2018, Here I Come!

Welcome to the New Year! Can you believe it?? I hope you had a wonderful and safe time last night and that you were able to relax (and possibly sleep in) today. To kick off 2018, I thought I’d share some of my goals and resolutions for this year.

Usually I’m really excited for New Year’s and “restarting,” but this year I considered ditching the resolutions. Like a lot of people, I generally forget my self-promises by mid-February and disappoint myself at the end of the year when I realize I didn’t accomplish anything.

Nonetheless, my list-loving self couldn’t help making a few resolutions (and goals, of course) this year, but I also made myself a different promise to try and combat my usual issue. At the end of each month, I’m adding a note on my calendar to reread my list of resolutions and goals for 2018. Hopefully by making this a set event on my schedule, I will remember to actually reflect on how I am doing. We’ll see if this works!

Now onto a few of my goals and resolutions for the big 2k18:

• Gain 100 new blog followers. After last year’s growth (you can read all about how 2017 went for the blog), I feel confident that I can accomplish this goal with the help of all of you. 🙂
• Gain 1,000 new Instagram followers. This is one of my loftier goals, but I really want to start growing my social media presence this year in order to attract more of the right audience to Graceful Rags.
• Work with a brand. I’m excited for this goal and ready to start making it happen! 2018 is so full of possibility.
• Plan my outfits on the weekends. I used to be really good about laying out my school outfits over the weekend to spend less time in the mornings, but I really slacked last year. It seems silly, but planning my outfits (and making sure what I want to wear is actually clean!) really does save me a ton of time and angst.
• Schedule blog posts on the weekends. Similarly to planning my outfits, when I first started Graceful Rags back in the summer of 2016, I was great about writing and taking the pictures for each post on the weekend. Since school has been crazy hectic this year, getting back into this habit would really save me a lot of stress during the week.
• I also want to start a skincare and haircare routine this year. I really don’t know what that means yet, and I have to do a lot of research. However, I have not taken the best care of my skin and hair in the past, and I want to make sure I preserve it for years to come. I will definitely keep you posted on this resolution!

What do you do when a new year rolls around? Do you make a list of resolutions, plan a bunch of goals, or a pick a word to live by for the year? I’d love to know your traditions and any tips you have for sticking to your resolutions.

I wore this cozy outfit yesterday to get hot chocolate with a friend before changing into PJs for the night. You can’t really tell in these photos, but my hat lights up! It’s such a fun item for the holiday season, and I’ve received tons of compliments on it. I bought this particular one at a local boutique but there are similar options online. Oh, and how cute is the shark clutch that I got for Christmas?? If you know me at all, then you know I love sharks, so this was such a great gift.

Have a wonderful rest of the first day of the year!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Chambray Top: Arizona via JCPenney, $18 // Red Quilted Vest: Francesca’s, $20 // Black Pants: unknown, $30 // Nike Sneakers: local athletic store, $60 // Light Up Christmas Hat: local boutique, shop a similar one here // Aviator Sunglasses: Icing, $16 // Shark Wristlet: Wood N’ Lace Boutique