Year in Review: 2018

It’s almost New Year’s Eve *insert party popper emoji*!

Last year I wrote a 2017 reflection here on the blog, so you know I have to keep up the tradition with a 2018 reflection!

I can’t believe 2018 is almost over; it flew by for sure. It has been such a great year, and I am looking forward to what 2019 has in store for me. Before 2018 ends though, I want to highlight some of the milestones I’ve hit, acknowledge the challenges I faced, reflect on my 2018 goals, and share my goals and intentions for 2019.

Highlights of 2018:

In 2018 I…

• Turned 23 (#jordanyear)

• Explored Asheville, NC for the first time

• Started PT school at Duke

• Attended my first Duke Basketball game in Cameron (#godevils)

• Was elected as my class’ liaison

• I celebrated my 3-year anniversary with Jon

• Began self-hosting my blog (more control, my own domain, etc.)

• Gained over 2,000 new friends on Instagram

• Finished my first semester of PT school (and passed all of my classes!)

Challenges of 2018:

• Living at home and working (not being in school)
• Anxiety
• PT school!!!
• Struggling with imposter syndrome and confidence

Let’s talk about my 2018 goals:

So, how’d I do?

• Be consistent on my blog and Instagram: I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging and posting on Instagram this year. It is something that I look forward to outside of school, and it brings me so much joy. I love helping you guys out, while sharing my personal journey at the same time. I have published 23 new posts on the blog this year, with a total of 32 posts! My Instagram account reached over 2k followers, and received 30.8k likes!
• Be more present and live in the moment: This was pretty hard at the beginning of the year (especially because I was living at home and not always happy), but I really feel like I have worked hard to stick to this goal.
• Practice patience (with others and myself): My goal was to work on not being easily frustrated, and not expecting perfection in every aspect of my life. While this is something that I still struggle with, I have definitely made strides to improve throughout the year.
• Start practicing yoga and exercise more: I didn’t get into yoga as much as I thought I would (although I did attend a few classes), but I did exercise more! My goal was to exercise at least 3-4 times a week to stay in shape, clear my head often, and keep my anxiety under control. I decided to start Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide (BBG) in February, and finished it in June. After completing my first round of BBG I planned to start another. Unfortunately, I really slacked off with exercising after school started, struggling to balance the two.
• Eat better: While I was doing BBG, I definitely ate better. Like exercising though, my eating habits worsened once school started. My plan was to meal prep every week, but this didn’t always happen. It was so easy to grab fast food after class or eat a TV dinner instead of cooking (especially during exam weeks).

Here’s a cute little bingo game for 2018…you should play:

Now for my 2019 goals:

• Make exercise a priority in my daily/weekly routine: After finishing my first round of BBG (and starting PT school), exercise was definitely put on the back burner. It’s sad, but I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I worked out. In 2019 I want to make exercise a priority, not a phase. No more excuses (“I’m too tired”, “I have to study”, etc.). Instead of napping after class, I can go to the gym. Instead of sleeping in on Saturdays, I can go for a run. My goal is to participate in some form of physical activity at least 3x a week. Maybe I’ll do BBG again, maybe I’ll try something new…who knows. The world is my oyster!
• Meal prep on Sundays: This will keep me from resorting to fast food and TV dinners every night (#guilty). My goal is to plan out my meals for the week (during the week), and then shop and cook on Sundays. If you have any go-to meals, please let ya girl know!
• Read more books: I honestly forgot how much I loved reading for leisure. Over this break my goal was to read Black Man in a White Coat, and Becoming (Michelle Obama). So far I have finished Black Man in a White Coat, and I am almost done with Becoming. My goal is to read at least one book during my breaks from school.
• Save more money: I gotta cut down on the Target runs, the Amazon purchases, the fast food frenzies etc. My bank account took a big hit this year (*crying on the inside*), so next year I really want to decrease my spending and increase my savings. I have to build good habits before I graduate and have to start paying those dreaded student loans!
• Continue growing my blog and Instagram community: This will involve me trying new things, and getting out of my comfort zone more often. I also want to create a schedule for posting blog posts (and maybe Instagram posts too), so that I can remain consistent. I love love love helping y’all out, and I am looking forward to continuing to do so in the new year.

10 Intentions for 2019:

1. Reduce my waste
2. Have patience
3. Keep a positive attitude
4. Drink more water
5. Call my loved ones more often
6. Improve my posture
7. Take my vitamins
8. BREATHE!
9. Make my bed everyday
10. Have more confidence/believe in myself

I am grateful for my health, my friends + family, my education, and the growth that has taken place in all aspects of my life this year; thanks for tagging along for the ride! I hope you all have a wonderful (and safe!) New Year’s Eve, and a great 2019.

See ya next year!