It has been an amazing year, undoubtedly. On the horizon there are so many things to look forward to. But, in retrospect, it has been a pretty tough year.

With some miscarriages and struggles to make our own family grow, the death of one of my students, and having to put our lovely boy, Felix, to sleep, I’m a little relieved to say goodbye 2016. So, this year will be all about appreciating. 

This is our little family, with Chester, who doesn’t mind being the only cat in the house. 

Looking forward, though I don’t believe in ultimatum-style resolutions, I certainty think that there are lots of things to lay out as a plan that might make the year amazing.

First, gratitude. Every day I will try to find one thing I am sincerely grateful for. Today, it’s on the homefront: I have a bed that I get to sleep in with my wife each night. It has clean, beautiful sheets, a warm duvet, it feels like heaven every time we lie down. 

And, second, I’ll be embracing acting like a grown-up:

1. I’ll invest in myself. More sleep. More downtime. Going to the gym. Keep doing my awesome pole fit classes. I’m getting stronger by the day, and it feels good. Eating well. All the foods I love, all in moderation. 
2.  Learn more. Try new recipes. Read more books. Write things down that I’d like to try or do, right away, and then make an effort to do them. For example, I’d like to make my own textile wallhangings. I’m also going to keep up with the fantastic app, meal lime, which has us eating such tasty, easy meals.
3. Communicate with the people I love. Send cards. And keep up my habit of calling as soon as it occurs to me that I’d like to talk to someone…instead of calling them later. My granny just celebrated her 100th.  She loves me, despite what her face is telling you. 
4. Shop less.
5. Be a grown-up. Or at least look like one. Wear beautiful pajamas, while avoiding clothes that encourage me to feel lazy. No bumming around clothes. The better I feel, the happier I will be. This doesn’t mean no comfortable clothes, it just means getting rid of the stuff that doesn’t look or feel good. This is the perfect excuse for a clothing swap. This includes decluttering and paring down on ‘stuff’. 
6. Stop procrastinating. See list above. And this especially goes for schoolwork and marking. Divide and conquer it.
7. Plan better so that we can use our money on cool experiences. This year I’m going to try the money challenge.
8. Keep doing the things that make me feel youthful. Even if I feel tired the next day… work hard, play hard. 
9. Shower my friends and family with love. 
10. Remember to be less critical of myself. I will never be more young, with more of my life ahead of me than I am today. That’s a message I wish I could go back and tell myself at 15. Twenty years later, I’m more confident than ever and capable of making life exactly what I want it to be – and what I can’t change, I’m strong enough to handle. I may be two decades older. But from where I’m sitting…life is pretty sweet. No filter needed.