Life Lessons from 2017- Blogmas Day 31

December 31st 2017

Closing off this chapter with the morals of the stories and getting ready to start a new book~

2017 has been a pretty big year in the realms of pop culture, politics, music, film, my life, and just about everything else. I wouldn’t say that 2017 was the perfect year for me, but I can definitely say I learned a ton from my experiences this year. Although I am going to make a post about 23 things for 23 years on my birthday this upcoming February, I still think ending the year with a few good lessons and takeaways is a nice transition into the new year and out of Blogmas.

Walking away is the hardest choice, but it may be the best one- Some things just aren’t meant to last forever. Sometimes you have to walk away from something that is doing more harm than good, even if it hurts. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are wrong for walking away from something that doesn’t serve you anymore.
Just because someone is no longer in your life doesn’t mean you have to wish them the worst- I lost a few people this year and gained a few people this year and that honestly comes as no surprise. However, I feel like the biggest thing I learned this year is that you don’t have to like someone or want anything to do with them but can still want to see them thrive. Sometimes you just outgrow people or sometimes there are fights that just can’t be resolved, but that doesn’t mean you have to condemn the people of your past to hell in your mind.
Life doesn’t go as planned- I have said it time and time again. Life never goes as planned. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches because not everything will be wrapped up in a neat little bow for you.
Distance doesn’t matter- I am in a long distance relationship and a long distance friendship and both have thrived this year. I find that the distance in my relationship allows me freedom to explore myself while also making every weekend I get to see my boyfriend even more special. I also got way closer to one of my best friends who lives upstate and we talk every day despite only hanging out in person twice ever. Distance only matters if you aren’t willing to put work into things.
Don’t wait for Friday- We spend most of our lives working. If you spend every day waiting for Friday or retirement to get things done, you’re going to miss out on a huge chunk of your life. If you want to do something, get started. There will never be a perfect time so stop waiting for one.

That’s all I really have to say about this year, but I have so much more to say for my birthday post so keep an eye out this February! Now moving onto my goals for next year. I’ve mentioned in the past that I hate resolutions, but I do like setting simple goals that aren’t too strict to give me things to look forward to.

Take on teaching one yoga class a week at least (probably starting in the summer)
Find a full time job that I (hopefully) enjoy
Write 3-4 posts a week, every week
Spend more time learning to cook
Read a few good books to review
Try to travel to the list of places I have written down
Write more private and personal entries for myself (I really miss journaling for just me)
Work on eating healthier (bye bye carbs and sugar)
Put more time into my friendships and try not to fall into a routine of seeing just one person all the time
Take steps towards moving out as soon as I financially can

What are your goals for the upcoming year and what has this year taught?

Lastly, I just want to say, thank you so much to everyone who supported my Blogmas. And for those of you who only found my blog through my Blogmas posts, I hope you stick around and enjoy the content I have planned for the year to come. Have a happy and healthy end to 2017!

Jess~