A New Year's to-do list

New Year’s thoughts:

How many times do we sit and think about how we want our lives to be different or how we’d like to change? Ruminating over the past year of our lives and thinking things over and over again, wondering the possibility of different results based upon different reactions…well now’s the chance.

I happen to be quite the dreamer (I’m an Aquarius if you’re into astrology/zodiac signs) and even more independent and headstrong individual. I head is almost always up in the clouds and my mind is constantly buzzing at 1 million miles per hour with ideas/thoughts/what if’s/hopes/goals..etc. What I’m terrible about is following through or remembering all of them, darn it!.. some of them are really good ideas!

So here’s my list of improvements on my path to a less stressful, fulfilling 2017.

Stop stressing the small stuff. This one is a particularly lofty goal since my job is ALL about sweating the small stuff (for the sake of someone’s life). But in other aspects of my life aside from patient care.. the silly little things that seem to crawl under my skin just need to take a hike. Life is about the bigger picture, ya know? You could also argue this as your own version of “picking your battles.” All in all, living less complicated just feels easier.
Start meditating, if even for a minute each day. Taking the time to pause,reflect, and hit the reset button is incredibly therapeutic. At work, I can get intense within seconds (usually for a reason) and need a moment to find my inner peace. A friend of mine introduced me to an app called Calm, I really like it! You can choose to pay for a subscription or you can simply enjoy the breathing exercises (which slows your heart rate) and calming white noise.
Stop being too busy to take care of myself. I seem to go through phases where I’m super dedicated to going to the gym…. and then not so much. I blame this on work and the pure craziness of my hectic schedule.. but ultimately I’m the culprit. Growing up a serious ballerina, I have an undying love for anything close to my former ballet routine. Yoga and pilates and easiest on my joints and are also therapeutic in a self-awareness sort of healing. I’m going to go at least twice a week while mixing in cardio, weights and other classes in there as well.
Start drinking more water. I preach and preach and preach this to my patients but never follow my own advice (all my fellow healthcare professionals raise your hands). I would come home some days after working 12+ hours and not ever peed once… that’s so not normal and TERRIBLE for your kidneys. I started drinking a gallon of water a day this week… we’ll see how it goes. Right now I feel like a camel but my body already feels cleaner!
Stop eating gluten. There are many, many books, articles, and research out there for your viewing on the catastrophe that is gluten. If you guys follow my snapchat, you’d know my migraines have been out of the park lately. I eat fairly clean already (no sodas, no processed foods, etc) with a few minor indiscretions because I’m human but I’ve decided to knock out gluten completely. I’m quite eager to see if it makes a difference with my migraines but also with my stomach problems as well. A good friend of mine also recommended cutting out dairy which I also mostly do already… minus cheese. I love cheese! What to do?!
Find a new passion: I’m such a creature of habit. New hobbies, things to see and try.. i’m on the hunt for all of these in Dallas and elsewhere.
Be more open: to new opportunities, to new friends. To accepting people for who they are and their unique contributions to life, even if it isn’t exactly within our comfort zone. To accepting love, because we all deserve it.
Be more giving: of my time, my generosity, attention and affection. I’m definitely known to spend it all at work and feel as if I have nothing left to give at the end of the day.. which isn’t true. Just a mindset adjustment 🙂 My heart lives for taking care of others and giving back, I’d like to channel that drive into more charity time outside of work. An even bigger goal of mine is to participate in medical missions across the world, I just need to go!
Challenge yourself: whether it be in your work, personal life and relationships, health goals.. challenges are good for the soul and keep our minds fresh! MY personal challenge comes in a larger box: starting my doctoral degree in April means starting my scholarly project… of which I have ZERO clue what I’m going to do yet. BUT it is a HUGE goal of mine to be published for my work… and this will happen over time 🙂

What are your goals for the year?

This dress (which is on sale!) has been long overdue … hence the fall decor … but it’s still gorgeous nonetheless. I’ve worn several pieces lately from For Love & Lemons.. I just can’t get enough of them! Their clothing is beautifully feminine. Seductive & chic. The floral pattern of this dress catches all the sunshine and can be styled with a variety of shoes and/or boots.