I don't really believe in resolutions. I believe in reminders; thoughts to carry with you throughout the year, but nothing so heavy that it weighs you down. I want to start a new year with a clean slate, a clear head, and by being open to possibilities. To me, resolutions are bound to fail, and I just don't see the point of setting myself up for something that's going to come crashing down mid-February.

But I'm still guilty of making promises that I can't always keep, and when the ball dropped a couple of weeks ago, a few so-called resolutions ran through my mind. So I compromised.

This year I probably won't figure things out, but I'll be a few steps closer to putting the rest of the puzzle together. So here's a list of small reminders and lightweight resolutions that I'm going to fold up, stick in my pocket, and hold with me through the rest of the year. Maybe you can use them, too. 

1. This is the year where I'll start to take care of myself, both physically and mentally. Less midnight snacks, more fruits and veggies and healthy choices, and a reminder that eating nothing but junk isn't cool anymore. You know what is cool? Not having a heart attack at 23. 
2. This is the year that I'll finally update my phone, backup my computer, and keep all those odds-and-ends sorted because being unorganized translates to unprofessional real fast.
3. I'll remind myself to take time to light some candles, lay on the floor, and listen to good music. Music that makes my soul happy. Music that makes me sad. Music that makes me want to punch something. Doesn't matter as long as it rattles my bones with feels.  
4. I'll take up running. Again. And maybe this is the year that I'll learn to like it, but I'm not making any promises. 
5. I'll cook dinners and say thank you to those who need thanking. 
6. And I'll wipe the dust from the corners of my closet and finally unpack those boxes from my college apartment that have been sitting around for a year. It's time to let go of the could-have-been's, and realize that not everything is my fault. 
7. I vow to take more pictures.
8. And write more in an attempt to document all the weird and wonderful circumstances to come. 
9. I'm going to stop blaming the ocean for existing, and instead I'm going to embrace the roughness of the waves until I'm looking at the vast open waters from the other side. AKA- I'm going to stop being sad about being away from my boyfriend, and focus on how lovely it will be when we're finally on the same continent for more than a month. 
10. I'll remind myself to find the best in people.
11. But I will stop making excuses for those who don't deserve them.
12. I'll watch more Netflix and read more books, and paint my nails and remember what it's like to be 16 all over again. 
13. Meanwhile, I will embrace being 24 with all the grace and dignity that I did not have when I turned 23. I'll also embrace being 24 with a lot of alcohol. 
14. This year there'll be more road trips, more open windows and wind in my hair, and more adventures. 
15. I will actually go to the doctor when I'm sick.  No more Web MD-ing my symptoms, and no more hypothesizing that I have cancer just because something hurts.
16. And most importantly, I'll stop putting myself down for not having a clear, defined path.
17. Actually, I'll stop trying to find that path, and instead I'll remind myself to walk among the brambles until I stumble upon something glorious.