new year's resolutions

and reflections on last year

I will start with last year.

1. Track my personal spending.

   I started a note in my phone tracking every non-essential purchase, but that got a little cumbersome, so I stuck with just clothes, shoes, and accessories. It was eye-opening! Sometimes it even deterred me from spending because I knew I would have to log it later. I’m a little fatigued of everyone’s low spend/no spend thoughts, so I will spare you mine! But I do think in terms of goal setting/budgeting/cutting back on consumption, it is helpful to have a base line to set a realistic goal for oneself instead of just stabbing in the dark at a nice neat number.

2. Get in my closet more and play.
   I definitely did this! I do need to decide if I want to share my outfits in this newsletter or on instagram. Or both? Taking outfit photos is the best advice I follow to understand what I like and what works. I don’t really care anymore if it’s vain or weird (I care a little bit, but it is helpful!).

3. Get back into baking.
   I’ve got to let this go. It’s been on my list now for three years, maybe more, and it just isn’t happening. I enjoy baking every so often — I hosted a cookie party with my niblings and baked cinnamon rolls on Christmas day, but that’s about it. I’ve stopped collecting cookbooks for now and will just let this sit until I’m ready to take it up again.

4. Send more mail.
   I helped Ari create and mail thank-you cards to his grandparents after his birthday and felt great about that! I should have done it for the holidays, but I was running out of steam after a week without childcare. However, it’s never too late to send a thank-you! We didn’t send holiday cards this year, but I am contemplating sending Valentines ala Julia Child.

5. Keep up my writing and journaling.

   I am still faithfully logging each day in my five year diary, and I wrote over 30 substack posts. I used to write more frequent, short posts before notes came along and shifted my relationship with the platform. I am still figuring out what and how much I want to share through blogging, but as this is a hobby for me, I don’t put too much pressure on myself in terms of output.

6. Read 35 books.
   I read 29 books this year.

7. Be on time.
   I try!

8. Carry cash.
   I stuck with this this year, though it took me a few weeks to figure out a system for when to use cash vs. my card, how much feels comfortable to keep on me, etc. Cash is chic.

This year!

1. Keep carrying cash.

2. Build a better summer wardrobe.
   In my outfit documentation project, I learned that I don’t feel like myself in my summer clothes. I am on a quest to save my personal “allowance” during the winter and spring, so I can have more of a budget to work with over the summer. I am also saving summer looks I like to keep as a reference point. I want to have a better structure to my summer days so getting dressed isn’t such a drag.

3. Run another 5K.
   I am exclusively a summer runner. I ran my first 5K in 17 years back in September and found it deeply satisfying and nostalgic (I ran cross country in high school). I would love to shave a minute off my time. I use the 5K Runner app and a pair of running shoes I got from the Adidas employee store back in 2021. It’s not that serious, but it is fun!

4. Try going to the gym before work.
   In addition to summer running, I am a group exercise devotee. I aspire to be the sort of person who works out before work, but I just don’t know if I have it in me. There is a 5:30 am class offered at my gym every weekday, and I want to TRY it. At least once!

5. Re-prioritize reading.
   I got a little lazy with my habits and routines in 2024, especially my no phone before bed rule, which led to me reading less, which led to me missing my goal last year. I don’t particularly care about reading a certain number of books, but I do care about how I’m spending my time. My favorite reading experiences last year were discussing The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store at book club, reading Open by Andre Agassi right after my husband became obsessed with tennis (we quote parts of the book to each other now as a joke), reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, and crying at the end of Margot’s Got Money Troubles just because I was sad it was over! Reading makes me so happy and full and curious, and I need to not let it fall behind my phone.

6. Make it to a 100 days of Wordle streak.
   I got SO CLOSE to this last year — 89 days — then one night Jonny and I had a REALLY good date at Heavenly Creatures, and I went to bed without checking to see if I had finished Wordle. Of course I remembered as soon as I woke up and honestly felt a little crushed, but guess what started the same week? The NYT Tech Guild Strike. I don’t attribute these weird little coincidences to a higher power, but it is compelling stuff. Most recently, I was up to 36 and then forgot last week. I am rooting for myself!

7. Try wearing eye makeup.
   At least on dates! Or for parties! The only eyeshadow I’ve ever like using is pretty dried up. Maybe if I make my Wordle goal, I will pick out something new and fun. I saw the Bob Dylan biopic recently, and Elle Fanning’s simple winged eyeliner is burned in my brain (same thing happened when I saw Sofia Coppola’s movie Priscilla, but I knew myself well enough not to just go out and waste money on eyeliner that day…). If you have any beginner eye makeup advice or YouTube videos, please share!

Happy New Year, everyone!

With love,

Lexie