Top: Nordstrom | Pants: Paige Denim | Boots: Nordstrom | Necklace: Bauble Bar | Lipstick: MAC “Diva”

Photography by: Banavenue

Before 2016 ended, I made a point to say a quick prayer to the fashion Gods that bell sleeves would find their way into 2017 because they are just too fun of a trend to go out of style anytime soon. I found this bell sleeve top at the outlet mall a few weeks back and despite having 2,537,945 other bell sleeves tops in my closet (as seen here, and here), those obnoxiously big sleeves seemed 100% necessary to add to my growing collection. More on which trends I’ll be bringing into the New Year with me on Friday but today I wanted to get a little personal with you all. New year, same semi-emotional me.

Maybe it’s a combination of the insane amount of Hallmark movies paired with having too much time on my hands over the holidays, but over the past couple of weeks I have suddenly become a very emotional person. Thinking and feeling intense thoughts that I have no idea where they came from. I know it is because this time of year is when everyone reflects on the past year and starts making changes for the next one, but I have NEVER been that person.

I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. Mostly because I tried that whole “I’m gonna get fit and go to the gym everyday” resolution along with the rest of America a few years back. Well let me just tell you that I was going strong for like a full 15 days or so and then on the 16th day I decided I didn’t want to go to the gym. So once I broke that New Year’s resolution it was like an “o well, I tried” attitude and I gave up all together instead of giving myself a day off and then starting fresh the next day.

The issue with New Year’s Resolutions is that we feel like they can only be put into action one time a year. I’m all for new beginnings and goal-setting but this should be a constant cycle. They should also be attainable goals. They should be goals that give you a day off. And they should most certainly be goals that push you to be a better version of you.

So since my feelings decided to suddenly go all haywire and decide they want to be heard in 2017, I thought the best way would be to write them all down and turn them into goals.

Be more intentional: For some reason that I can’t explain I just don’t seem to care about a lot anymore. I have become selfish and because of that it has caused me not to think about almost anything or anyone besides myself and my daily routine. Pretty sad right? I want to get better about doing each task with purpose and truly thinking about others and their feelings in the process.

Complain less: My sister brought this to my attention and it’s something I genuinely want to work on. Even though I don’t recognize it as complaining, it’s more like venting to me, either way I want to try to be more positive this year. The first step in doing so, is to knix the negativity. So even when I know I am going to have to stay up late doing a blog post, work stinks, or there is blog drama in the bloggersphere, I want to work on stopping the conversation before it even starts and instead change the direction to something different.

Give off positive vibes: Just like we should treat others the way we want to be treated, this is also true in our outward emotions. I want people to think of me as a positive and fun person to be around but lately I really don’t think that I have been. This year has been all about the hustle but what is it that good for if all it has done is make me a more negative person? I am extremely grateful for this life and I want to portray that. I want to attract people that will make me a better and happier person and the only way to attract that type of person is if you give off the same vibe.

Be open to change: Say yes to more and don’t be afraid of new people and new opportunities. I used to think that I liked change but the older that I get, the more I see this could not be farther from the truth. This year I want to do more things that scare me and make me feel alive. I want to do get out of my everyday routine and find more ways to invest my time. Lastly, I want to find happiness in every aspect of my life and the first step starts with change. It’s not going to be easy but I know it’s the only way.

Add depth: For someone that used to be so eager to learn and soak up any new adventure, I have fallen a long way. I’m not sure if it is lack of inspiration or what but I have got to get back in the saddle! I couldn’t even tell you the last book that I read and most times I’d rather throw a tantrum than to simply Google something. How sad is that? Our generation is so absorbed with social media and things that don’t matter that we miss out on so much. There are so many ways to challenge our minds and I am vowing to be better in 2017 about reading more, (I just ordered this book and this one), get outside more, research more, travel more, and overall do more to expand my mind.

I definitely have more on my list but for the sake of sounding like I absolutely hate my life (because I most certainly do not!), I will refrain and save those for a less depressing blog post! In all seriousness, I am so thankful for everything that 2016 brought me and this little blog of mine. While I have big goals for the blog, and I’ll be sure to share those with you guys soon, I think it is important to take time and focus on my well being for obvious reasons and I hope you do the same in 2017.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Do any of my 2017 goals hit home for you? What were some of your personal goals?

Happy New Year friends and cheers to 2017!