And so it begins...

New Year's Eve came and went with hardly anything special happening. Josh worked all night, and I worked early. Even though it was our first married holiday season, I can't remember the last time things were this lonely.

Cassie and I decided to try blogging through the leap year cuz we can. Not necessarily anything fancy- just a thought for the day. It'll be a nice distraction at the very least while Josh is working nights. I'll be able to focus on myself and see how things are changing through the year.

So my daily adventure is overly New Year's-y. Normally, I don't do resolutions, so this year I'm trying something new for me.

I made a list of how I'm going to win 2016. I separated important parts of my life into five categories: Career, Personal, Financial, Relationship, and Friendships.

Career (A few ways to work towards a better job)
-Become a supervisor SOMEWHERE
-Do a job shadow at least every other month
-Pick 3 mentors (they have to have different leadership styles)
-Understand that I am a work in progress

Personal (How to be a happier, healthier me)
-Complete my name change by June
-Blog/journal once a week
-Exercise 3-5 days a week
-Read at least 30 minutes in the evenings
-Tidy up for 15 minutes every 2 days
-Meditate or spend some time inwardly focused every other day
-Practice my ukulele once a week at least
-Spend one night a week with immersive language practice
-Learn to nap
-Get a book style organizer
-Declutter once every 2 months at least

Financial (How to feel safer financially)
-Save $2000 more for the house fund
-Put 1/3 of my tax refund toward student loans and debt
-Give myself a $25 allowance per week
-Make a grocery list and stick to it

Relationship (How to take care of Josh and me)
-Have a nice sit-down dinner once a month (bonus points if it's homemade and we dress up)
-Write love notes
-Focus on encouragement and understanding
-More hugs and kisses!

 Friendships (How to take care of my friends)
-Encourage a friend once a week at least
-Have a monthly coffee date with somebody
-Do Bible study once a month at least
-Text someone who won't expect it at least once a month

The goal is to find things that I can actually accomplish and work towards over the course of the year. I want to feel stronger and braver this year. Welp, it's a start!