! And get over my fear of putting out blog content. Also, reminding myself that getting work done is more important than making things perfect. “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good”.
4. Healthy Living – is always a top priority and is the backbone for all the things I do, I have to set this lifestyle in stone.
I am super excited for 2017! Three of my kabarkadas are getting married 💖, my brother’s family is moving to Poland (hopefully, we’ll get to visit), I want to collaborate with other people, and Joey is going to dive into video tutorial projects and I want to pick up skills on that too! HOORAY!
What are you excited about for 2017?
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