24 Lessons for 24

Happy (mid) December! This month comes along with so many things to look forward to. For me, December represents my birthday month, but also a time to reflect on the year past, joyfully celebrate the Christmas season with family and friends, and regroup and reset before heading into the new year. 

(one of  my favorite pictures from 23)

For my past few birthdays, I've made it a tradition to journal about lessons that I've learned up until that point in life/in the past year of life. And every year I enjoy going back and marveling at the lessons that I wrote the year before (one year older one year wiser is the saying, right?). So here I go again, with 24 lessons that I learned in 24 years: 

1. Use sunscreen. At least SPF 30! Even on days when you're not going outside, your skin is still exposed to light coming in through the window. Sub-lesson: your skin can still burn if there's snow on the ground.  

2. Growing apart from a friend doesn't make you or them a bad person. Life happens and people are on different paths than you. I heard a great analogy this year about friendships being similar to trees: some are like leaves, they come and they go; some are like branches, they break under pressure; some are like roots, they are always there. 

3. Read.More.Books (see my last post!)

4. What you eat has a direct correlation to how you feel. It's no surprise that when you stay out late drinking and finishing the night with pizza that you'll feel crummy the next day. That's not to say that you shouldn't do that from time to time, but over time it will ware on your body. Nourish you body with the foods that make you feel good!

5. Get more sleep. Your girl needs 8 hours. This isn't always possible, but it's always the goal. There's no lack of science to back up the health benefits of additional sleep (side note: a coworker recently told me that women more sleep than men. Maybe this is why I'm like a baby when it comes to sleep!). 

6. Have a creative outlet. Hence, the revival of this blog :)

7. Don't use your phone before bed. I don't know all of the science behind how blue lights work, but I do know that my eyes feel less strained when I wear blue light-blocking glasses, and my sleep quality is much better when I opt for a chapter of a book over a computer screen before bed. 

8. Do your own nails. They always chip when you get them done anyways. Or just get gels.

9. Make a list of what you need before you go to the grocery store. You'll buy a lot less junk and spend a lot less money than if you go in with a plan. Sub-lesson: don't go to the grocery store hungry!

10. Life is short, spend time with your family. Going to college in a different part of the country than where I'm from made me appreciate the time that I was able to spend with my family. My brother lives far from home now, so I'm learning to soak up the time that I get to spend with him when he comes home. 

11. Sundays can be fun. I used to spend Sundays worrying about the week ahead, but recently I've been using Sundays to prep for the week, but also to spend time with friends, get outside, and just generally do things that bring me joy. Most recently, I saw the Rockettes with my girlfriends on a Sunday night!

12. Take good care of your clothes/bags/shoes. My mom certainly did this. And selfishly, I appreciate it because I've inherited a bunch of her old leather bags that surprisingly enough have come back into style because she had hung onto them for long enough. 

13. Do more workout classes. And just generally workouts that make you feel good. I've always been into spin but have gotten even more into it since joining a gym that that offers a wide variety of classes. It's easier to motivate myself to work out when I'm doing it with other people in an energetic setting.

14. Start investing your money yesterday. Time is something that you can't get back when it comes to investing. If you don't know where to start, open a Roth IRA. 

15. Stop washing your hair so much. Invest in a good dry shampoo and find some go-to late-in-the-hair-cycle styles that can cover up unwashed hair. My go-to is the slicked back pony.  

16. See more live music! There are so many jazz clubs and live music spots in NYC that I have yet to explore (Red Lion is one of my favorite spots for live music). 

17. Spend money on experiences, not things. 

18. Stop buying cheap jewelry. You don't wear it and it usually breaks, tarnishes, or just collects dust. 

19. Take the time to make your home feel like home. Emma Chamberlain has a whole podcast on this (June 16th episode Making a Comfortable Space, and yes, I listen to her podcast on occasion). I've definitely underestimated the benefits of investing in your space, but I spent a lot of time making my current apartment feel like home and I genuinely love coming home to it at the end of a long day. 

20. Thrift more. I'm so basic, I know. But you can save a ton of money on expensive brands and find unique pieces that no one has (don't get me wrong Aritzia can be great if you want to twin with other people). 

21. Wear more colors! As one of my close friends said, life is too short to wear black-on-black.

22. Ask more questions, both work and personal. I love when I discover something I didn't know about my boyfriend because I asked a random question in conversation. Or when I discover an easier way to do something at work because I asked how. 

23. Listen more. When I get nervous I think I start to babble but sometimes it's better to let other people do the talking. Active listening is a skill!

24. Smile more :)

Thanks to all the family and friends, near and far, who made this year what it was. Here's to 24!!! 

- Rebecca