Its been almost three months since I've turned 24 and I have yet to review my '23 before 24' list. I also made my '24 before 25' list which I will also post. But first lets go over the things I was able to complete this past year. I definitely feel like 23 was a great year in terms of accomplishing goals.
1. Secure a full-time position
In January 2013, I secured my first full-time position. Its the position I had been working very hard to get, and I feel so grateful to have it. Now, I have been working for almost 1 year now, and am a few months away from sitting for my board exam.
2. Run a 10k race
I didn't run a 10k, but a half-marathon! I can't believe I surpassed my goal. It took a lot of training and hard work, but it felt so good to say I've ran a half-marathon. I am looking forward to run many more races, including half-marathons, in the future.
3. Actually put money into my savings account
I've had trouble saving money in the past due to the fact that I was a broke college student barely scraping by. But since I got a full-time job, I made an effort to save as much as possible. I am happy to say that my savings account is bigger than its ever been. I have learned some good saving habits, and am looking forward to saving even more this year.
4. Expect less and give more
I think I may have done this. But its hard to measure this. I definitely have been trying to expect less, but I know I still expect a lot from people. But I know I have been giving more, and want to continue to give more. For 24, I want to focus more on giving my time and talents instead of money.
5. Learn to cook new dishes
Unfortunately cooking got put on the back burner with the start of my new life. I've been busy and since I can't really take food to work, leftover aren't an option. Cooking as much just doesn't plausible at this time of my life. Maybe, I will pick up more this year.
6. Volunteer
I started 23 by volunteering for a local non-profit, which in turn helped me get my job. Since moving I have tried to volunteer with hospitals, but have not heard back. I don't have the time to volunteer at this very moment. But I want to find more volunteer opportunities after my boards since I will have a lot of free time.
7. Try a new cuisine
This year I tried Tapas, which I am not sure is a cuisine, but its definitely a new type of food. I'm all about trying new foods and new cuisines. I want to find more cuisines to try, maybe Ethiopian or something.
8. Travel to a new place
Even though I didn't travel how I wanted to, I still got to visit some new places. In January I went Big Bear Lake for my job, which was so much fun. Even though I was working, it felt like a little get away. I got to visit Santa Barbara for a day and walk down state street. I also visited some beach cities that I've never been too, like Manhattan Beach, Long Beach, and Huntington Beach.
9. Be less lazy and do things right away
I'm still absolutely horrible with this. One day I will have more energy!
10. Be less secure & know that I am enough
This year I felt so absolutely amazing about myself and my confidence was at an all-time high! Getting my dream job, living on my on, and feeling independent, made me feel so good about myself. Unfortunately, my break-up earlier this year has caused my self-confidence to fall again. My insecurities have come back to the fore front. I know, we all feel insecure at times. I am hoping to get back to where I was earlier this year, and not let my insecurities break me.
11. See/keep in touch with family and friends
Living in a new city and not knowing or making any new friends was actually a benefit this year. I got to visit and see friends and family on the weekends. When I was in college I would only see my family maybe 3x a year. This past year I have seen my parents more than ever and I absolutely love it. And for the friends I can't see very often, I still keep in touch over texts and e-mails. I've done a really good job at keeping in touch with everyone.
12. Read the entire bible
I still have not accomplished this, but I did get through the entire new testament. I am currently working my way through the new testament, and hope to be done before age 25.
13. Start eating more fruits & veggies
Nope, I still do not eat as much as I should. But I have been taking daily vitamins
14. Purchase a new car
This was a huge goal for me! I purchased a brand new 2013 Nissan Sentra. This was the first car on my own and a much needed investment since my old car was giving me so many issues.
15. Work hard to maintain my relationship despite the distance
Of course I worked so hard on this, and I was happy with my relationship despite the distance. But it takes two people to have a relationship, and if someone isn't happy, then it has to end.
16. Start paying off my student loans
YES! I am so proud of myself for doing this. I know most post-grads my age are having trouble paying back their loans. I am blessed to be able to pay mine back without a problem, on top of paying for all the expenses of living on my own. When I turn 25 I want to make a plan for paying everything off.
17. Explore my new city of residence
I explored and there just isn't much to do here. There are some things I like such as; hiking trails, downtown, salted pig, casey's cupcakes, and the swap meet. Other than that, I wish there was more to do.
18. Cash in my jug full of change
I did this and was able to cash in almost $100! I couldn't believe all my change added up.
19. Revamp my blog
I did this, but its time to revamp again!
20. Re-invent my style
With a larger income I was able to do a little more shopping. I definitely have been adding more pieces to my closet. I use to dress so ragged, and I feel so much better with an upgraded wardrobe.
21. Take a vacation with J
Never happened.
22. Start putting my blender to use to make smoothies
I did it a few times so I guess it counts.
23. Get into photography
J bought me a camera for our anniversary, and I have shot some film and have developed it. I'm looking forward to getting better and more experienced.
Overall I have accomplished 16/23 goals, which isn't too bad. I'm just so proud of accomplishing so many large goals this year. Of course there is more work to be done, and I constantly want to work to be a better person and make my life more enriched. I have already started making progress on my '24 before 25' list. I will be revamping the page and adding my updated list soon.
