I have never been very good about keeping my New Year's Resolutions in the past, so I figured this will be a great way to hold myself accountable. Every year for the past couple years I feel like I have had the same New Year's Resolutions: eat healthier, go to the gym more, lose weight, keep my room clean, save money, etc. And every year I start off strong, ready to make changes in my life, until the one month mark rolls around. I start slacking, coming up with excuses, and eventually I am not even following any of my resolutions anymore. So this is my way of holding myself accountable this year.

I find it easier to make resolutions that are reasonable and achievable, and then work myself up to the more difficult, harder-to-attain resolutions. Once I know that I am making a habit out of my New Year's Resolutions, I will add to my list and keep up-to-date on my strengths and weaknesses, and build up from there. Rumor has it that a habit forms after following it for 21 days. If we can make it through January, we can make it through the year and hopefully the rest of our lives! My goal this year is to become more responsible with my finances, do well in finishing college, graduate, be more eco-friendly, cut out as much plastic as I can, eat foods and use products that are naturally made, and getting back in touch with my faith.

So here is my list of 2019 New Year's Resolutions, so not only I can hold myself accountable, but you all can hold me accountable as well!

1. Get a job. (I worked through school last semester, which was really difficult, and my academics suffered from it. I applied for an internship (which I was offered and have accepted at Como Zoo as an Aquatic Animal Intern) and decided that the job I was working was no longer benefiting me or preparing me for the career path I dream to follow. I quit my job in November of 2018 in order to put all of my energy and effort into school, which was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Yes it has been difficult with so much free time over the holidays, and not having an income, but thankfully I still live at home until I will finish school and don't have too many expenses (thanks Mom and Dad!). Once I get settled into my new class schedule (2 online courses) and my internship schedule, I plan on applying for jobs within the biological sciences field. Fingers crossed I will have one by the end of January!)

2. Save, save, save! (This is pretty self-explanatory, but I know I need it on the list to make sure I am following through. My goal would be to start at saving 1/3-1/2 of every paycheck and put it into my savings account. After I graduate in May, 2019, I plan on moving and doing some traveling, so in order for me to be able to follow my dreams, I have to have some money in the bank!)

3. Get A's in my two online courses. (My final semester of college will consist of two online courses, each 100 level, in ethics and writing. It should be a fairly easy semester, hopefully!)

4. GRADUATE! (After a total of 6 years in college, I am ecstatic to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can't wait to finally have a degree in biology, a field I am so passionate about, and see what the future holds. Graduate school? Moving? I can't wait to see where life takes me!)

5. Be more eco-friendly. (After studying biology for 4 years, and following my passion for orcas and the ocean, I have found myself becoming more and more involved and intrigued by conservation tactics. It is important that we find ways to go about our daily lives in a more eco-friendly way in order to help our environment as much as we can, while we still can. This includes decreasing usage of plastics, eating healthier and more natural foods, and using natural, organic products around the house. Read resolutions 6, 7 and 8 for more details!)

6. Cut out as much plastic as possible. (Plastic has become a MAJOR issue in the world's oceans within the last decade, if not longer. It may not seem like much, but every little bit helps, and everyone can do their part. Some things I plan on starting the New Year off with are glass dishes/tupperware instead of plastic. Reusable water bottles/coffee cups/soda cups, no plastic water bottles anymore. Reusable and washable snack/sandwich bags, no plastic bags anymore. Reusable bread bag for grocery shopping, that way you get fresh bread as well as saving some plastic from reaching the ocean. Reusable and washable mesh produce bags, also for grocery shopping. Reusable shopping bags, to avoid using paper and especially plastic bags when out and about. Like I said, every little bit helps. I will probably do a whole separate blog on my goals and plans to cut plastic out as much as I can!)

7. Eat naturally. (This is where I'm going to make a resolution to eat out at least half as many times as I did in 2018. I found it so much easier to just grab fast food in between school and work, and let me tell you, it took a MAJOR toll on my finances. Like a ridiculous amount of my money spent each month was spent on food whether it was restaurants, bars, or fast food joints. Not this year though. Eating out less will decrease the amount of unnatural foods going into your body, as well as the amount of plastic being thrown away and not truly recycled. I plan on doing more grocery shopping, meal prepping, and paying a lot more attention to the ingredients of the foods that I buy and eat.)

8. Use natural/organic products. (I find it extremely beneficial to use natural products not only for the environment but also for your hair, skin, and body. Make sure to check the ingredients of the products you use whether its skincare, makeup, body care, or household cleaning items, etc. The more natural it is, the better it is for the environment. The problem I have had in the past is that natural/organic products tend to be more expensive than artificial/non-organic products. But think about it. For a couple extra dollars (if you're saving from not eating out, like me), the benefits to yourself and the environment will outweigh the costs in a very eco-friendly way. I still have to do more research on this topic before the New Year, but an app that I found very helful is called DoneGood. It is an app that allows you to select what is important to you when shopping, for example I chose: eco-friendly, organic/GMO free, gives back, cruelty free, recycled/up-cycled and toxin free. You can select what is most important to you and it will provide you with stores, brands and websites that follow your values.)

9. Get back in touch with my faith. (I was raised Catholic and attended a Catholic school from first through eighth grade. After I graduated from the private school, I attended a public junior high and high school. While in elementary school, as a class we would go to church each week, but once I switched over to public schools, I didn't go to church nearly as often as I would have liked. Since being in college, I have continued to move farther and farther from my faith, and that makes me very sad. So one very important thing for me to do this year is to start going to church again, every week. If I can't make it, I will dedicate time to watch mass online, or read the bible. I have grown a lot in the last few years, personally, and now I plan to grow even more in my faith.)

10. Read more. (One last goal of mine for 2019 is to read more books instead of watching so much Netflix and Hulu. Now don't get me wrong, a Netflix binge or lazy movie days are great ways to learn or relax, but I watch a LOT of Netflix and Hulu. Every night I fall asleep with my TV on and don't get as great of sleep as I think I would if I didn't watch TV before bed. Reading instead of TV will also help in becoming more eco-friendly. I'll be saving more energy as I read more and watch TV less.)

There they are. My 10 (broad but powerful) 2019 New Year's Resolutions. I'm hoping that by writing and posting this blog, that I will hold myself accountable for what I have planned for myself. To improve myself and the environment around me. I know that they aren't huge changes, but I said it before and I'll say it again: Every. Little. Bit. Helps. I am going to do my part, are you?

What are your New Year's Resolutions? How do you hold yourself accountable? I'd love to hear your goals and ideas!