My Top 10 For 2018: Resolutions, Predictions & Trends

It had to happen team. You know me, a sucker for a good 'ol listicle or resolution post. I mean, would I really be worth my weight in blogger/vlogger salty-sweetness if a New Year occurred & I didn't post something about fresh starts & looking ahead?

Grab yourself a cuppa, settle in for about five minutes (if you're a skim-reader, it'll only take you 2 minutes) & enjoy my take on the year ahead. 

Also, if you're just not having a bar of this 'reading-stuff' this year (I mean, reading? It's so 1500AD), GOOD NEWS! I also made a video about this exact topic which I'll also add to the bottom of this.

Have a look & if you like the video, let me know!

There will be more vlogs in the coming months. Some, not all, will include gin & hijinks. All will include heart & soul.

And, there will surely be lots of hand movement. #handtalker

As always, your respectful comments are always welcome! 

Concentrate on Health

This is an all-encompassing statement for me. Health being defined as liberally as you an imagine as that of mind, body & soul. I've let my gym routine slip a bit in 2017, which is a sure way to lead me to unbalance in all parts of my life. I've always been a gym-goer, moving my body relaxes my mind & allows me to think more creatively. So, there'll be more moving of the creaky body (we've exercised 15 of the last 18 days, which is fab!) Mentally, I'll be giving myself space & time to think deeply. To ask questions. To search out answers. By doing this, I grow. Sometimes fast, sometimes more slowly. But the growth is visible & my heart is happy. Health, welcome back to Casa Roma in 2018.

Celebrate Small Successes

This is something that we all should do. I think we get so caught up in big goals & big projects, that we forget to celebrate the smaller milestones along the way that lead to greater things. Being able to identify & celebrate moments that make our days brighter & better mean we'll all be a bit happier & a go a lot easier on ourselves when we mess up. As our own worst critics, taking time to practice being our own biggest fans is a super-important habit to get into.

Celebrate the Successes of Others

As with the above, it's imperative that we start celebrating the good in others more often. Be it a win at work, a new skill learned at home, or a simple compliment to a stranger on the street - celebrating others & their successes helps everyone feel better about themselves & their journeys. I've actually scheduled into my weekly calendar a time that's set aside simply for sending JWD (job well done) emails to others. I can tell you, it feels great to make others feel good!

There Is No Impossible

Seriously? Yep, seriously. After watching 'The Crown' on Netflix over the past week, I'm all about Winnie. Churchill, that is. Always a sucker for a good, pithy quote, I've been reminded quite a lot recently that the only limitations we have are those that we set on ourselves. We are allowed to interpret everything that happens in our lives in our own way. Therefore, failure isn't failure. Failure is an opportunity to learn. And, as Winnie said "SUCCESS consists in staggering from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Me? I'm as enthusiastic as they come! #TallyHo 

Giving Back 

This one is as simple as it sounds. We all get caught up in our daily routines, & because of it, don't spend as much time as we might like giving back. Small moments of joy in spending time with people in the community or in mentoring others fills my soul to the brim. This year I've put into motion dedicating more time to giving back. As Co-chair of the Auckland Pride board, I'll be able to work more in the LGBTQ+ community. And, as a now elder-stateswoman of the social & digital media community in Australasia (I like to call myself OG to pretend I'm a little bit hip & with-it still!), I'm spending more time mentoring young marketers, storytellers, & social media influencers. Carving out time to give back is just as important as carving out time to ourselves. Both do fantastic jobs at making life more fulfilling in the longterm. 

Coffees + Cocktails

I'll be saying "Yes!" to both of these more often this year. In fact, in the first month back to work, I've already got quite a few catch-ups with old friends, new colleagues, & interesting people I've been meaning to see for yonks all lined up. The coffees & cocktails bit is simply to keep ye olde whistle whet while pontificating & lol-ing. I'm telling you, Team, thirty minute chats are sometimes the best chats you'll ever have. 

Read More Novels

I started reading more novels about entrepreneurs & conscious workplaces last year, & I've continued into 2018 doing the same. That whole 'meaning to get around to reading...' thing? Yeah, I'm getting around to it now. I find a lot of inspiration in knowing that other people out there have struggled to find their place, found it, & are making a life doing things they're passionate about. Right now I'm reading Entrepreneurial You by a great author & speaker, Dorie Clark. I've also (FINALLY!) gotten around to reading the 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris. I've got a lovely line-up of books to jump into by Richard Branson, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. & more. Go on & get yourself some inspo in the form of novels. If you're like me, you'll be simultaneously thrilled & fired-up.  

Pride, Yasssssssss

Ah, Pride! Butterflies, rainbows & love winning the day. After years of raising up a small child, this Momma is ready to do more work with the LGBTQ+ community in New Zealand & beyond. Alongside friends, family, & my amazingly supportive wife, 2018 is shaping up to be quite the year for continuing our commitment to safety, voice, & equality in our rainbow communities. The Auckland Pride Festival kicks off on the 2nd of February & runs though to the 18th, & I'm so excited to be working with amazing people, brands & festival/parade directors to deliver such a diverse range of events & shows over this time. Love always wins. Always. 

Spending Time With Family 

This is a no-brainer. But, again, in a world hell-bent on glorifying 'busyness for the sake of being busy' we often don't see a lot of each other as we run from home to work to school during the week. My little nuclear family here in NZ is my world. My wife & daughter are everything to me - so this year, finally, I've made a few decisions that will actually put them first when it comes to my time & attention. Firstly, I'll be doing more drop-offs & pick-ups with my daughter. She's off to intermediate/middle school this year, & I aim to help her ease into a new routine by being more consistent in my presence in her life before & after school. As for my marriage, we're already really good with having time to ourselves for date nights, Netflix marathons, filming vlogs, adventuring... this year we'll maintain the level of fun at home & then some. As for family abroad, I'm committing to heading home more this year. I need to spend time with my parents & cannot wait to welcome another niece into the world early this year. Spending time with the little ones is magical. I guess this means we'll be seeing you soon, California & Detroit! 

Live a Life of Kindness 

This is my ethos, my driving reason for being, & the only way I can understand the world. Through a lens of kindness, everything becomes clearer. I'm not going to lie, there are times when other people act in ways which they shouldn't, when they become heartless & angry. But, when you live a life of kindness, you see their pain. You recognise their ego, their fears. And, you empathise. It is kindness, not just shared genetics or culture, that binds us together. Together we're stronger. Together we're better. So kindness, as saccharine-sweet & cliche as it may be, is the only way to live.