26 By 26

1. Spend less time on social media.
2. Start drawing and painting again.
3. Give back to the people you love and who love you.
4. Take a big trip. 
5. Go hiking more often.
6. Move toward an anti-inflammatory diet.
7. Pick up photography again.
8. Get off the dating apps.
9. Go to writers nights and poetry nights.
10. Save $15,000. 
11. Finish 20 books.
12. Go to art galleries more often.
13. Go to different creative events. Find inspiration.
14. Make meditation a routine. 4-5 times a week. 10 minutes.
15. Spend more time with Mom.
16. Go as waste-free as possible.
17. Spend more time in my body.
18. Turn to natural products. 
19. Keep some plants alive.
20. Learn to drive.
21. Learn to swim.
22. Drink more water.
23. Journal more often. 
24. Figure out your relationship with your lupus.
25. Volunteer for something that matters to you.
26. Try different kinds of exercise and movement. 

Resolutions & Predictions

This is something I do annually with my best friend. (The list from last year can be found here.) My best friend and I grab some pizza and talk through the previous year. We talk about what we've accomplished, if it met what we hoped and expected, what the big things, whether they were good or bad or something that happened. We list out our resolutions and predictions for the coming year. It's therapeutic. It's a reminder. It's something of a guideline. It's how we can see potential in the next year. And well, it's tradition.

Here is mine for 2019.

PREDICTIONS

1. You'll get more tattoos.
2. You'll recommit to yoga and movement.
3. You'll see more of the world. 
4. You'll learn what it means to take better care of your body.
5. You'll find a job worth staying at for a while.
6. You'll laugh more and worry less.
7. You'll find art again.
8. You'll stay single. You'll fall in love with yourself.
9. Your health will deteriorate. It'll be OK though.

RESOLUTIONS

1. Stop living in fear. Stop living in this mindset of lack, of absence. Start living with the mindset of plenty, of abundance and bounty.
2. Live for yourself for once. Your existence shouldn't be an apology. Your life wasn't meant for chasing others. Please internalize your value. Let it glow.
3. Figure out your relationship to your lupus. Whether that is through writing or art or therapy. Please stop hating yourself.
4. Move towards a waste-free lifestyle - as much as you can.
5. Come home to art.
6. Travel. Open your eyes again. Open your heart to the world.
7. Reassess your relationship to alcohol and weed. Learn what it means to live with yourself without apologizing, without so much fear and anger.
8. Save $15,000. Have a total savings of $30,000 by the end of the year.
9. Pay back the kindness you've been given. Save a bit of money each month to do something nice for the people in your life; an experience to share. 

GOALS

A new edition this year. Goals are different from resolutions because whereas resolutions are overall life habits and thought patterns that can be changed, I think of goals as tangible things, events and decisions I can and will apply to my real life. 

1. Try the complete Whole30.
2. Make it through two 30-day challenges.
3. Make reading before bed a thing.
4. Produce at least one piece of art a month.
5. Find a community or a circle or event outside of what you know now. Meet new people.
6. Get your license.
7. Plan two big trips and some small trips.

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

Maybe it's where I am but I think the world is changing. Or the world is changing so quickly now and we can no longer ignore it. There are more conversations being had about how we can be kinder to the planet we are lucky enough to call home.

When we are children, we are taught the three R's. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Some of us remember it better than others. I can't claim to remember these R's the best. Over the past year or so, I have tried to make more conscious moves to be a little kinder to our planet. Here's what I've done (and maybe what you can do too):

1. Muji pen box, teaspoon, tea fork - I wanted something really small and easy to fit into my bags. I've been carrying this spoon and fork set for a little while now. (The pen box is new.) I put together a set because I was always taking plastic spoons and forks from work for lunch. I often brought my own food but I didn't bring my own utensils because it was bigger and less convenient to bring around. This small set is compact and convenient. I also put a piece of candy and Pepto Bismol with it. 
2. Metal straw from Bulk Barn - We started a no-straws challenge at work. It was what pushed me towards buying a set from Bulk Barn. I don't often drink using straws. I have no qualms drinking from the cup, which I do more often. However, there are certain drinks like smoothies that call for the straw. Now I have a metal one. 
3. 12oz KeepCup - I've talked about this before in another blog post. I love the look of KeepCups. They're adorable. As a barista, I like that they're standard barista sizes. They're very easy to clean. Every piece of the KeepCup can be taken apart to wash.
4. 18oz KleanKanteen - I have a bigger 27oz KleanKanteen that I put with my yoga stuff. I like it for long hikes and higher intensity physical activity. I wanted a smaller one for day-to-day though. My fragile composition demands that I stay hydrated. It's the easiest way for me to get a migraine and heatstroke in the summer. It's crucial to me that I have water with me at all times. A reusable water bottle is the easiest way to do just that. 
5. Baggu shopping bag - This little guy folds out into a big bag that holds up to 50lbs. It is amazing for groceries. It's easy to stroll away in my bag in case I do any less minute grocery shopping or just shopping.

Not pictured: 

I've done some other things in the past years to try to reduce my carbon footprint.

1. Since January, I have started a no-new-clothes challenge. I'm allowed to thrift and shop local designers but I cannot buy new clothes from fast fashion giants. So far, it's gone pretty well. I have bought a pair of Blundstones, made an order at Aritzia and bought a sweater at a King Krule concert but this is a significant improvement for me. 
2. I have been using a DivaCup for close to three years now. I'm a few weeks shy. It has made my period a lot easier to manage. I don't think about my period very much anymore.
3. My most recent adjustment is Knixwear Leakproof panties. Period panties. This is something I've considered off and on for a while. With my medication and body, there is still leakage from the DivaCup so I always end up using liners or pads anyway. I had considered Thinx for a while but they're very pricey. Knixwear is a local brand and their Leakproof panties are way more affordable. So far, I've been enjoying them. They feel great, dry, works. 

These are some of what I've been doing. I'm still learning. There's a lot I do that's not environmentally great. I'm trying. It's a process. I am not trying to be waste-free. I don't think I'm that ambitious. I am just trying to be better. I hope more people join me.