The Recharge Year

I've decided to start a little series on six feet in heels about my "recharge year". Now first thing's first - what the heck is a recharge year? Well, it's something I've invented to keep me motivated and focused through this next calendar year. Basically, I want to have a year where I enjoy every moment. This past year was my final of my undergrad degree and it completely burned me out. I was studying or researching every single conscious second and never took the time to enjoy the experience. Looking back now, I was way too stressed and don't want to let myself slip into that again.

I received the upsetting news in April that I didn't get into the Clinical Psych program that I wanted. However, I now see this as a blessing in disguise. I've been given a year to catch my breath before I dive headfirst into my career. A year to stop and smell the roses and focus on having fun instead of working hard every second of every day. I'll be going back to my university, taking a few courses, and working part-time, all while focusing on my #1 priority - enjoying every second! You may find this whole thing a bit cheesy, but trust me, cheesy works for me. Cheesy tugs at my heart strings and helps me be a better person.

I wanted to integrate this journey into my blog because I think it will help me keep focused and motivate me too. If I aim to blog about my journey every week or so, I'll be more likely to stay on track. See, blogging is really just self-indulgence! But seriously, I'd love any feedback or advice you have relating to the topics in these posts.

So let's get started! I want to begin by quickly going through a few goals I have for the year. If you've ever attempted/completed these goals, please give me your valuable guidance! Or just cheer me on :)

1. Live in the Moment

 My boyfriend has pointed out more times than I care to count that I am always thinking of the future. I don't mean I'm planning for the future (which is a good thing!), but that I'm always thinking about the next hour or the next day instead of focusing on the present. It doesn't matter what I'm doing (seriously, anything is fair game), I don't concentrate on it and the joy or other emotions it's causing me to feel. I want to focus more on stopping to smell the roses and just enjoying every second!

2. Be healthier

This is a fairly broad goal, but I want to attack healthiness from every angle. It's been so easy for me to basically give up exercising in the past 2 years in favour of schoolwork. I do feel better when I'm exercising regularly, but it's often the first thing to go when I need extra time in the day. This year I started back at yoga and realized how much I missed hitting the gym and sweating out my frustrations. I've already begun working on this goal and feel great after every work-out. The videos on Tone It Up! are great for when I'm too busy to actually get to the gym. I'm also going to try to limit my carbs intake because I feel quite inflamed when eating them, and just try to give up/highly limit my sugar intake. And, as always, stay hydrated!

However, being healthy also refers to mental health. I allow myself to stress out WAY too much and want to incorporate a meditation routine in my everyday life. I love meditating, but again, it takes up time and sometimes I just forgo it in favour of something else.

3. Have more fun!

 When I look back on this year, I don't remember it as a fun one. I made a lot of progress in my schooling and psychology research, but I didn't enjoy much. I've vowed to have more fun this year, in whatever form. I know, this seems like a bit of a funny or flaky goal, but I figure if I'm not enjoying my time here, what's the point? I used to knit and sew like mad, and honestly haven't touched my crafts in YEARS. Seriously - years. That makes me so sad and I'm slightly embarrassed to admit it. But I'm changing that by vowing to do things this year purely because I enjoy them! If I feel like going out dancing on a Saturday night, I'm just going to grab a willing gal-pal and go, not worrying about studying for an extra hour. I'll indulge in my favourite activities and do things because I think they're fun and make me smile, not because I should. And I want to try a bunch of new things and keep open-minded about any new experience! If you have any suggestions for experiences or adventures that are super fun (and cost-friendly), please share!

I plan on tracking my progress on six feet in heels and hope you'll cheer me on! If you're looking for some further inspiration, please check out the blogs that inspired me: Gala Darling, positively present & Happy Brittany.