My 2018 Intentions
I want to start off with saying thank you to everyone who supported me in 2017 - family, friends, blog & Instagram followers. I appreciate the kindness and that you care to read about what I do & think about! 2018 is going to be a pretty big year for me. Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is my big thing for the year, with good reason - it will take me 5-6 months to complete! Basically half of the year! In the spirit of not dwelling on the past, I won't rant about the last year, but it had it's ups and downs, and I didn't start the year with any goals/ resolutions/ intentions, which I think left me aimless. So I want to start 2018 off with more positivity and more of a game plan. Here's what I want to focus on - more or less in chronological order since my year is very structured.
1. Decluttering & Reorganizing
I always talk about having too much stuff and no where to put things. Too many clothes, too many trinkets, too many filled boxes in the basement. I already started selling some clothes & shoes on the website Poshmark in the fall to clear out my closet a little bit and make some cash at the same time! Now I just need to do the same for all of the other junk I have. I also want to reorganize my bedroom, which will come much easier after the decluttering. At least I got the camera gear all organized & nice enough looking (hey, its not all laying on the floor anymore - big win). I especially want to do a lot of this before I leave for the PCT, but I have a feeling more decluttering will happen after the trail too.
2. Being Healthier
This one will completely fly out the window once I step foot on the PCT (at least in the eating part), but up until then, I want to get back to eating healthier, exercising more frequently, drinking more water, and getting consistent sleep. I was doing really well in 2016, but 2017 was a bad year for healthy living. It was so easy to get stuck in that I'm tired from work - don't want to work out - meal prep is hard - eat bad food - be more tired and bloated and in a bad mood cycle. Now that I'm working less, I hope to be more motivated in meal prep and going to the gym. I know that eating better & working out make me feel better, but sometimes it can be so challenging! I'm also going to try to eat less meat. I love meat, especially red meat, but I know its not the best for you or the planet, and I'm actually more of a pescatarian 50% of the time anyways, so this one won't be that difficult. But once I get on the PCT I will literally eat anything & everything. Establishing a more consistent workout routine is also important to me leading up to the PCT. I loosely follow Kayla Itsines's BBG SWEAT program which is a combination of steady state cardio, HIIT, and plyometric and weight training for 6 days/week. To put a PCT spin on things, I am aiming to do at least one cardio session/ week as a hike ranging from 5-10 miles, and the other 2/ week will be a combination of treadmill, stair stepper, and vinyasa yoga.
3. Being Smart with Finances
This is literally always a goal of mine and I'm pretty bad at it. I have a hard time not buying myself things that I want ("I worked hard for this, I deserve it"), but being unemployed for half of last year helped me not go crazy with the shopping. And I go to Starbucks for coffee (& food) almost daily, and eat out way too much. Making some changes here will help me be healthier & save more money, and I need to save all the money I can for the PCT - to enjoy the trail, and to have some money at the end!
4. Hike the PCT
Obviously a big one for the year! I am attempting a northbound thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (...if you couldn't already tell), and plan on completing the whole thing this year. Hopefully I have lots of good luck - no injuries, great weather, etc. that will allow me to complete all open miles of the trail this year. If you want to read more about my PCT prep, mosey on over to my PCT blog.
5. Learn How to Cross-Country Ski
A little out of the blue here, but I'd really like to learn XC skiing. I enjoy snowshoeing a lot, but I feel like XC skiing gives you more opportunity for exploration in the winter, so I'd really like to learn it!
6. Think About the Future - Mindfully
Mindfulness & planning for the future are not two things you normally see in the same sentence. However, I am going to be taking a very long walk this year, and I know I will think about a lot of things when my mind starts to wander. The PCT is supposed to be fun, of course, but I do hope it also helps me take stock of my life & realize where my priorities lie - and in a non-judgmental way. This is literally the first year since I graduated from college where I've stopped telling people "I'm applying to grad school this year", so it will be nice to quit unintentionally lying to everyone. That being said, maybe I'll be able to think about applying to something in 2019? Not pushing anything though, which is nice for once.
7. Be a Better Communicator
I'm bad at communicating with people in a personal manner. Professional - no problem. Personal... could be better. It's funny that I'm attempting to improve on this the year I will be mostly in the woods... but I guess you have to start somewhere, am I right?
Do you have any resolutions you'd like to share - outdoors related or not? Let me know in the comments & have a Happy New Year!