January Jumpstart

            Hi friends. Or at least, I’m assuming you’re a friend. Why else would you be reading this blog? (You can’t see me, because that’s how computers work, but if you could, you’d see I’m winking at you.) Welcome to a blog that I’m almost certain will fall into oblivion within the month, but am trying out on the incredibly small chance that I actually keep it together enough to write here regularly. Just to get this out of the way – I am a notoriously bad blogger. Life always gets in the way, and if life doesn’t, my anxiety about not having anything to say helps out and gets in the way instead. I’m hoping that I can change that this time around. (Famous last words, am I right?)

            In case you just stumbled upon this blog, here's the deal: My name is Hannah. I’m in my early twenties, and I work as an assistant in the fourth grade at my local elementary school. I live with my two younger sisters, my mother, my grandmother, and a cat, in the same house I grew up in. Everything else you’ll have to learn as we go.

            I’m writing this on New Year’s Eve, but the chances are that you’re reading this within the first week of January. (There’s no way I’m going to have my shit together enough to post this tonight. Ha! The idea is laughable, really.) People get introspective on New Year’s Eve, and I am no different. 2016 was a big year for a lot of people, for a lot of reasons. It’s being lauded as “the worst year EVER,” though I think that there are definitely other years that could give it a run for its money. (Just off the top of my head… potato famine, World War I and II, Yellow Fever, the Black Plague… you get the idea.) Personally, the year wasn’t so bad for me. It was definitely… uncomfortable, at times, but when you experience growth, there’s bound to be some discomfort. And more than anything, 2016 was a year of growth. Just in overview – I tried my hand at substitute teaching due to the urging of one of my closest friends, and found that I loved being in a classroom filled with children; I left a job that I no longer looked forward to and went right into a new job that I did; I took a chance and applied for the teaching position I currently hold and adore; and I stopped letting the negative “what-ifs” affect me more than the positive ones. Big stuff. Good stuff. Like I said, 2016 was a big year. But just because it was a big year doesn’t mean that 2017 can’t be, as well.

            That’s meant to be a seamless segue into 2017 resolutions. But here’s the thing – I think resolutions are dumb. Everyone makes them; people rarely actually stick to them. They’re just something people make because they feel like they should. They’re a conversation topic, and rarely anything more. So instead, I’m making – get this – GOALS. A rose by any other name? Maybe. But there’s less of a “thing” about the word “goals.” Goals aren’t specific to any time of year. Goals are a thing that you can add to or change whenever needed. Plus, I feel so much more legit saying, “that’s one of my goals” in lieu of saying, “oh, that’s one of my New Year’s resolutions!” (Cause let’s be real, you can’t just say “resolutions.” People will think you’re talking about levels of pixelation.)

            So I have six goals for 2017. Hopefully, posting and talking about them here will hold me more accountable than if they just live in my room on a sheet of notebook paper (albeit very pretty notebook paper).

1.     Save that $! – Start a budget. Stick to it. Start a savings account, and deposit a set amount every month/pay check. (Along with being bad at blogging, I am also bad at money. Normally I would say #sorrynotsorry, except I really am sorry about it.)

2.     Go back to school! – It’s unavoidable, honestly. Teachers need degrees. At least, teachers who have their own classrooms do. It’s really not rocket science, no matter what your anxiety says.

3.     Create an all-around healthy life. – Help yourself out, girl. Cut out the maximum amount of junk possible – junk foods, junk habits, junk stuff, and junk people. None of it is doing you any favors. (Notice how I put an exercise goal in here without saying it’s an exercise goal, just so that I don’t beat myself up about not going to the gym all the time. I think I’m so smart.)

4.     Write more. – Write novels. Journal. BLOG (wink wink nudge nudge). Letters. Writing makes you happy, so do it, dummy.

5.     Make new friends. – Screw this “no new friends” shit. FULL offense, Drake. Having more good people in your life is never a bad thing.

6.     Overall, choose happiness. – Don’t let yourself get stuck. Do the things that make your heart dance, even if other people are telling you it’s dumb. You do you, boo-boo. Unless you’re drunk, and it’s sober people telling you it’s dumb. Then it’s probably dumb and you should listen to your friends.

So that’s that. My goals for 2017. Like I said, hopefully this blog post will help hold me accountable. Don’t hold out high hopes for this blog, though. I’m not. But hey, don’t people always say, “New year, new me”? Maybe that will hold true for me. (Again, you can’t see me [see above for reason] but know that I am winking at you.) Alright friends. Love you, mean it, byyeeeee.