Turning My Back on the Past & Future

{Blu Moon dress on sale here, Vita Fede bracelet available here}

Well, I’m 13 days into 2014 and I’ve been really cognizant of sticking to the goals I’ve set for the New Year.

On the fitness front, I’ve got 9 more pounds to shake before hitting my pre-baby weight goal — so I’m trying SO HARD to keep my trap shut but DEAR LORD it’s an uphill battle. Especially when you’re born with the appetite of a competitive like Kobayashi. I’d probably school that kid at the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest (FYI he consumed 50 wieners in 12 minutes) but I’ll stick to writing.

When it comes to listening more and talking less, I’m getting ever so slightly better. But, then again, I interrupted the salesman at Mattress Giant yesterday roughly 14 times — so you do the math.

The hardest challenge I gave myself is living in the present and that has surprisingly gone the smoothest (shocker). For me, living in the moment has always proven to be a difficult task. But after reading several books on the vexing matter, I’ve learned a few tricks. 

But the best tip? I’ve learned it on my own.

With this said, the top trick I can give you when it comes to living mindfully is not only the most commonly known ones such as: Meditating, listening to your breath, realizing that our thoughts aren’t reality, focusing on happy moments, and honing in on concrete things (like the sound of your feet hitting the pavement or the wind blowing or the washing machine puttering away) but PUT YOUR DAMN CELL PHONE DOWN. For me, my iPhone used to be a security blanket of sorts — always there, inevitably providing me with flotsam and jetsam. But now, I only check it here and there and it’s created a world of a difference. I’m calmer. Further focused. More in the now. Yay!

In fact, I can hear the sweet clacking of my keyboard right now and it’s simply HYPNOTIC.

I got this. I think. How about you? Are you keeping to your resolutions?

Photos by Emma Del Rey