Setting Intentions for a New Year: 2022 Edition

*pops cork* Happy New Year!

If you stayed up to watch the clock turn from yesterday to today, I hope you were able to sleep in a bit this morning.

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty grateful to be alive and well today in this new year. And I’m also thanking my former self for sitting down to write intentions before today, as I’m still waking up on this January morning!

So, thank you past Alyssa, for writing these resolutions intentions – I’m going to hand this post off to you and pour another cup of coffee…

Here’s what I’m looking forward to in 2022:

Find my calling | I’m currently seeking a career change in my “day job”, and I’m still somewhat unsure of which direction I want to go. While I don’t necessarily believe that our value or our existence is tied to our jobs (i.e., we are not necessarily what we do), I would like to be able to find joy and passion in my work. I’ve got some soul-searching to do.

Reduce further | I no longer aspire to live a strict minimalist lifestyle or have anything resembling a rigid capsule wardrobe, but I do feel like I own too much stuff. Most of what I own too much of is consumable (pantry items, stationery, beauty products, gift wrap), and I’m trying to focus strategically on using those items up first, without overusing or wasting them. I should give my closet and craft supplies another glance, and edit out anything that I haven’t worn or won’t use. Another category I struggle with is packaging. I hate tossing any kind of boxes or filler, but they haven’t been a successful “give” in my local Buy Nothing group, and my guest closet is overflowing with them. I know that I only ship very infrequently (mostly at Christmas and for birthdays), so it’s time to cull it down to a reasonable amount.

Move daily | Canceling my gym membership at the start of the pandemic gave me the excuse I was looking for to stay home and sit on the couch all day, and within months my body creaked and ached in protest. Exercise is something I learned I needed in my mid-twenties, and I’m rekindling my relationship with it again now. We’ve rejoined the gym, and while I’m happy to be back in a Zumba class, I’m also discovering I enjoy strength training. I want to keep the momentum, but also add in a frequent at-home yoga practice. Meow gets very excited when I roll out my yoga mat and really, that should be all the motivation I need, but we are also going to be participating in Yoga with Adriene’s 30-day Move series.

Make/repair | Learning to knit has been a great way to slow the growth of my wardrobe and to deter myself from stress-shopping online since I can’t scroll with knitting needles in my hands. And it gives me a deeper appreciation for the thought that goes into designing and creating a garment, even though I know most knit items on the market are machine-made. I want to finish the Alone Together sweater I had to set aside when starting to make gifts, as well as start the Strathcona Sweater that I’ve already purchased yarn for. I also have a list of garment alterations and repairs I want to tackle – I just need to pull out my sewing machine and do them.

Explore home | Looking back on my intentions for 2020, I mentioned that I wanted to explore more of North Carolina and our surrounding areas. I want to find more opportunities to visit destinations safely in the Southeastern U.S. in 2021 – and depending on how things are looking, hopefully aim to visit one place each month in NC and our neighboring states.

And a few intentions for the blog: 

Lean into video | I’ve resisted video for so long – it’s not always my preferred method of consuming content, and, well, I sometimes feel a bit self-conscious on camera. But for some things, it’s a superior way to properly showcase a place or share details on a product. I have a lot to learn in the field, but I’m excited to dive in and give it a try (however, I still plan to primarily focus on still images).

Rework my newsletter | This has been on my to-do list for months, and I haven’t gotten around to it. For me, I think the best approach is dedicating a day to creating a newsletter template and setting a schedule for sending it out. Creating a template means I don’t need to reinvent the wheel each time, and setting a deadline is a helpful motivator. (Want to be the first to read when it comes out? You can sign up in the box in the sidebar on the right).

Seek out travel partnerships | While I still plan to collaborate with clothing and accessories brands who are making high-quality products responsibly, travel is really the heart of this blog. Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) do vital work in drawing in travelers and supporting a region’s businesses, and I plan on reaching out to my local CVBs to pursue partnerships to bring you the best local travel content.

Write about my city | I love Charlotte – I frequently say to Michael, “We moved here” in an incredulous tone because I feel so lucky to live here. Charlotte is an often-overlooked city, and a lot of the information that is out there contains some pretty unfair misconceptions. The Queen City has its fair share of issues, but I want to celebrate our diversity, approach to art, and the mom-and-pop businesses that deserve to be known.

How are you feeling about the new year? Have you set any intentions, or are you giving them a rest this year?