2015 Goals and To-Do Lists

It's a new year and it seems like for some reason everyone is more excited about 2015. I'm feeling that excitement too. This year I will finish out my junior year of college and begin my senior year. There's so much pressure and excitement, there's also this seemingly never-ending To-Do list.

Here's just a peek at some of the things topping the various To-Do lists I have.

BLOGGING TO-DO

• Rebrand my blog, which is a HUGE process. 
• Set a schedule and write more!
• Find my niche and a tribe. 

WORK TO-DO

• Improve my department. I made so many changes last year and this year I have a few more changes I want to implement to make it the smoothest year we've had! 
• Keep up with the changes I've made. 
• Find a balance between my work life and school life. 

SCHOOL TO-DO

• Set up a spring and summer internship, possibly a fall internship.
• Get a 3.0 GPA! (Sooo close!)
• Get more involved around campus. 
• Start getting serious about Graduate school. 

LIFE TO-DO

• Exercise more and try to skate more!
• Read 50 books. 
• Watch at least 50 movies and complete 6 different TV shows. 
• Complete the remaining seasons of a few shows I started last year. 
• Keep up with a day planner. 
• Try to do devotionals or bible reading every day. 
• Write more and finish Southern Charm! 

New Year Resolutions - 21 Things Before I Turn 21

Happy New Year!

It's been 2014 for fourteen days. I've spent the past three weeks thinking of what I want to accomplish in the next year. Some are simple goals, others not so simple. I did decide that I want to accomplish 21 different things before I turn 21. I've been contemplating what things I want to accomplish, some are ridiculous and highly unlikely, others quick and easy.

Here's my 21 before 21:

1. Finish Southern Charm
2. Do something all by myself. Whether it be going to a movie, a concert or dinner at Olive Garden. I gotta do it by myself. Don't ask why, it's just a weird thing I gotta do. 
3. Go away for a weekend. 
4. See the sunrise or set at the beach.
5. Go on a road trip. 
6. Volunteer to help others. 
7. Lose weight. A Lot. 
8. Get back into ice skating. 
9. Land a loop and flip jump. 
10. Compete in two skating competitions. 
11. Save $500.00 for my trip to Spoleto, Italy. 
12. Plan a trip to Disney World.
13. Read 21 full books. 
14. See a concert. 
15. Complete 3 full series. 
16. Do an internship.
17. Pay off my Macbook Pro (I have until October 31st to pay it off in full, or it will no longer be interest free). 
18. Learn a skill. Whether mechanical, crafty or other. I will learn a skill. 
19. Make a real effort towards deciding what I wanna do after graduation. 
20. Keep up with this blog. 
21. Fall in love. 

The last one is a bit misleading. I don't mean to fall in love with another person, not that it wouldn't be nice to be in love again. I mean that I want to fall in love with myself. I want to be happy with who I am as a person. It's hard work, but I've come to the conclusion that to be able to love others, I must be able to love myself completely. This is a psychologically sound theory.

From Pinterest. 

Writing and Soulmates

"You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we're doing it."  ~Neil Gaiman

 

So being a writer is a wonderful and painful experience. Constantly being flowed by plots and ideas, yet never being able to make them flow or stick. Spending years on a story, knowing it will be amazing when you finish it, only to realize that this isn't the "One". It isn't the story of stories, the one you want to be remembered for.

My writing has been suffering for a while. I had ideas and plots, but no focus. I'm hoping to change that as I begin another rewrite on Southern Charm. I have to finish this story. Even if it is the worst story ever written, I have to finish it. I haven't completed a story in 3 years. It's kind of depressing.

But now for a happier side. I have found my writing soulmate! Her name is Tabatha Vargo (Check out her blog here;  http://tabathavargo.blogspot.com/) and she is amazing! We just clicked and her writing is awesome! We have writing dates on Mondays, whenever possible. Even if we only talk about writing for a few minutes it's still amazing!

Very soon we'll be going to YALL Fest and participating in NANOWRIMO. It's great to have someone who can understand and sympathize with how difficult it can be to be a writer. With her on my side I think I'll finally get the support and shove to finish Southern Charm, and maybe even to find my "One".