When I sat down on New Year’s Eve to reflect on the past year and think ahead for the coming one, I was at a bit of a loss. I couldn’t remember the resolutions or goals that I had set the year before (if I did). Instead, I wrote pages of quick notes about my memories from the year and what matters to me right now.

The more I wrote, the more I realized I didn’t want to set out to change a habit or hit a mileage goal or give up sugar. It just didn’t feel right this time around.

I’m setting intentions, not resolutions.

I want to give myself focus and a way to prioritize the things I do. I grew a lot last year, and I really tapped into what makes me happy. I want to continue some things, and dive deeper into others.

So this year, I’m all about priorities or focus. I’m not making new goals or resolutions. They aren’t measurable or tightly defined. At least not to start. There may be times where I do something like the 30-day writing challenge that does give a measurable task, but overall these will be my touchstones, my guiding purpose.

My intentions for 2016: Creativity, health, simplicity, and adventure.

This year I want to make more time for my creativity. I want to do more of the things that made me happy last year, and explore the things that left me feeling at peace and fulfilled (like journaling and blogging more).

On top of that, I’m starting the year with a healing ankle and a deep desire to better nourish and care for my body. The things my body can do bring me a ton of joy and a sense of self. Once I’m healed up, you will certainly find me building my base so I can run and lift to my heart’s desire.

I plan to continue to simplify my life and make more time for the things that get me talking too fast and unable to control my excitement. I want to avoid the trap of busyness and consciously choose what fills my time (and brain).

Mini-trips, across-the-world travel, trying something new – they all fall into adventure. I want to keep pushing my comfort zone and exploring the world around me. I want to say yes to the things that scare me, and make it to a bucket-list destination (or two).

Where to start

Want to set some intentions for yourself? I suggest:

1. Give yourself 5-10 minutes to write down all of the things you remember from the last year.

2. Take 2-3 minutes to look over what you wrote and pick out the things that came up a lot and made you happy.

3. Jot down all of the things you would like to focus on this year.

4. Pick out the ones that are the most important to you and assign them to a category or defining word.

Yesterday I fell down the blog black hole of year in reviews. There’s something comforting about reading about other people’ triumphs, travels, milestones, and struggles. A year is a long time, and yet it often feels like it flies.

I started jotting down the memories that stood out to me the most from 2015, and I realized just how much time it was. 2015 was an amazing year – it had some lowlights, but it had even better highs.

My 2015 highlights

I went to Spain! My first time out of the country (sorry, Canada, you don’t count).

I got strong. Real strong. My ankles healed, I built up my fitness, and I dove head first into olympic lifting and running.

I wrote a TV commercial… still weird to say. And begged Adam Savage to come play with us.

I made it through my first full training cycle without an injury… twice!

I hit a major half marathon PR that has me ready for more.

Minimalism was no longer something I just thought about a lot. I cut back on the time I spent watching tv, cleaned out the excess stuff and obligations out of my life, and made finding my essentials a priority. A touchstone.

I fell in love with writing all over again, and recommitted to my creativity.

In May I celebrated a year at my first full time job. Plus sprinkled in a little freelancing to indulge my other interests.

I moved closer to work, and experienced the joys of a shorter commute and more time for the things that truly matter to me.

Went camping twice, thus tripling the amount of times I had been camping in my life.

I started the year with a mild concussion and ended it with a massive sprained ankle. But winter is for resting, right?

Maybe I didn’t hit my original goals. 2015 might not have started off quite as I had hoped. There were times where I was disappointed, where tears were shed. But looking back, I remember 2015 as a year of taking risks. As a time of going all in on the things that I loved. As an adventure. Happy.

One of my goals for this year was to make more time to read. In the fall I was able to trade in a long commute for more time curled up with a book. There were times where I was tearing through three books at once and other’s where reading felt like weeding an overgrown garden.

From life-changers to guilty pleasures, this year was full of great reads. I’ve included pictures of everything I read this year (thanks to GoodReads), and pulled out some of my favorites (in chronological order).

My 2015 top reads:

1. The Goldfinch

2. I’ll Give You The Sun. Weird, captivating.

3. Me Before You. There’s a reason everyone read it this year.

4. Steal Like an Artist. This is one of the few on this list that I would consider possibly life-changing. It’s a short, visual book, and yet every page I thought “This is it. This is what I need.” Austin Kleon brought fun back to my creativity and inspired me to try new things.

5. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. I saw the movie first and I couldn’t get the story out of my head. The book was even better (which is saying something given how great the movie was).

6. Station Eleven. I avoid dystopia (especially after Margaret Atwood’s uplifting Oryx and Crake), but I devoured this book. I haven’t thought of an airplane the same since.

7. Irritable Hearts, a PTSD Love Story. Yeah… count me out for international tk reporting. I’m good.

8. The Martian. I’ve said a lot about it.

9. Creativity, Inc. gives me hope for a creative future at work.

10. The Girl in the Spider’s Web. Read in a single sitting on a flight from Madrid to Toronto.

11. Essentialism.

12. The Opposite of Loneliness. Life’s short, much too short for some us. Don’t waste it with things you don’t love.

13. Big Magic. Another life-changer/ eye-opener. I’ve recommitted to journaling and frequent blogging thanks to this one.

14. We Are Called to Rise. I cried.

15. Bad Feminist. Hilarious. Heart-breaking. Inspiring. Anger-inducing.

The Minsgame got harder than I expected real quick. I’m actually starting to worry I won’t make it to the finish.

But for the most part this week, I would start to fret that I didn’t have enough things left to get rid of, and then suddenly I would have more items than I needed for the day. I have a few things stockpiled for week three, but they won’t get me very far.

This week another 92 things are out of my space.

I’m running out of unchartered territory. I’ve been through nearly every shelf, drawer, and container of my things, which means I’m going to have to make a second pass and face the decisions I’ve been avoiding.

While I’ve had the one in, one out rule for a few years now, the Minsgame has really made me question purchases before I make them. It’s been eye-opening to gather so much of my stuff in one place and realize I don’t need it and I rarely use it. It has made me really think about what I spend my money on and how much I really need.

The Minsgame has also made what really matters to me and the things that bring me joy really apparent.

My drawers keep getting more roomy – except one. I’ve gotten rid of a few pieces of exercise gear, but overall, I use everything I have. It seems crazy to have a drawer stuffed with clothes to sweat in, but when I took everything out, I realized that outside of a few pieces, it all gets worn frequently.

I could certainly live with less, but right now it’s more important to me to not have to worry about trying to wash mid-week. I have enough to get me through a full week of running, lifting, swimming, yoga, and any other sweaty activities I may be doing.

Why I’m really doing the Minimalism Game:

When I started the Minsgame I had recently gone through a major clean out from moving. I didn’t choose to do it because my stuff is overwhelming, but rather because I wanted to finally be done obsessing about what to get rid of. I wanted the decluttering and the worrying that I had too much to stop.

So this is it, my last big cut. The last time I dig through every nook and cranny daily. The last time I go to bed thinking about what else can go.

It’s been six weeks since I destroyed my ankle (and much of my ability to have fun). For the first four I counted every damn day thinking that would somehow get me closer to being normal again.

When the doctor told me I would be out for 4-6 weeks, I mentally announced “I’ll be back in three.”

Hilarious!

The further into recovery I got, the more messed up everyone realized my ankle was. I didn’t just sprain one tendon, I did multiple. Ligaments? Got those too. High ankle sprain? Why of course. My physical therapist has been struggling to find a tendon/ligament/muscle attached to my ankle that I didn’t hurt. I’m nothing if not thorough.

I cried at four weeks when I got brave enough to ask when I would run (maybe 8-10 weeks after injury). On the drive home it sunk in that I wasn’t going to be running my half in February. I had to tell my boyfriend the half I (kindly) convinced him to sign up for as his first would also be the first one he would run alone.

Two weeks later, I don’t feel guilty anymore about something so far out of my control. I don’t feel pressured to run RIGHT NOW. It doesn’t matter when I can run anymore. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

My fitness is gone. Looooong gone. And it took with it more than five pounds of muscle that I wish I still had.

But that’s okay. It means I will start again. I will build my base – stronger than last time. I will likely get a running coach (when I can do the whole running thing again), and start a six month plan to a goal race in July.

And I’m really excited about that! No pressure, lots of time. Lots of help. Lots of love.

My November writing challenge where I wrote for 30 minutes each day went really well. So well that I forgot that November had ended and I didn’t have to do it anymore.

Spoiler alert, I’m doing it again in December.

In the beginning I had to leave myself notes and reminders everywhere to make sure I actually sat down and wrote. And once I did, it was a struggle to actually write for the full 30 minutes. I thought it would get easier, and there were some days that were, but in reality most days were a struggle. More often than not I was distinctly aware of the time and how little I thought I had to say.

What I learned

1. Thirty minutes is a long time.

2. Despite feeling like I didn’t have anything to say. More often than not once I started writing, it just kept coming. Now that the month is over, I do find it’s easier to sit down and write and I reach for my journal more often.

3. Writing is now a routine. There were a few days I forgot (Thanksgiving and the Friday after when I was traveling were among them), but overall it has become a habit that is just another part of my day. No reminders necessary.

4. I started to look forward to writing each day, even if actually getting words out felt like pulling teeth.

5. The first five and the last 10 minutes are the hardest. Don’t know why. Those middle 15 though… that’s where it’s at.

6. Some days I didn’t feel like writing. All of my words were used up at work writing emails or blog posts or scripts begging Adam Savage to come play with us. My brain would feel like cold oatmeal. But even on those days, I could still scrape out a little something (one day I wrote about how hard it was to write, another I wrote down every thought. For 30 minutes. It was interesting).

7. I still like writing. I was worried I would start to dread or resent writing just because I was forcing myself each day. So far, not true.

8. Gratitude lists are a great way to change your perspective on the day, and they make for a good five minutes. (Pro tip right there.)

9. Other people’s journals and methods are super interesting! On days where I wasn’t feeling inspired, I would look at pictures of other people’s journal entries. Austin Kleon is a definite favorite.

10. I’m pretty sure it’s good for me.

So much so that I’m going to keep the challenge going in December. This time I’d like to experiment more with the different ways I write. I will keep writing blog posts with some of that time, but I’d like to try Austin’s logbook style journaling and maybe throw in some writing prompts. I’m also considering allowing myself to doodle during that time, as long as it’s in my notebook and it somehow ties into words of some sort. I’m not a big doodler, so this doesn’t seem too dangerous. It’s more of a way to keep my mind engaged on the task at hand and try a new way to relax my mind enough to let some words slip out.

Between writing for 30 minutes and the Minsgame, it looks like it’s going to be a pretty busy month.

I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity and how to keep it around lately. A lot of my ideas about how to be more creative and how I foster my creativity are in flux, especially after reading all of these great books on creativity, but I thought I would put down what I’ve found to be true for myself so far.

1. It doesn’t have to be brilliant or totally bran-freaking-new to be interesting and worth my time.

2. You don’t always have it. Some days I can write and it feels like the words just flow out of me. I can feel them pent up inside, dying it to get out. Those are the best days, where I can’t stop the words. Some days I dig around and look between the couch cushions, but they just aren’t there.

3. You have to have somewhere to capture it. When I was growing up I always carried a journal around with me to scribble down ideas (or really awful poems that I desperately hope I never put on the Internet). Once I got a smart phone I dropped the journal, but it’s really not the same. If you like to draw, carry a sketchbook. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that maybe you should put something in it.

4. Just try. During my 30 for 30 challenge I realized just how much writing (or whatever pursuit you are into) has to do with trying. There are days where writing for 30 minutes requires me to write about how I have nothing to write about. Or to talk about what I did that day, even if it was quite boring. Or just list off random things that pop into my head because I promised I would write for all of those damn minutes that seem to stretch forever. And then all of sudden I’m writing and it isn’t hard.

5. Tell yourself to shut up. The voice in my head that’s always talking gets in the way. It scares my creativity and it leaves no room for actual thinking. You can let that voice whisper when you are editing, but not before that. There just isn’t room for bullying, self-doubt, or plain irritating chatter and creativity.

6. It’s not about the money. In college I thought I would support myself on writing. And to be fair, I do! But not on my creative, pour my heart out, following my passions writing. Big Magic made me feel better about it. Elizabeth Gilbert makes it clear that it’s unfair to expect you art to support you. That’s what your job is for. The writing I love is so much harder when it’s for someone else (and a check) than when it’s just for me and I don’t get any monetary reward for it.

7. It’s okay to be weird. It’s also okay to be boring. Let your freak flag fly – your work will be better for it.

8. Good habits can make or break you. In college I would tend to write my blog posts on the same days at the same time. My brain started to expect that we were going to sit down and write. It got easier. For a while. And then I make a new habit and we all get along again. Even something simple, like making a cup of tea before sitting down to write can make a difference for me.

9. Forget your parents are reading it. Forget your friends are seeing it. Forget the world has eyes. You’ll be fine.

10. Being awful is okay. Few people are good at anything when they are young. I keep trying to remind myself that it’s okay to not know what I want to do yet. It’s okay for my writing to yo-yo between being pretty terrible and mediocre. It’s all okay.

11. Just make it! If it interests you enough to sit through the making of it, it’s definitely worth doing. I always have excuses for why I shouldn’t write/make something. It’s ridiculous. I started listening to the She Does podcast, and it seriously struck me like I was rear-ended – every single one of those women had an idea and just went all in on it. That’s how they got to where they are. That’s why they are so damn cool. That’s what we should all do too.

As kids we are taught to have a Christmas list where we put all of the things we even vaguely want, and they magically appear for us. We are never told about the debt many people accrue over the season or the environmental impact of all of the gifts that end up shoved in the back of our closets.

For months we are bombarded with ads that make the holidays look like some sort of shopping utopia. People often confuse the joy of the holiday season with the short excitement and anticipation they get from receiving new things and buying gifts for other people.

I want the holidays to be about spending time with my friends and family. I want sip on warm drinks under twinkling lights. I want to remember the laughs we had at the table and the time my mom made the turkey walk the plank. I want to put my feet up, grab my book, and relax during the shortest days of the year.

I feel sad when I drive past a packed mall parking lot and when I hear people talk about how stressful December is for them. The ads and the special packaging and the holiday cups and the “deals” seem to make us less and less happy with what we already have.

We’re missing the point. And it’s making us miserable.

When I first started actively pursuing less, I didn’t really know how to handle the holidays. I wanted a minimalist Christmas… but I didn’t even know what that meant. When faced with questions about what I wanted, I ended up only asking for things I needed. Which was great, but it didn’t solve the root of my problem.

I wish there wasn’t so much pressure to ask for things.

What if we don’t ask for anything? What if we don’t want anything?

My family is fully supportive of my efforts to reduce the amount of things I own and my impact on the world. They have thoughtfully given me amazing things like yoga classes or the entry fee for a race I’d like to do. They didn’t laugh at me when I asked for socks or a salad spinner. But my friends are a little less certain of what I’m doing, and I feel pressure to reciprocate with little things they probably won’t use either. At work we traditionally do a novelty t-shirt exchange, and I was torn between sitting out so no one would waste money on something I wouldn’t use and joining in on the office-wide fun. I opted to join in and instead ask for a poster that I could hang up at my desk (something that I will actually use that will have less of a carbon footprint than a t-shirt).

I’ve found that living with less is particularly challenging around the holidays. Relatives and friends are constantly asking what’s on your list. People give you funny looks or think you are being difficult when you say you don’t want anything. Really.

No one wants to be the Grinch.

But at the same time, being open and honest about what you really want (“I’d love to spend some time with you. What if we went out for coffee and a movie instead of exchanging gifts this year?”) makes everyone happier in the long run. People are buying gifts to bring joy to someone else. They aren’t trying to clutter your home or challenge your beliefs.

It’s uncomfortable at first, but the more I talk about it and the more I express what I really want, the happier I am (and hopefully my friends and family are too).