Of course it’s that time of year where everyone is making New Year’s resolutions and with the first week of January under our belts, I wonder how many have stayed and how many have been chucked out the window already! I used to not believe in New Year’s resolutions. I always thought that setting goals and re-evaluating ones priorities should be a year round thing, not just once a year.

With that being said, I understand why a fresh calendar and a new start motivates people in a way that July can’t. Sometimes the calendar is already full of our busy lives, mistakes made, overwhelming to-do lists that when December 31^st rolls around we are more than happy to toss that old calendar in the trash and start new.

I believe in this. I believe that everyone deserves to feel that they have a blank slate, that they can believe in themselves to achieve greatness. I normally set a funny ‘haha’ resolution of “being more domesticated” every year to appease the masses of having at least one resolution. But this year, I really looked at the blank slate of 2015 and was excited for a fresh beginning.

I resolve to live more. My resolutions are ones that help me feel more alive and connected with myself and others. And I’m sharing them with you, so that you will hold me accountable to my goals.

I want to feel well dressed, classy, put together. No more leggings at work! Phew, I said it. I mean it. As much as I love comfort, I need to start dressing for success and care about how I present myself professionally in the workplace. They say that you should always dress for the next position you want. I resolve to invest in a wardrobe that makes me feel confident, classy, and intentional in the same way I want to be perceived as a professional.

I want to be more social, connected to others. Make new connections, maintain old ones. My friends mean the world to me. I have some of the most amazing people in my life. Some are near and some are live very far away. I want to write cards, make phone calls, invite people over and host more gatherings. Feeling connected to others fills my heart and soul. I want to have a bottle of wine or fresh ground coffee ready to receive a friend at any moment for conversation and connection.

I want to become a morning person. I want to have ‘me time’ in the morning, so the first thing I do is find balance, be centered, and be awake. I usually begin my mornings with hitting snooze ten times, then realizing what time it is, throw back the covers and then throw myself in the shower. I rush out the door to get to work and then feel tired, stressed, and not ready for the day. I want to have a morning routine where I get up early, enjoy a cup of coffee, read a magazine, stretch, pray, and prepare myself for the day. An important part of becoming a morning person is prepping the night before to minimize work in the morning like I started putting out my outfit and packing my gym bag the night before. That way I don’t have to lose time in the morning having to make decisions.

I want to connect with myself and others through my writing. This involves you, yes you. I want to be more open, honest, and transparent in my writing. I think sharing our stories with one another helps build true community where we can grow together. Being honest is a launching point for growth.

I want to be positive and fun to be around. I don’t want to have negativity in my speech or be around those who bring me down. Worrying about what others are doing is not going to help me do my life or job better. I want to feel less stressed, so I need to get rid of negativity and speak more positively. Who wouldn’t want to be positive? I will remove myself from conversations that are not uplifting of others and situations. Also, bringing people down does not give anyone more confidence or higher self-esteem.

I want to have an uncluttered, organized home, that is relaxing and beautiful and reflects my personality. I’m trying to organize my home and get rid of clutter, so that I can fully relax within my home. I want my home to be inviting and clean, so that at any moment I can have people over. I want to look at redecorating and updating my home, so that it reflects more of my personality and style. I want to have fresh flowers, beautiful aromas from burning candles, and soft throws and colorful pillows to brighten up my home.

I want to be generous with what I have. I think sometimes we convince ourselves that we will be the most generous person in the world one day when we have millions of dollars. But we can be generous right now with our time, money, and talents. Serving others does not always involve giving money. I can be a mentor, volunteer at my church, or be with someone in a time of need. I want to budget my money better, so I can be generous on every occasion if the need arises.

One of the things that I did to help me to fulfill these resolutions was to write out things that I could actively do to meet these goals. I bullet pointed what it meant to be a morning person or to be generous. Then I created a Lifestyle Pinterest board to help inspire me as well as give me ideas. There are some really great articles and tips out here on how to be a morning person! It is also a good visual reminder when I need that extra inspiration. I’m sharing that inspiration Pinterest board with you, so you can check it out. If you decide to create one, please share it with me!

Here’s to living more in 2015!

What are some of your resolutions for the new year? Please share in the comments below.