another year, another set of most likely impossible goals.

while i wish i could say that i'm not one of those nerd-bombers who takes the beginning of each year as the chance to make a resolution or two, despite the fact that 90% of the country don't manage to keep to these said goals. (note: i definitely made up that stat, but i bet it's true). but unfortunately, i do think that the new year is a chance for a new beginning. and every year, i think that i'll have different results. yet, normally, when people ask me how my resolution is going, i respond similar to mr. campbell.

looking back, my goals for the past few years have been basically the same thing: lose weight, be more adventurous, blah blah blah. and i haven't managed to do anything about it over the fast few years. this year has been kind of meh. it's not that i'm unhappy with my life, i have a lot of great things going for me, like amazing friends, a supportive family, a city i'm obsessed with and a super awesome cat.

i mean seriously, i have some great stuff going for me.

but i just feel like i could be happier and better at my life, you know? and since there is basically no one stopping me but me, i decided (again) that it's time to get back in order.

however, when i was thinking of how to "resolve" for this year, i realized how everyone fails. by setting one goal that is too hard to attain. so i've decided to take a different approach this year and hope that i get different results.

there are three basic dreams that i - and most people - want in life: health, wealth & happiness. now, if i set out to attain all three at once, i would fail faster than i chip my manicure (fast). so instead, i have decided that each month i'm going to work on small goals that can help me get to the macro (impressive word, i know) goal. but what's important is that i make sure i do it for the right reasons.

heisenberg knows what's up.

here's a little breakdown of what i'm looking for from each of the pillars:

health: i mean, this wouldn't be a betsy resolution if i didn't say that i wanted to lose some weight this year. because i do. but more importantly, i want to focus on living a healthy life, which includes eating better and getting some exercise - of course - but it also means that i want to put my health first. if you don't feel good, you're not happy. this past year i've struggled with a lingering allergy situation, some kind of asthma flare up and a lot more aches and pains than i think are normal for a 28-year old woman.  not to get all hippy dippy, but i do believe that some of these issues might be able to be cleared up with a regular routine as opposed to the chaos i have been living lately.

but that doesn't mean that i'm not going to use my healthcare that i pay my hard earned money for to check out the stuff that hangs out longer that than it should.

wealth: i wish i could just resolve for wealth and all of the sudden be blessed with an unlimited bank account. but that's not how it works. and while i am SUPER good at spending money, i'm terrible at saving it. which my parents love to point out. so this year, my goal is to learn to save and actually do it. create a budget and stick to it. put money in a savings account and not touch it. you know, basic life skills that i should have by now. so basically, i'm just going to become a normal, functioning adult who spends less than she makes in a month. groundbreaking, i know.

happiness: this one isn't as easy to pin down into a specific thing or goal to it. because one thing doesn't make you happy. it's a bunch of things all working together in harmony. or some bullshit like that. and while i do agree that attitude is a big part of happiness, it's also about finding things that bring you joy, even if it's just a simple cat image on the internet.

it's a kitten eating pancakes!

i'm heading into my last full year of my twenties and i don't want to have any regrets about things i wanted to do that i missed out on because i was scared or nervous of the repercussions. so i'm going to find things that bring me happiness and take advantage of them. whether it be springing for the (cheap) 10 minute massage at the nail salon, getting pink hair or even seeing a movie by myself because i can't possibly wait for another minute, i'm going to just do it and love every second of it.

and theoretically, the reason i'm telling all of you fictional readers this is that i'm going to come back at the end of each month and let you know what i did to work towards these goals, if i'm succeeding, failing or if i just straight up forgot about it. apparently accountability is what makes things real.

for january, my main goal is to cook more and eat out less, because it helps me get to ALL THREE GOALS. i know, crazy, right? but if i cook more, i save money from eating out. and if i make it, then i know what's going into it, and i can make sure i choose healthier options. and i actually love to cook, so it makes me happy to be in the kitchen.

since i'm sure your minds are completely blown right now, i'ma drop the mic and pick up a ladle to get myself a serving of the delicious chicken tortilla soup i made in my slow cooker yesterday while you crazies nursed your hangovers.

yep, 2014 is basically already my bitch.