My 2020 Resolutions

New year, new me? Not exactly. 

For me, 2019 was a year of renewal. I felt like a new me: stronger, happier, and once more inspired. As I reflected on the year past and look towards the future, I wanted to create goals that would challenge me but also expand upon the progress I made in 2019. In 2020, I don't need to be a "new me". I can enhance, enrich, and expand to build upon the last year and be the best me I can be.

Bookish & blogging goals

1. Read 52 books in 2020. For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. I never had a problem with staying attentive to books. As an elementary school student, I'd choose my favorite Percy Jackson novel over a video game (not that my parents bought many anyway-- our first and only system was a Wii, which we got after my sister learned how to read), and I loved racing to read in my school's "Reading Counts" competitions. As I grew older, though, I set aside less and less time for leisure reading as schoolwork and other activities took priority. I forgot how much I enjoyed reading outside of school. I read maybe 10 or 11 books last year.

My first college winter break was refreshing. It was the first time I can remember having time off completely to myself, to work on whatever I pleased, without college applications or homework assignments or midterm exams. I played piano, I wrote, I worked on my blog, and I finally read. Leaving the library with arms full of books I just couldn't wait to dig into reminded me of how much I missed reading. I want to make this thing that I love so much a part of my regular routine-- one book a week.

2. Blog once a week for an entire year. I've been a blogger for a long time. I made my first book blog when I was in the eighth grade, and have witnessed the ebbs and flows of the community: bloggers I once followed slowly disappearing, the rise of YouTube, new topics of discussion emerging alongside topics that cycle in and out every few months. Many times, though, I've been an observer from afar: I haven't been consistent in posting for more than a few months at a time since my junior year of high school. My most recent winter break has also made me fall in love with blogging again, and I hope to continue writing on clairefy throughout 2020.

3. Read outside my comfort genres. I most often read fantasies and mysteries. While I am a complete sucker for most mystery books, fantasy novels tend to be a hit or miss for me. In 2020, I want to challenge myself to read more of other genres, especially those I've enjoyed in the past: contemporary, historical fiction, and non-fiction.

4. Interview an author. I used to do more author interviews in my earlier blogging days, when I participated in a lot of blog tours. I want to use this platform I have to engage with authors and other creators more. (Authors! My contact page is open :))

5. Revive my end-of-year books roundup. In 2018, I featured 50 different authors, bloggers, and other influencers in a post featuring the top 50 books of the year. I had so much fun organizing this event and interacting with other members of the communtiy, and I would love to revive this effort in 2020.

Life goals

1. I'm taking a 90-day journey. Inspired by the fitness blogger Cassie Ho, I decided to embark on a 90-day journey to become a healthier version of myself. Last year, I lived on my own for the first time as I began my first-year of high school. While I am proud of how I managed my schedule and adjusted to living on my own, I also recognize that I have room to improve. Like Cassie, I will be renewing my effort to commit to a regular exercise and eating schedule. I love to run and exercise, and while I made some time for these activities in college, I fell out of habit during Model UN training and finals season. I also want to eat three consistent meals a day (instead of random late-night snacks in the dorm after skipped breakfast). However, I also want to better my health outside the physical realm: ensuring that I get eight hours of sleep every night and making time for myself to do things I enjoy outside of school and work. 

Throughout this journey, I want to remain mindful that I am making these efforts for my own satisfaction. Rather than aiming for a specific weight or running time, I am striving to create a routine that makes me happiest. I am tracking my progress in a spreadsheet that I will evaluate on my birthday at the end of March. (As of writing this post, I'm 13 days in and loving it!)

2. In the month of February, I am going to run 100 miles. At the end of 2019, my dad mentioned that he was interested in the Taji100, a challenge instituted by soldiers to relieve stress and promote fitness during a deployment to Camp Taji in Iraq, to prepare for a half-marathon. He challenged me to join him, and I was excited. To meet this goal, I will need to run 25 miles a week in February-- five miles a day if I run five times a week. I'm facing a slight complication: I will be travelling to Boston for a four-day Model UN conference, where I may be unable to run, in the middle of the month. In other words, I may need to make up 20 missed miles. Still, I am looking forward to the challenge. I haven't run that much since starting college, and I am excited to see what I can do.

3. Continue reaching out. I am fortunate to have made a smooth transition to college, and find friends in my hallmates. This coming semester, though, I want to make a greater effort to reach out to those I've met and my friends and family from home.

4. Take language learning seriously. I want improve my fluency in French and jump-start my Korean. Some of my relatives from Korea are visiting the United States later this year, a truly rare occurrence. I want to be able to talk to them, even if just a little.

I hope you all had a wonderful new year! Let's make 2020 the best yet. What are your goals for this year?