The Blonde & The Brunette’s New Year New You Resolutions

It’s already day three of 2017. Yup. New Year’s Eve has already come and gone. It’s always been a time for reflecting on the past and saying hello to the coming year. Write out a long list of things to change. Pressure oneself to stay on track. It’s a miserable way to kick things off. We talked it over and agreed, it was time for a new perspective. The older we get, the more we began to realize how important it is to love yourself just the way you are. “Be happy with what you have, while working for what you want.” It’s like starting a new diet every Monday, it’ll never work. Instead, start now, write a list of things you’d like to improve on, and spend each day bettering yourself little by little because you want to, not because you feel like you have to. I mean… If you want to eat the chocolate, eat the chocolate, because YOLO. So be kind to yourself and make more realistic resolutions. There’s a much greater chance you will keep them throughout the year.  Here we go with ours and maybe you see one of yours. No one’s keeping score.

NJ

LIVE BIG

Now that I’ve taken a lot of pressure off myself, I have a new mantra in 2017. Be Joyful. I find I get so wrapped up in work responsibilities and basically trying to control events that I have forgotten to just enjoy life and say “YES” to experiences and things. I’m going to take Oprah’s advice and “Live Big” and start on a grand adventure. This goes hand and hand with a few other things I’m keeping around or adding.

SURRENDER TO THE UNIVERSE

I’m guilty. I’m always trying to control what the universe wants to deliver. One of my good friends clued me in to The Surrender Experiment. He has to juggle, as part of his work-life, more heavy weight Hollywood egos and divas than anyone would want to tackle in a day let alone in a year. It tells the extraordinary story of what can happen when one decides to let go of personal preferences and simply let life call the shots. So I’m going to let go.

STAY STRONG AND MAINTAIN

I am proud of myself. I kept my workout routine for an entire year. The best part is I am stronger. The testament was I recently sat up straight (on a stool no less) in front of a large audience for over two and a half hours.  It all started with slow-mo weight training, lots of walking, and then I added yoga. When I didn’t try and do it all at once, or get overly ambitious, it all came together. This year, my goal is to not sit at my desk so much as it’s the new cancer. Just keep moving.

DIGITAL DIET

Daniel Steinberg brought out his groundbreaking Digital Diet book in 2011 about a four step plan to break your tech addiction and regain your life. This all goes back to balance and even Ryan Seacrest is honing in on this as his New Year’s resolution.  I’m going to give this a try in moderation.

 KEEP GETTING ORGANIZED

I started this resolution two years ago and have made steady progress. I am lighter and freer with less things. I still have a ways to go but I know it’s a process and have stopped being so hard on myself. Thank you to the BnB’s own Jadan and Simply Simplfy’s Tori Springer for showing me the way.

JADAN

LESS IS MORE

This year, I’d like to focus more time and energy on the people and things that truly feed my soul. Traveling is a big one for me. I’ve been saying I want to go to Iceland for a few years now, so maybe this is the year I finally make it happen. I’d also like to read more, and hone in on my surfing. I learned to surf this past summer, and I can’t put into words the thrill it gives me. I think my biggest resolution though, is the idea that less is more. I believe life is made better when you choose quality over quantity. Weather it be your clothes, your friends, or your thoughts, I’ve realized saving up for one designer handbag is better than purchasing ten mediocre handbags, one exceptional friendship is better than ten acquaintances, and the less you think the happier you will be. Cheers to all this and a whole lot more in 2017!

LAUREN

TRAVEL

I am so excited to start 2017 and ready to make some changes! One of my resolutions for the New Year is becoming more of a “Yes Man” and doing things that may put me out of my comfort zone. It’s time to take more risks! Along with that, travel is a big one this year for me! I want to plan a trip to Australia and experience new places!

RACHAEL

GET UNCOMFORTABLE

One of the things I feel that I’ve always struggled most with is being an overly consistent (borderline control-freak) creature of habit. While I do acknowledge that it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have a routine, I’ve also found myself in the same rut year after year. Don’t get me wrong, it feels great to wake up early every morning for boxing or a nice trail run before I head into the office, and wind down the evening with a glass of wine, a book and/or my latest Amazon Prime Series (Are you bored yet?). But this is me being WAY too comfortable. I’m fully aware that my vices are what a lot of people’s New Years Resolutions are going to be, but this year I am making the effort to lose a little control and start saying “yes” to things that make me totally uncomfortable…like last minute weekend trips, girl’s night out on a work night, missing a gym sesh, and eating gluten.

DAVID

At the tail-end of 2016, I started to take my health a bit more seriously. I started to eat clean and hit the gym consistently and more frequently. I meal-prepped and researched specific lifting routines. I noticed how much a difference I made in two to three months of hard work and dedication, so I’d like to continue that trend in 2017 and prepare for summer. I also got a small taste of Europe; I had the amazing opportunity to visit Venice, Italy. It really changed my point of view on things. Sometimes, living in LA with such a busy lifestyle, it’s easy to forget that it’s only a tiny percentage of the entire world, and things are drastically different everywhere. So I’m working towards traveling more, as cliché as that sounds. There’s so much I haven’t seen.

We’re full circle. Let’s all “Live Big” in 2017. Now you. What are your resolutions for the New Year?! Let us know!

xo,

-The Blonde & The Brunette Team