Things to achieve this year

This post isn’t going be about grand accomplishments and life milestones to achieve come December 31, 2022. This post is going to be about the little things that you’ve always wanted to do, dip your toes into, or at least improve on. I just thought I would share a list of things that could be helpful for someone to achieve (hopefully) by the end of this year.

Making your own food items

Since the pandemic, there have been many different food items that I’ve had the mind and (and time) to make. I never really got around to making them and now that I have less time, it seems even more unattainable. I figured that if I just check one new item off per month, then by the end of the year, I could have the majority of the food items made by the end of this year. The list is below are the things I want to make. If anyone reading this has a really good recipe and would like to share, feel free to leave a comment down below!

Make my own bread – including honey wheat, sourdough, and dairy-free brioche – mayonnaise, ketchup (see blueberry ketchup here), dairy-free Southern biscuits, nut milk, seasonal fruit spread (basil cherry jam), seasonal drinks, pasta, wine, and dare I say make my own yogurt.

Get back into your hobbies

I used to sing everyday. I used to play the violin. I used to write. I used to love reading. Life happened. I graduated college and had to become an adult who was focused on finding a job, settling into a career, and getting the basis of adulthood in order. I was busy trying become an adult and y’all I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. And I was tired. So much so to the point that I dropped my hobbies and years later, I find myself yearning for those outlets again. Yearning for a time where I can be creative, be still and just…..be. I’ve found a creative outlet with baking but, let’s be real, baking isn’t free – I have to buy the ingredients. With the exception of violin lessons, singing, writing, reading, are all free or pretty low cost hobbies. I used to rent books from the library, I used to write anywhere, heck even on napkins or the backs of receipts, and singing? That came from the heart when I felt joy or just well… felt like singing in general! I would love to get back into these hobbies and even start new ones.

Consistency!

I’ve so much about consistency but it really is a skill to hone in and develop preferably in your early 20’s because it makes certain aspects of your life easier and more manageable. I’m definitely not one of those people I’ve just started to become more consistent with managing routines (or as I like to call them, rituals) in my life.

There are so many things I want to be more consistent with, some of them are obvious some of them you may not have heard of. But I hope that if you’re struggling with it, you’ll feel inspired to learn what ways you can improve with your consistency!

Body and Beauty

Organization

Budgeting

Learning how to do your own hair and pampering

Hair Care

Honestly, I’ve put this off soo much and I have no excuse for why I don’t know how to do my own hair. It ultimately would save me a lot of money to where I would only need to go my hairstylist for a trim/professional haircut. I love the hairstyles of the 1950s because they were styles worn everyday by women in that era, yet, the hairstyles still looked so polished and put together. It’s been a challenge to find a guide for the vintage hairstyles that I like, especially style that would work for my hair texture. I’ve found a few styles that I like but that have no tutorials done by black women because it seems the most common tutorials for vintage styles are the pompadour an the two curls in the front, both of which I despise.

Yes, there are many vintage hairstyles available for longer lengths, but they’re by Caucasian women who (obviously) have a different hair texture than I (a Black woman). What I’m looking for are vintage hairstyles where I don’t need to straighten, blow dry, or stretch my hair first to achieve the hairstyle. I just want a polished hairstyle that I can create easily while my hair is in its natural state. And it’s not a pompadour. That’s my objective for my hair this year.

Pampering

Taking the time to practice self-care is something I think everyone should do at least once a week. Pampering yourself doesn’t need to be over-the-top and pricey, but it does need to allow you to feel a like you’ve taken a breath; to feel rejuvenated and less stressed. Below, I’ve complied a list of ways to pamper yourself at home and the products I use for my self care.

Actually accomplishing it

I think the best way to accomplish many of these goals and objectives would be to simply tackle them one by one. I tend to become overwhelmed when I have a long list of goals that I want to accomplish in a certain time period, even if I’ve given myself a reasonable time period. Somedays I feel motivated and somedays I feel off. I’ve put together a list but not a set timeframe to complete them all. I will have a timeframe though: one day or until that task is finished.

They way I’ve noticed that has worked for me is to group the tasks together. For example, one of my goals is to organize my car: organize the trunk, the glove compartment, and have a cleaning schedule to keep the car tidy. I’ll give myself one day to clear out the trunk and one day to organize. Those days most likely will not be consecutive. I have a tendency to start tasks and not complete them, so I’ve told myself that I can’t tackle on another taken until I’ve completed the one I’m working on. That’s the best strategy that I will be able to accomplish my goals; I’ll just check them off one by one.

Thank you for reading and I hope this helps or inspires you!

xoxo, Chae