It's here. 2018. One month in, actually. Time to dust off your gym shoes, cut out all sugar and start your juice cleanse. 

Oh, sound unrealistic to you? That's because it is. 

The New Year is a wonderful time to reflect on where you went the year before, and where or who you want to be moving forward, but I find the motivational posts and shares on social media to be more anxiety-inducing than inspirational, which is why I've waited so long into 2018 to post my goals for the New Year. 

I realized that making Resolutions about "CRUSHING 2018" were not helpful for me or my mindset. I dont think I've ever kept a single Resolution in my life. 

Instead of making a NY resolution, I'm listing 5 GOALS I want to achieve to inspire creativity and confidence in myself moving into 2018. No, I'm not cutting out all carbs, I'm not doing a Dry January, and I'm not going to the gym 7 days a week. I'm setting short and long term goals moving into the New Year that are about bettering myself, strengthening my confidence and inspiring creativity. 

And stay tuned for the end of this post for details on a GIVEAWAY for a $500 egift card FOR YOU AND 2 FRIENDS to Frank + Oak! 

1. Improve my photography 

I got into blogging in 2017 mostly because I wanted to learn about photography. I took a course to learn how to shoot manual, learned Lightroom myself through hours of YouTube tutorials and did a few free shoots for family and friends throughout the year. Although I learned a lot in a year, I still feel very stagnant when it comes to my photography. This means I need to get out there and shoot more every week - friends, family, strangers, bloggers, pets, babies, you name it. Email me hello@styleapotheca.com if you're interested in shooting! 

2. Get on the YouTube 

Some statistic once said that a big 'ol 85% of US Internet users consume their content through video, and 45% of Internet users  watch 1 or more hours of video on Facebook and YouTube per week. If I want to take this blogging thing seriously, I need to expand my horizons to the moving picture show. So not only will I be working on my photography, I will be working on improving my video-making and editing skills in 2018 as well. Like and subscribe! (shameless).  

3. Be more real and accessible

I learned a lot this year about having a curated Instagram feed with well-planned outfits and content to share. That said, I learned a lot more about my tendency to  relate to users who are a little less structured and a lot more authentic in how they present themselves. I look back at some of my previous favourite IGers and now I think "How am I supposed to relate to your Chanel bag, $18 avocado toast and industry-sponsored trip to Bali?". I much prefer seeing what people are up to in everyday life, sharing in struggles, successes, insecurities and goals. I want you guys to get to know me better in 2018, so I plan to be a lot more real and a lot less curated. 

4. Journal 

I've never been one for mantras, affirmations or deep self-reflection, but I HAVE been one to put things into action after writing them down. I think I neglected journaling and overlooked the value of writing thoughts onto paper for too long. I've heard of the 5 minute journal and bullet journaling and I really see the value in these habits. Taking a couple of minutes to write down what I'm feeling, what I want to achieve that day, or to write down a friendly reminder of a larger goal I am still working on (e.g. paying off my student loan completely, beefing up my down payment savings etc.) is a great way to keep things in perspective and to reinvigorate yourself.  

5. Be Nicer to Myself

In the past, I've really neglected my own self care: staying up too late, eating foods I know are terrible for me, drinking too much wine...wait, can you really drink too much wine? I'm getting older and these things are catching up to me. Taking the time to stretch before & after exercising, doing Yoga for 20-30 minutes once a week, drinking more water vs. coffee and being more selective and thoughtful about the foods I put in my body will all be on my mind this coming year. A healthy body + a healthy mind go hand-in-hand. 

What are your goals for 2018? Share them in the comments below! 

GIVEAWAY FRANK & OAK #SHEISFO

Frank And Oak - She Is Frank And Oak -

WIN A $400 eGift card for YOU and TWO Friends!

Giveaway Rules:

Follow Frank And Oak's Women’s Instagram page @FrankAndOakWomen and tag TWO friends who inspire creativity and confidence for a chance to win a $500 eGift Card for YOU and EACH OF YOUR TWO FRIENDS. That's a $1500 total prize! Amazing! 

How to enter:

1. Follow @FrankAndOakWomen on and me @styleapotheca on Instagram

2. Tag 2 of your female friends who inspire creativity and confidence.

3. These 2 friends need to follow @FrankAndOakWomen on Instagram.

The prize:

A 500$ eGift Card for the main winner. The two friends tagged in the comments by the winner will respectively win a 500$ eGift Card valid in stores and online.

Requirements:

● The winner’s 2 friends MUST all follow our @FrankAndOakWomen instagram page to be eligible.

● Contest is open to residents of Canada and the U.S. Start and end dates:

Contest End Date: Sunday January 28th, 2018 at 11:59pm EST

Frank And Oak will randomly choose the winners and will be in contact with them via Instagram and/or email. The winners will be announced on Frank + Oak Women's Instagram page. 

Disclaimer: This Instagram giveaway is in collaboration with Frank & Oak. I was not obligated to write a blog post for this giveaway. I have chosen to do so out of my own interest.