3 Things I Did in 2018 and 1 To Do Next Year
Plattsburgh, NY
This post was originally published November 23, 2019.
No, you’re reading this right. Even though there is still a month left in the year, I am writing my end of the year post now, so I can take December off. (I will still be on Instagram though!)
Last year, I decided that this year would be represented by the word “Transition,” and while there certainly was a lot of transitions for me, I almost feel like “Re-prioritize” would have been a better word. At the start of 2018, I had the idea that my transitioning out of college would be marked by steps, listed on a to-do list that was quickly spiraling out of control. Instead, I’m learning that transitioning is a shuffling of priorities. If I’m going to get somewhere, I had to learn that I can only do it by driving in one direction at a time.
So it looks like I’m going to be ending 2018 with a list of accomplishments a lot shorter than I hoped. I did check some things off my list, such as getting a job with a retirement plan, getting a car, and going to Lake Champlain where I could research for the novel I’m writing, but I want to take a moment to celebrate the things I did that I never thought to add onto my list, but am still grateful for doing.
1. Decluttering.
I never thought of myself as a person with a lot of stuff, but this year I learned a lot about minimalism and how much I resonated with the underlying philosophy. Just like my life, I want the things around me to provide purpose and meaning. I got rid of so much stuff. Trash bags upon trash bags. I moved a set of rolling drawers out of my room because I no longer had anything to put in it. It’s been amazing. Less stuff means less chaos and less work to put things away, so I’m more organized and my living space is cleaner. I have been thanking myself when I get caught up in the overwhelm of life because I have taken care of all the little things I would have let pile up before. Did I pay that bill? Did I charge that battery? The answer is yes because I have redefined my relationship with my space and the things that are in it.
2. Going Cruelty Free.
This is something I started researching last year, and somehow, every personal beauty and hygiene product from my makeup to my mouthwash is cruelty free now. I’ve been trying to consider the indirect impact I have on the planet and creatures in it. I want my actions to be as gentle as my intentions. I would never lay a hurtful hand on an animal, so it doesn’t make sense for me to support anyone who does. I still have a lot of work in this arena and it will take plenty of time, but I surprised myself this year by learning that it’s easier than I initially thought.
3. Consuming more nonfiction.
If you asked me a year ago if I liked nonfiction, I would have said no. Now, to be honest, I really like it. Since graduating, I no longer have the obvious opportunities for indulging my curiosity via classes, so I started searching elsewhere. I started reading a lot more nonfiction, watching way more informative videos, and even listening to the occasional podcast. One of my favorite books I read this year is called: From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death. It’s a book by a mortician who traveled across the world, learning about death rituals in other cultures. It was none of the dry writing you find in textbooks, but it was all the details. People all over the planet want to respect their dead loved ones, but how they do that varies from mummification to public cremations. I also learned a lot about financial literacy from YouTube videos like those produced by The Financial Diet. I never thought that at age 22, I would know how index funds work.
I’m sure there’s plenty of things I want to accomplish next year. Things I won’t even think about until I’ve already accomplished them. But here is number one:
1. Take this list as a suggestion and not a requirement.
Obviously, if I get into a terrible accident, I’m going to require myself to get treatment---let’s not get hung up on the exceptions. I’m talking about all those little “steps.” Those things that got me so stressed out this year. I don’t know how long my life is going to be, so I need to stop making timelines. Next year, I don’t want to spend my energy trying to console myself for all the things I failed to get done before December 31st. I want to congratulate myself on all the things I did. I don’t need to have it all figured out. I just need to do the best I can do. If I keep moving forward, I’ll get there.
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, I’m taking some time off to do some more re-prioritizing and moving forward. I hope your holidays are filled with love and your new year filled with enlightenment. I will see you again next year.