New Year, Still New You?

Hey, remember a while back when we entered 2018? And everybody was all excited for the New Year and starting fresh? If you’re like most people, you probably set some sort of goal for the New Year or promised to keep up with some resolutions. Yeah…that happened. Somehow, it’s already May! This year has just flown by. But today I wanted to take a little time to remind you of the goals you set for yourself—how are you doing? Have you accomplished them yet?

As I mentioned in my post One Month In—Checking In back at the end of January, I’m trying really hard this year to actually stick with my resolutions. Like most people, I make a long list of things I want to change about myself and then completely forget about it by February. This year, I’ve been trying a new approach. I wrote down all my goals and resolutions on a single list, which I keep in the front of my planner. Every Sunday, I pull it out and grade myself on how I’ve been doing for each resolution. This has helped me SO much throughout the year. While I still don’t have A+ grades for each resolution, I’m confident I can reach that by December if I stick with it.

One of my favorite quotes is the following, although I don’t know who said it: “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” So many of us (myself included) think that once we break our resolution the first time, the whole thing is over—there’s no point in continuing. That’s simply not true! I’ve found that it’s really just an excuse for us to take the easy way out. That’s why my grading system holds me accountable each week. Sure, sometimes I have really bad weeks and don’t care about my goals at all, but I always know I can start fresh the next week and do a little better. Not to mention, reading through my resolutions every Sunday helps me to actually remember them! That’s half the battle. 😉

So I urge you now to recall any goals or resolutions you set for yourself in January. Have you been working towards achieving them? Or did you put that list in a desk drawer and completely forget about it? I know you may think it’s pointless now because we’re already in May. But just think—you still have SEVEN months to accomplish all of those things! It is not too late. Make 2018 the year you don’t feel guilty in December once you realize you didn’t achieve anything. That’s always the worst.

On a totally separate note, I wore this outfit to my brother’s college graduation last weekend. I know I’ve been saying this so much lately, but I’ve had to get really creative with my outfits to make them spring appropriate, since my closet is seriously lacking in bright colors. I was surprised to find the subtle stripes in my blouse actually look really good with the tiny polka dots in my pants. Even though my trousers are black, I think the brightness of the blouse and the silver accessories still made it a classy, spring-appropriate look. I really love how it turned out! I recommend something similar if you’re attending a graduation soon (and pants can be more comfortable for sitting in bleachers, spending time in a park for a reception/picnic, or staying warm in a chilly auditorium).

I hope this post gave you the extra motivation and inspiration needed to get you back on track with your goals this year. Or maybe you were already on track and have kept up with your resolutions since the start of January! If that’s you, I give you serious props. 🙂 But if that’s not you, just remember: even though it may feel too late, it’s not. You got this!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Teal Cowl Blouse: Dillard’s, $22 // Polka Dot Pants: JCPenney, $19 // Silver Block Heels: CL by Laundry via DSW, $40 // Black Patent Purse: hand-me-down