New Year's Resolutions

We're one week into 2014 and that means it's time to really put my New Year's resolutions into action (I've spent much of the last week being rather lazy and enjoying my time off before settling (more like crashing) back into the reality of every day life).
New Year's resolutions aren't something I usually give a lot of thought to; when a new year comes around I might think of a few things I'd like to work on, but I never really sit and write a list of goals or hopes - instead, I take the approach that if there's something you want to change about your life, why wait for the new year to do it? Every single day is a chance to take steps towards a better life, and there's never a bad time to start doing more of what makes you happy.
However, this year I have written a list of resolutions. I'm already very happy with my life thanks to a lot of mindset and perspective shifting over the last 6 months or so, and there aren't any major changes I feel the need to make, but the list goes like this:

1. Run at least twice a week
In Spring last year I started to get into running a couple of times a week, but I kept falling off the track (so to speak) and struggled to get back into it, especially since it's been so cold and dark this winter, so one of my aspirations for this year is to get back into it and make it a regular thing again because I really do miss it.

2. Do yoga or hooping every day
I have been into yoga for a number of years now and while I really enjoy it, I didn't make enough time for it last year, so I've promised myself that this year I will organise my time better so that I can fit in regular yoga sessions.
I have also recently got into hooping/hoop dancing, and I have been loving every second of it. I'm really keen to keep practicing to improve my technique and learn new skills and tricks, so on the days when I don't do yoga I will try to fit in at least half an hour of hooping.

3. Stay on top of college work
I'm sure this is a very common resolution among people my age, but that doesn't make it any less important. If sixth form has taught me one thing it's that it's far better to do work when it is set rather than letting it pile up and trying to tackle it all in one go, so this year I really want to knuckle down and stay on top of my work.

4. Write more often
Over the last couple of months I have found a love for creative writing. We're not talking novels here, but rather little snippets, never really more than a paragraph, and I've set myself a goal to try and write something every day in order to get used to finding my creative flow even on days where I don't feel particularly inspired and also to help improve my work and develop my style.

5. Blog more often
This is an important one for me, and although I tried to take this one on before the end of 2013, I was just far too busy in the months leading up to Christmas to make time for blogging, but this year I hope to blog at least once a fortnight (although I ultimately hope to be able to post weekly).

6. Meditate at least three times a week
Meditation is something I took up last year and it's something I want to carry into the new year too, but like yoga, it's something I struggled to make time for, so this year I will do my best to fit in at least three sessions a week.

7. Save money
This is less of a resolution and more of a reminder; I have hopes to travel over the next few years and in order to do that I need to continue saving up, so I felt like including this in my resolutions was a good way to ensure that it sticks in my mind.

I spent New Year's Eve with some of the best people I know and saw 2014 in on a very good note which I hope will continue throughout the next 12 months. I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's and I hope that this year brings you all love, light and happiness. If you've made resolutions then I wish you all the best, but remember not to be too hard on yourself if you slip up sometimes; we all do it, and it just gives us an opportunity to remind ourselves why we made the resolutions in the first place and take them on with even more enthusiasm than before.

Here's hoping 2014 is a great year for you all.

Namaste, Rowan