Happy 2022!

Now that the new year has begun, I wanted to take some time to look back on the previous year and see how far I’ve come. I think of the changing years as a time for self reflection, as well as looking for areas of continued improvement and setting new aspirations. I’ve looked back on my 2021 Resolutions and Intentions and – despite this year being filled with the unexpected thanks to a global pandemic and stressful work schedule – I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish! Each year we grow and evolve, so even if I wasn’t able to meet every goal I set, I still learned a lot and developed new skills.

I was pretty optimistic at the start of 2021 (as I think many of us were) and genuinely thought it would be a lot different from 2020. Well, there were definitely a lot of highs and lows, but overall I think having another challenging year forced me to get out my comfort zone, follow my passions, and got me to prioritize the things that bring me joy.

Going through the past year’s resolutions and intentions I set for myself allows me to see how far I’ve come and inspires me to do even better this next year!

Resolutions Met:

• Eat out less, meal prep more – An unintentional benefit of quarantine in 2020 was that I was forced to learn how to cook my own meals and I love my continued use of my MarleySpoon meal subscription service that allows me to experiment with new dishes and flavors every week! (Let me know if you’d like a code to try MarleySpoon for yourself!)
• Read more books – My reading goal for this year was 40 books, and I’m very proud of myself for surpassing it by reading 43! I really knocked out about 5-6 books each month (especially at the beginning of the year) and really loved the diverse array of literature I read. You can find my 2021 reading list here.
• Experiment more with my personal style (a continuing challenge from past years) – while I definitely fell into a style rut a few times throughout the year, I tried to get out and shoot at new locations with all different fun looks. It’s so uplifting to be able to play around with fashion when life is stressing me out!
• Get physically stronger – thanks to gyms and workout classes reopening back up last year, I’ve been able to slowly regain my strength and begin getting back to my preferred fitness level. I’ve always loved exercise as a healthy form of stress relief, so having that balance back in my life is incredible. I also still love attending my Rhythm &Tone virtual dance and toning classes, of course!
• Take weekend trips to new places in the surrounding DC area – weirdly enough, the extended limit on travel actually encouraged me to visit places closer to home. I made a few trips out to Lost Barrel Brewery and attended a Middleburg polo match. I also spent a lot more time exploring Old Town Alexandria this year and loved visiting this historic town!
• 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 – I loved being able to finally attend DC Blogger events again this year and even became a volunteer! Thanks to my friend Lisa from Occasionally Luxe, I had the pleasure of going to visit 30a in Florida and attend a bunch of fun events around the DMV, as well as connect with the best group of Blogger Besties a girl could ask for! I also finally hosted a fun blogger event of my own this year with a spooky Halloween birthday picnic!
• Visit Disney World for the 50th Anniversary – thanks to my best friend’s bachelorette party, I was able to check off this bucket list item and had such a blast!

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, filling in a coloring book, taking a virtual paint and sip class, or actually devoting an afternoon to designing an outfit, I want to get back in touch with my creative side even more this year!
• Organize my apartment more often…and keep it organized – organization has always been a struggle for me, and after going through two moves last year, I definitely am slacking in the neatness arena. Last year I went through spurts of cleaning inspiration where I’d reorganize a section of my apartment but leave boxes still packed up from my move. It’s definitely something I need to be more consistent about.
• Continue Anti-racism work and educating myself – by reading, watching documentaries, and supporting good organizations and causes. I was really dedicated in 2020, and while I did read some antiracist books and watch informative movies last year, I would like to do more on educating myself.
• Plan for the future – the past few years, I’ve been in a bit of a limbo with my careers and education. It’s time to start planning my future more clearly as the pandemic begins to (hopefully) subside.
• Do silent works of good – donating to charities, volunteering for a cause I believe in, or paying for someone else’s coffee. Doing a small act of kindness could leave a large positive impact on someone else’s life.

Despite this being another tough and challenging year, I’m proud the goals I was able to meet. I hope you’re able to reflect back on 2021 and recognize your moments of strength, resilience, and perseverance as well!

Did we share any resolutions from last year? Let me know your thoughts!

XOXO

Parisa