Happy New Years Eve!

Normally this post is my year in review or a look back on my 2020 resolutions and intentions for the year to see what I’ve accomplished personally and professionally. However, this year definitely did NOT go according to plan for anyone. I was so excited to travel more and explore more places both around DC or visit new states across the US, which obviously didn’t happen.

While I may have been unable to complete a lot of my 2020 resolutions due to forces outside of my control, I am very proud of what I was able to accomplish this year. Even the simple things on my 2020 list like “learn to cook” or “read more books” were things that brought me much happiness this year and are personal successes. Below I’m sharing my completed 2020 intentions, and the ones where I started or completed partway that still need improvement.

Resolutions Met:

• Eat out less, meal prep more – An unintentional benefit of quarantine was that I was forced to learn how to cook my own meals. At a certain point, I got bored with my typical pasta primaveras and microwave meals, so thanks to MarleySpoon I really branched out and got creative in the kitchen! (Your first two meals are free if you’d like to try MarleySpoon for yourself!)
• Read more books – My reading goal for this year was 30 books, and I’m very proud of myself for surpassing it by reading 34! All that freed up time during the weekends and at night after work definitely allowed me to expand my reading repertoire and really dive into a lot of different books. You can find my 2020 reading list here.
• Experiment more with my personal style (a continuing challenge from the past three years) – while I definitely fell into a style rut during the beginning of quarantine this spring, I also used any opportunities I was able to go out and shoot as a way to challenge my personal style boundaries.
• Find a hair care routine that works for me – another benefit of quarantine was that I literally didn’t have to wash my hair. I got it to every two weeks and my hair has never felt stronger or healthier! I’m also working to incorporate more clean beauty products that suit my hair texture)
• Reconnect and visit with old friends – another side effect of being so isolated was that it prompted me to reconnect with friends and family members that I normally don’t interact with more than once a year. Lots of phone calls and zoom calls were spent catching up this year.

Areas of Improvement:

• Take time to be creative – I loved to paint and draw and honestly miss the soothing, re-centering effect it has on me. Whether it’s doodling, taking a paint and sip class, or actually devoting an afternoon to designing an outfit, I want to get back in touch with my creative side!
• Get stronger physically – strengthen my immune system, eat vitamins, build up my weight lifting abilities – anything healthy that makes me strong. Not having a gym for most of this year sucked, tbh. That combined with more time spent indoors messed with my normal health routine and definitely threw off any goals to get stronger or get healthier. However, I aim to eat healthier, drink more water, and get back into a fitness routine next year! Sarika Fitness was also what literally kept me healthier and saner that I thought I’d be after this year – she just launched her own workout website that will carry me through next year!
• Organize my apartment more often…and keep it organized – organization has always been a struggle for me, and this year I went through spurts of cleaning inspiration where I’d reorganize a section of my apartment. It’s definitely something I need to be more consistent about.
• Explore DC even more – I didn’t get to really branch out by going to new museums or restaurants this year, but by going on more long walks, I was able to really familiarize myself with my own neighborhood of Georgetown, Dupont, and Foggy Bottom.
• Take weekend trips to new places in the surrounding DC area – weirdly enough, the limit on travel actually encouraged me to visit places closer to home. Whether it was my friends and I renting a car to visit local vineyards and pick apples, or drive to a small town nearby for a blogger weekend, I really enjoyed my “travels” closer to home.
• Be consistent about blogging and engagement – I definitely had months where I was better than others, but overall I’m proud at my ability to stay pretty consistent with my posts this year.
• Connect and collaborate with fellow bloggers – even though I wasn’t going to blogger meetups regularly, I loved attending virtual events to connect with bloggers that were both local and across the country and was so grateful to be invited to join Occasionally Luxe for an influencer weekend in Front Royal.

Despite this year being tough and challenging, I’m proud of any of these goals I was able to meet. I hope you’re able to reflect back on 2020 and recognize your moments of strength, resilience, and persevearance as well!

See you all next year!

XOXO

Parisa