When the New Year rolls around it’s a time to reflect on what you learned in the past year. With that it is easy to fall into the trap of having to come up with New Year’s Resolutions, because you know, #newyear #newme. But maybe we should stop trying to become a completely new version of ourselves each year and instead take what we have learned and continue to grow and evolve.

2016 came along after a rough year and I thought to myself, this…this will be “my year”. Well it seems like 2016 was a mess for everyone, myself included. It was a year full of stress and anger, not the happiness as we had all hoped for. After 2015 I was looking forward to a better year. A year to grow and find happiness within myself. But life gets in the way sometimes. And that’s okay, because in the midst of that we realize some pretty great things happened along the way too.

So this year my goals are simple. They revolve around one theme: growing and finding true happiness along the way.

1 Be happy and live in the moment. Let go of the things you cannot change and focus on the things you can. You cannot change the past, so stop living in it. There is life happening around you right now, and you don’t want to miss a single moment of it.

2 Stay Focused. Work hard whether it be at your job, on yourself, or on your dreams. Keep pushing yourself to be the best you can be in all areas of your life. Do not let yourself get distracted. Manage your time and energy better to reach your personal and professional goals.

3 Take Care of Yourself.  You have one body, and it is about time you start taking care of it. This isn’t about dieting. This is about feeling your absolute best both mentally and physically.

And that’s it, my three personal goals for 2017. Always on the pursuit of happiness..

You will also be seeing a ton of amazing content on Nine Lives this year. I have already upped my posting schedule to four times a week: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, so be sure to check back every week and share with your friends. In 2017 Nine Lives will continue to be a place for weekend getaways, cozy homes, foodie exploration, and of course, furry friends.

Happy New Year Friends!

Xx Casey