15 in 2015

So it's been 2015 for three weeks now, and I am just getting around to this post. Better late than never, right?
Since 2013, I have been making lists of goals for the new year. (I avoid the term 'resolutions' due to the stigma around the whole idea). Since it is 2015, I will be creating 15 goals this year. I have found that a lot of my goals have to do with each other, but I think that will only help ensure the success of the goals (and it shows what is important to me).

Here is my list (because I love lists so much):

1. Read 50 books - If you are a frequent on my blog, you have probably noticed that I completed a challenge last year to read 50 books throughout the year. I have every intention of completing this goal again this year.
2. Bike everywhere - I have a bike, so there is no reason why I should not be riding my bike everywhere, except that I am pathetically out of shape (I can hardly bike a mile with the random hills in my neighborhood). This year, I want to start biking more instead of driving or taking the T (public transportation), especially to work since it is only a mile a way.
3. Take advantage of YMCA membership - I am incredibly fortunate to have a YMCA membership through my family, but I have not been going. I want to start going to the Y to start taking advantage of their amenities, including the gym and the pool.
4. Get back on pointe - I have been doing ballet for about 20 years, and I started doing pointe when I was a teenager, but it has been awhile since I have last done pointe. I need to get a new pair of shoes, and start doing classes at my studio on pointe. The end goal here is really to be able to audition for the 2015 Urban Nutcracker (urbannutcracker.com).
5. Start a home yoga practice - I have friends who have made incredible progress with home yoga practices, so this is something I would love to try out.
6. Pick clarinet back up - It's been some time since I have played clarinet, which is a shame. I would really like to play more often again.
7. Meditate more often - Meditation is a very important aspect of decreasing stress and developing a personal spiritual practice, so I would like to make a point of sitting down and making a mindful choice to meditate more often.
8. Journal more often - Journaling is another great tool for reducing stress (as well as increasing creativity). I started a journal two years ago as a part of my 13 in 2013 goals, but it is something I often neglect.
9. Create more - This goal is vague on purpose because there are so many different ways that I would like to create more. This ranges from making art, food, DIY beauty products, and more.
10. Write letters - I have a few friends who I am penpals with, but I always forget to write back (I know, it's terrible). I want to start writing letters to friends more often (and reply more quickly).
11. Keep life simple - Another vague goal, but I hope to simplify my life by getting rid of more of my material possessions and being mindful of what matters most to me.
12. Keep my space more clean/organized - This goal ties into the last one because having less items will help me maintaining a clean and organized living space. David and I have done a lot of work rearranging and creating space in my room, but I want to maintain and even better this level of organization.
13. Become more productive in the AM - Most of my work schedule is during the evenings, and (partially due to my insomnia), I tend to stay in bed for as long as I can get away with until I have to start my day. I would really like to start to get up and moving earlier. I always have a lot that I could be doing (blogging, yoga, gym, groceries, etc.), so I want to start doing them before I go to work.
14. Grow blog - I haven't fully worked out in my mind what this will mean yet, but I know that I want to blog more and have a greater presence with my followers and within the blogging community. I think my first step here will be to get some inspiration from other blogs (they even have books about blogging now - who knew?).
15. Start saving money - 2014 was a bit of a rough year financially for me because I have a lot of bills to pay (my student loans are about the same as my rent/utilities), and I spent most of the year bouncing around from job to job. I really want to manage to put some money aside this year while continuing to make all my bill payments.


If you made it this far, congratulations! This certainly was a long post. I would love to hear some of your goals that you are working on right now, so feel free to share in the comments below.