Resolutions for the new year & a 2016 overview (before we all move on)

Estimated reading time: 5 min.

First of all – is it just me or was 2016 a pretty weird year?

Last January, I decided that I wouldn’t set up any new year’s resolutions. I thought, “Heck, why do I have to come up with plans just because it’s a new year? I can set resolutions and goals anytime I want.” – I was in a pretty good place back then, knowing where I stood and what I wanted, so that was it.

Consequently, now that I look back to 2016 (happily waving goodbye), I came to the conclusion that all I did was survive, and I feel useless, unproductive, ashamed that I am so privileged and yet did nothing for the world. That feeling from last January lasted just until… Well, the end of January, so everything afterwards was downhill. Mentally, physically, financially, academically (not in terms of grades, but in terms of staying mentally sane in Law school).

As I didn’t set up any 2016 resolutions, amid all the craziness of such a lousy year, I lost myself. I had no idea what I was doing, nor why I was doing anything at all. The one constant thought in my mind was ‘I just want to get through this year’.

The one constant feeling in my heart was ‘Maybe I’m just not good enough for anything’. It was awful, but it’s a new year and I want to at least try to leave all of that behind.

Here’s what I got from 2016, other than an improved skill of making self-deprecating jokes:

source: Vicky Cristina Barcelona film

While I don’t blame the horrible year on the lack of resolutions, I think that it’s good to write on a gigantic piece of paper (or blog entry, or both) my goals for the year, because, you know, what if I feel lost all over again? At least I’ll have something to give me some direction, something I decided when I wasn’t lost. With that being written said, let’s get to the interesting part of this super egocentric post:

Resolutions for the new year aka 2017

Hi. I am still lost, hehe. How do you make your new year’s resolutions? Help a girl out? Maybe I’ll start my list by taking into consideration

1. the fact that I’m moving to Holland by the end of this month
2. my financial situation
3. I DONT WANNA BE SO ORDINARY AND USELESS
4. my health (mental and physical)
5. this thing written on the cover of my 2017 planner:

Alright, then. Are these good starting points? Now, onto the list…

1. Learn basic Dutch – I am obsessed with languages, but I never felt the desire to learn Dutch. I guess I can’t ignore the fact that I’M MOVING TO HOLLAND anymore. I bought a little Dutch book the other day and it seems a bit similar to German, so here’s hoping I won’t be suck at it.
2. Explore. I love walking around cities and taking pictures, but I’ve always been really scared of doing that in Brazil, given the violence, fear of being robbed, assaulted etc. Sure, exploring a gazillion european countries during my time studying in Holland would be nice, but exploring just a few cities would already make me happy. (Should I dream bigger?????)
3. Create more. This blog has been ready since last May and I never prioritised its existence given that I would just sleep on my free time. I love writing and taking pictures, so I want to do more of that. My friend Maki and I were also talking about making a podcast… Hey, Maki, are you still up for it? 
4. Netflix less. My feeling lost/displaced/don’t-have-any-decent-skills-for-anything would lead to me opening a random TV show, binge-watching it and pretending everything was ok. Even if the show was horrible.
5. Be less cowardly. Every now and then, I get the feeling that what I’m writing/thinking/doing is worth being read/shared. That lasts for about 3 seconds, being followed by “Nobody cares and you’re terrible at writing and thinking and existing”.
6. Exercise. At first, I was going to write “exercise more“, but I just wasn’t exercising at all by the end of 2016, so, yeah, there’s that. I really love martial arts and dancing, so starting a class @ le new home country seems like a good idea.
7. Be more social. Socialising is so draining for me, but I have to be more social in order to meet cool people at the city I’m moving to. And to have fun stories to post here.
8. NOT ABANDON THE BLOG. Hi. I’m Sofia. I’ve been blogging for 10 years now, but I have never stuck with a blog. If I had done so, I’d probably be a super successful/famous/rich/traveller blogger by now, and you wouldn’t be reading about how horrible my 2016 was.
9. Eat. Properly. So my mood will improve, so skin will get better, so my stomach will hurt less and so my hair will fall less too because I’m terrified of going bald at just 21yo. Or, if I’m not going to eat (properly), at least remember to take vitamins.
10. Take 6 months off Law school. That’s a right everyone in my uni has and there is no way in hell I will not enjoy this right before I graduate (which is supposed to happen in Dec/2018). I wanna do it, but I’m terrified of falling behind everyone else at Law school. Nonetheless, I’ve been thinking about taking 6mo off right after my exchange in Holland and going somewhere in the far east.
11. MONEY. Find a way to get it without being attached to an office and without worrying about the next client. @levelsio is a good inspiration when it comes to this matter, but, as of right now, I’m still lost – there are endless possibilities out there.
12. SAY YES TO NEW ADVENTURES

THAT’S ALL, FOLKS. These aren’t very specific resolutions, but from someone coming out of a cave/dark place/hole/whatchacallit, they seem like a good start. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, talk to me, so I won’t feel so alone. How was your 2016? What are your 2017 resolutions? How did you set them? You can share your feelings/thoughts with me by commenting below or by tweeting me @tweetsbysofi (I like twitter better, tho).

Hope you’ll have a happy 2017 🙂