24 While I Am 24

Inspired by the amazing Ashlie of Be Your Own Lady, who makes annual to-do lists correlating with her age, I did my own list of 23 things to do while I was 23. I did...well, I did some of them. Anyway, determined to do a better job this year, below is my list of 24 things to do while I am 24.


1. Visit the Hostel in the Forest. This was on my list last year as well, and while it's not an expensive thing to do, I did get engaged shortly after turning 23 and wedding planning has taken up most of my money this year. Anyway, that won't be the case this year after March, so here we go.

2. Grow at lease one fruit or veggie myself and eat it. Buying a basil plant and using it immediately does not count - I need to plant some seeds.

3. Complete an art project. I find myself tossing my art to the side (metaphorically) all too often, so this is my plan to remedy that. I'm leaving it a little vague, though. I'm thinking entering and winning a contest, completing some big home decor project, having artwork displayed somewhere public, or finally running a successful crafty Etsy shop.

4. Get another tattoo. I'm thinking something vegan-related. But any tattoo would be nice, it's been forever.

5. Get high with Danny. It is very rare that I smoke and Danny hasn't done it but once when he was younger, so this is something we want to do together at least once.

6. Develop a fitness routine and stick with it. For instance, a weekly yoga class, nightly walks with the dogs, running. My doctor says to get at least 30 minutes of moderate cardio per day and I have been slacking, to say the least. My goal is to find whatever works for me and to keep doing it, to make it a habit.

7. Invest in a cute new swimsuit. I haven't purchased one in like...three years? I deserve a new one.

8. Pay down my debt. Excluding things like my student loan and my car loan which I will probably be paying for forever, I want to pay off a large chunk of my debts this year. I have two maxed out credit cards and some random unpaid bills, I want to improve my credit score so that I can buy a house someday, so this is my next feat. This is a continuation of my goal last year to get my credit score above 600 which I actually did do.

9. Get one of those cute trunks to place at the foot of the bed and fill it with old diaries and journals. I have never had a special place for those items yet I can't bear to part with them. A trunk would be cute and functional.

10. Read a book per month. This is something I attempt every year. I have a bookshelf full mostly of books I have not read. So, trying yet again!

11. Watch a meteor shower. Maybe make it a picnic?

12. Go berry picking. Another one that's been on every list since I was 21 and never happened.

13. See a psychic / have my tarot cards read / learn more about tarot cards.

14. See a chiropractor.

15. Have at least one nice print made of one of our wedding photos and hang it.

16. Master a casserole recipe. Something that can be a hit at parties and potlucks.

17. Resume consistently donating blood.

18. Replace all my socks and underwear that have holes in them.

19. Learn to make more chemical free household cleaners myself - such as hand soap, dish soap, etc. 

20. Replace all Tupperware with Pyrex glass storage.

21. Use my stinkin' discount and book a room at Disney! I still have not done this and it's been 6 months!

22. Resist the urge to chop my bangs.

23. Attend a volunteer day at Kindred Spirits farm animal sanctuary.

24. Go to a local vegan meet-up! 

Well, there you have it! This took several days to complete but I'm pretty happy with it. I want to add a bonus goal which is to keep up with this blog. So, wish me luck!

Nine days till I'm 24. I think it's gonna be good.

Priorities

5

Identify your 3-6 main priorities

Above all, minimalism is about figuring out what matters most to you in life and how to add more of that to your day-to-day routine. Today: Dig deep and make a list of your 3-6 top priorities in life.

1. Peace

I grew up with parents who were constantly arguing. Seriously - I woke up to them screaming at each other so often that it still haunts me sometimes (like if Danny wakes up before me and is watching a movie in which people are arguing it terrifies me for a split second while I wake because I think my parents are fighting again). So because of this and probably other factors, I can't stand arguing and avoid it whenever I can. I also get over arguments really quickly. And I can't stand when someone is upset with me. So peace in my relationships is a priority for me. 

Peace in general in my life is important to me as well. Peace within my soul, about what I do, where I am, and where I am headed. I know that it's impossible to always feel peaceful and there will always be things which stress me out, but what I refer to here is a rough understanding that I am on my own path and that I am at peace with my current situation.

2. Self

When I was younger I did things I like all the time. Somewhere along the way while growing up, I stopped doing that. I stopped doing things that I liked to do and just did things I had to do or thought I should do. After some more growing up, I learned that taking care of myself is important. Taking care of my health - physical, mental, and emotional - has become a main priority, as it should be. Today even, I am taking a mental health day because I have been feeling overwhelmed. Self is also important when you are in a relationship, in that you need to still take time to be alone and nurture yourself.

3. Security

Money can't buy happiness, but it pays for my home, for my food, for my necessities, and for things that do bring me happiness and comfort. Not to blame my parents for something yet again, but what they were constantly arguing about was money, and I never want to be in a position where that becomes Danny and I. We don't need to be rich, we just need to be comfortable. I want to have money for emergencies and for fun outings and I want us to be in a position where we can reasonably save for the things we want. We want to have children, so for me it is important that they NEVER feel as stressed about money as I did as a child, and I don't want us to become my own screaming parents, especially over money. I want everyone in our home to feel safe. 

4. Love

I love myself. I love my fiance. I love our future children. I love my sister, my niece, my mother. I love my father and think of him daily and I feel his love around me despite him not being around me anymore. I love my friends, most of whom have been with me for close to a decade at this point, and they are my family. I love my relatives who I do not see every day. I love the human spirit which ties us all together and gives us empathy and an inner desire to care for one another. I think love is a force to be reckoned with and that it's one of the most important things. I could not live without it.

No-Complaint Day

Now here is where this challenge actually gets challenging.

4

No-complaint day

Complaining is never productive and a catalyst for negative thought patterns. Challenge yourself to not complain about small stuff today. Either accept the situation and move on, or find a solution.

This was difficult in a different way than I thought it would be. While trying all day to avoid complaining, I found myself a little confused as to what counts as complaining.

For instance, on the drive to work, I said to Danny: "I wish we had left earlier and done the grocery shopping together before you had to work." And he was like, hey, no complaining! And I was like, shit, is that a complaint? Do I complain so much that I consider that more of a statement than a complaint? I guess it was a statement about wishing circumstances were different, which could be considered a negative statement. I wasn't going to go on and on and whine about it, I was just saying. I had already "accepted the situation". I meant it as more of a "next time, we'll do this...". Anyway, it had me thinking.

com·plain

verb

- express dissatisfaction or annoyance about a state of affairs or an event.

"local authorities complained that they lacked sufficient resources"

- state that one is suffering from (a pain or other symptom of illness).

"her husband began to complain of headaches"

- state a grievance.

"they complained to the French government"

Well, I guess I was expressing dissatisfaction, so around 4:00, I had officially failed.

In the same car ride, I was talking with Danny about my upcoming shift bid I had to complete, and I made a comment about not liking the options for days off combined with shift times I had to choose from. This time, I tried to phrase it positively. Or rather, to refer to it as a "challenge". I think I literally said "It is going to be a challenge to select shifts which have both shift times and days off that work for us but I know it will all work out."

I worked the rest of the day and I don't think I complained again. Which is kind of impressive because I sometimes get not-so-happy guests on the phone that I have a word or two to say about after the call, if you know what I mean.

I think that what I learned is that it is okay to complain sometimes, it would feel really unnatural NOT to express dissatisfaction EVER, but to try to phrase things in a more positive light. I think that framing things as a challenge to overcome rather than just an unhappy circumstance is beneficial. But I think that throwing a bitch fit sometimes is beneficial, too.