(I know, I know. I am a couple of days early, but I wanted to get these thoughts out before my schedule gets crazy busy again.)
1.) Less social media. This past week, I actually deleted around 300 people from my friends’ list, and I took the Facebook app off my phone. For a long time, I began to feel social anxiety regarding my Facebook account and my friends’ list. “Oh, these friends had a party, and I wasn’t invited. I am the worst!” “[This person] just unfriended me. Why? Did I say something?” The whole point of Facebook is stay connected, so why did I keep feeling such negativity? It’s not worth it. I wanted to get rid of my account altogether, but I would lose my Get Up Swinging Facebook page, along with my photography Facebook page.
I really want to focus on quality of friendships, not quantity. I found myself becoming complacent in my relationships because of the social media connection with them. What happened to emails, texts, phone calls or actually getting together and having dinner? I have a great group of friends, and I want to have authentic relationships with the people who matter the world to me. I gave too much of my time and energy to people who in the grand scheme of things, aren’t that important to me.
2.) READ MORE BOOKS. My 2014 Reading Challenge over at Goodreads was 25 books. I’ve read 13. That’s just unacceptable. Granted, I probably read 4 or 5 books in 2013, which is completely horrendous. I’m better than that. 2015 will be the year I get my bookworm on’ – this I vow.
3.) Write more, increase breast cancer advocacy. I have so many ideas I want to do for Get Up Swinging, and I should take advantage of the fact that I can cross-post to the Huffington Post. Metastatic breast cancer still and always needs more, and I can always find ways to help and increase ways for those who need it the most.
4.) Run three half marathons, run a 15 mile race, run a Ragnar relay and run the Rachel Carson Half challenge in June. I’m not going to disclose my desired time for my next half because who knows if I’ll even come close to that. The beauty of running when you don’t accomplish the time you wanted: there’s always the next race. Get up and try again.
5.) Dedicate as much time and energy as I can into my photography. Shoot more, learn more, create more. When wedding season rolls around in 2015, I hope my mentor will keep having me around and we can inspire clients to HIRE me as a second photographer.
Like I do every year, I hope and pray that this year will be one of great, positive changes. Since becoming a runner, I believe in my heart that I can make these changes happen (two years ago, I never would have believed I could have run 5 miles, nonetheless 13.1).
I don’t want to dwell on the negative because that’s how you get stuck, and I’m tired of feeling stuck. All I want to do is move forward and upward.
Get Up Swinging 
You rock. I love your determined mind and I can’t wait to see what comes from these goals. 🙂 but really you could stay exactly the same and I’d still adore you.
I’m pretty sure I adore you more. ❤ We have a lovely mutual appreciation society happening here.
These are certainly inspirational! I imagine that cutting down (or giving up) Fb can be very difficult and for some, downright fearful. I quit Fb almost three years ago and never look back. It’s posts like yours that reinforce my exodus from Fb! Thank you!
I also think you’ll find more time to read those books, meet up with friends in REAL LIFE and run those marathons with less Fb in your life! And don’t be so hard on yourself about those books! You read over 50% of your list and averaged to just over one book a month! I think that’s a lot more than most, and you’re not on some race to read every book on the planet are you? Balance. Balance. Balance. 🙂
Anyway, nice post and hope your transition into 2015 goes very smoothly with a great year ahead of you!
Oh man, I think number 2 is the one I am the hardest on myself about. I used to be such a bookworm – always carried a book with me. I’d be at the library every couple of weeks. I definitely want to get back to that, especially after a friend told me about the meditative affect writing can have on you. If you read at least 20 minutes a day, then it can drastically reduce your stress level. I think I am going to once again give myself the reading challenge of 25 books, and I have no doubt that I will achieve that goal in 2015. No, not on a race to read every book on the planet, hahaha – just my giant “to read” pile I’ve accumulated over the past couple of years.
❤