Try new things.
That was my New Year’s Resolution for 2013.
Here was my little preamble for why I chose it:
A resolution is supposed to be a lifestyle change. Normally I am a pretty withdrawn, not very social person. Sometimes this can lead to missed opportunities, or just sheer boredom. That’s not to say that I am going to suddenly change overnight from an introvert to an extrovert, but I am going to make a conscious effort to try new things, and make the most of this new year.
This was the second year of not choosing a specific list-related resolution but just a simple goal, and I really like where it has taken me. The idea that I needed to put myself out there, take chances and try new things was always in the back of my mind. I am pretty proud of all that I participated in during 2013. Could I have done more? Absolutely. Like I said, this wasn’t an overnight change for me and there were plenty of opportunities that I should have taken but didn’t. With 2013 over though, all I can do now is focus on what I did do and how happy pushing myself out of that comfort zone of “normal” made me.
1. Read a different genre of book: The Search for Meaning
2. Blogged about topics other than food: Books, TV Shows and Movies in particular
3. Took a summer internship in a city 3 hours away: Should I Stay or Should I Go? + Tag: Internship
4. Joined The Recipe Redux and shared several healthy recipes: Paleo Banana Bread, Easy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes, and Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins
5. Made a fancy birthday cake for my brother: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake
6. Started a habit of reading my Bible more: Need to keep working on this
7. Went to my first professional baseball game: Detroit Lions
8. Took a leap of faith and agreed to dorm with five other girls: FIVE
9. Learned to change the oil in my car earlier this year: Instagram Picture
10. Went to my first stargazing: Smile, It’s WIAW
11. Hosted an Allergy-Free round-up for Christmas Recipes: Twelve Days
12. Took my first trip to Greenfield Village: Pictorial Deposit
13. Met several amazing new bloggers: Too many to count…
Normally ending on an odd number, not to mention one as “iffy” as 13, would bother me, but here it feels just right. 13 things for the year 2013. Looking over this list I’ll admit that some may seem to an outsider as stretching the confines of my resolution. Making a cake? Hosting a recipe round-up? Taking an internship? What makes these stand out to me is that each one I debated about for awhile before taking the plunge. I feared failure. I feared disappointment.
So victory was even sweeter when each of these things ended up so amazing. The cake was a hit with my brother and his friends. The round-up collected so many recipes and is such a great accomplishment for everyone involved. The internship gave me an invaluable experience.
There were bumps along the way of course. That cake needed a lot more icing than expected due to the insanely dense cookie dough balls. It also invoked some panic during the final stage of putting on those mini chocolate chips. The frosting was melting fast and my mom and I had to stick those babies on one-by-one…. Then there was the recipe round-up. I ended up having to host two days because I couldn’t get enough to participate. I had to post my round-up of leftover recipes late… And with my internship, there were plenty of tears, stressful nights back at my apartment where I never wanted to go back in, and times where I was on the phone with customers wanting to quit. Some people can be downright heartless.
But I stuck through all three of those events and similarly the other ten listed above, and came out on the other side a better person for it. So I am going to close the book on 2013 and now open another one for 2014.
And it shall be called…
Be open minded.
This is somewhat similar to my resolution for last year and gives me the opportunity to keep on trying to new things. However, it also goes beyond that. Being closed minded is in my opinion one of the biggest character flaws to ever exist. So many things can be prevented by opening myself up to the possibility that I could be wrong or in the very least there could be an equally correct alternative.
Last year I gave a list of examples of new things that I wanted to try. This was helpful in my visualizing my commitment and showing me its tangibility. So, here are a few ways that I could try to be open minded in 2014:
Look for different ways of doing things.
Don’t automatically say “no” to someone. Hear them out.
Even if I think I’m right, listen to all of the other possibilities.
Walk into uncomfortable situations with a willing attitude.
Never judge someone by appearances.
Be ready to be proven wrong.
With this goal at the forefront of my noggin, I am opening my arms wide to the new year and all that it is to come. As always there will be wonderful as well as rocky times. Keep following me in 2014 to read about them all.
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Today’s post was full of tons of thinking out loud, wouldn’t you say? 😉
Check out Amanda @ Running with Spoon’s link-up Thinking Out Loud for a lot of other thoughts from thoughtful bloggers.
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Eating 4 Balance 
wow I love this. I tend to be the same way so this is one that speaks to me a whole lot.
That cake — omigoshhhhh. I couldn’t help but notice it because my birthday is in a few days and I have birthday cake on the brain… I’d ask you to come whip one up for me, but I kind of want to attempt to tackle something that challenging on my own — you’re right that fear of failure plays a huge role, though, so kudos to you for pushing through and trying so many new things ❤
Being open-minded — that's a beautiful goal. Mine this year is to be teachable and learn.. so kind of the same thing. I'm stubborn and have a tendency to fall into the mindset that I know everything, so humbling myself and admitting that I have LOTS to learn is something I really want to work on.
Happy 2014!
OoOOOO, that cake! WOW!!!! Happy 2014!
AWESOME goal for this year hun 🙂 I think you will have quite a year ahead with this. I like what you said a few of the things on your 2013 list, too, where they seemed iffy but you debated them before taking the plunge…I think that just goes to show that we push ourselves in different ways and what’s challenging/needing a debate before doing for one person isn’t for another. You debated and then decided to do it AND accomplished it. That’s amazing in my book 🙂
Man I remember drooling over that cake! I thought you did amazing with the link up!
I love your idea of just having one, simple goal like that and not a specific list of things. I do that too often, and I tend to get overwhelmed by it, and then just shoving them aside. Maybe I’ll try something like you this year!!
Also, that cake looks amaaaazing, love the cookies on the outside of it!!
A great post for what sounds like a great year! I love that you have just one, big resolution/goal. I think that’s the way to do it. It probably also makes you feel better at the end of the year, as so many experiences can fit under “trying new things” and “keeping an open mind”. I’m excited to hear how this year’s resolution turns out! 🙂
Love this! My boyfriend chose “new” as his “one word” for 2014. I hope he has as successful a year as you did!
I’ve heard of some others who picked one word to focus on for the year. “New” is a great one. Good luck to your boyfriend and happy new year!
I love your goal! I wrote a similar post today about my New Year resolution. Instead of goals I chose to pick one word to live by this year and that is “Discipline.” I hope to be more disciplined when it comes to eating, staying active, and living my day to day life. 🙂 Happy New Year!
I love this post 🙂 I think it’s great that you’re going to try to be more ‘open minded’; it’s both specific and broad (you can incorporate this mindset towards many areas in your life.) I’d like to think of something to work on this year too! Also – I forgot about that cake you made! So great!
What an amazing year you’ve had! You have so much to be proud of 🙂 Let’s hope 2014 is just as good, if not better. I think if your year is easy you’re not trying hard enough! 😉 You grow so much more when you’re challenged and put outside of your comfort zone.
2014 is going to be my healthy strong running year! Finger’s crossed for limited injuries and limited Anna moaning hehe.
You fitted in lots of trying new things in 2013 – go Madison! Love your 2014 goal too, can’t wait to see what it brings 🙂
I love #13 of you accomplishments….;)
I love your 2014 intentions and goals- so damn mature! You should include a trip to Australia on there..just saying.
Since you didn’t ask (an oversight I’m sure), I am most proud of you for taking that internship. Talk about stepping outside of your comfort zone. Also, I will say sometimes it’s ok to accept yourself for who you really are and not try to be something you’re not. I’ve got something in tomorrow’s New Year’s Resolutions blog post about this. You’ll see and you should definitely link this puppy up. It’s a perfect fit.
Being open minded is a wonderful goal for 2014 and one I think we all could embrace. There is more than one way to skin a cat (eek; I hate this saying) and being open to other ideas is the first way to learn that.
I love this! What a great way to set up a goal. Your cake looks awesome, and I’m sure it meant a lot to your brother that you put so much effort into it. Also people can definitely be jerks, but it sounds like you didn’t let them get you down too much. Good for you! Here’s to a successful 2014!
Nothing at all wrong with the number 13, ever (not that I’m biased!)
I love all the things that you achieved last year and I can’t wait to see all that you accomplish in the year to come, because it’s going to be a lot 🙂
The bible goal has been on my list (and the actual book on my nightstand) for far too long in my life… maybe this will be the year for us both.
This post is one of the reasons that I love your blog. You are so open and real. I’m amazed by how many things you did last year to achieve your goal!! That is SO many new things, I probably would have had a panic attack (I’m terrible with change, but trying to get better). This year’s resolution is great too. It’s very consistent with trying new things.
And omggg that cake!!!! HOW did you make that?? And more importantly will you make me one?