Now that we’re almost halfway through January, it’s time for me to kick my usual #newyearnewme bullshit into overdrive. This is something that I can never get in top of until at least January 10^th, because the first 10 days of January usually still find me kicking on after the silly season! So, mid-January it is. A few people have decided to do the “Veganuary” thing, or the “Dry January” thing, but neither of those feel right for me. Instead I’ve compiled myself a list of things that I am definitely going to change up this year once and for all:

– Start taking more time to actually listen to random mixes on Soundcloud that people share, instead of just bookmarking them. I WILL CLEAR OUT MY BOOKMARKS THIS YEAR!
– Stop wasting time Facebook stalking randoms that I knew ten years ago, because it ends up awkward that I have an acute sense of how much they enjoyed their best friend’s graduation party in 2011. I don’t even know these people anymore. Give it up Akika. You’re fucking weird, gurl.
– Start chasing down and petting more random cats and dogs. Even if they bite. ESPECIALLY if they bite (they’re the ones that need our love the most). This is the true path to happiness.
– Stop comparing myself to other people. For all I know, y’all are comparing yourselves to me and I’m winning. We are all winners, comparison unnecessary!
– Start buying only fresh produce that’s in season. Nobody *needs* avocados when they are $4 each … or at least, I’m sure I fucking don’t.
– Stop watching so much TV. Screens rot the brain and the ocular receptors (unless you are reading my weekly rant, of course)!
– Start actually using my coffee keep-cup. Just buying one and feeling smug about it doesn’t make me an environmentalist any more than having a condom in your wallet means you get laid. If I forget to bring it with me then I vow to drink the coffee at the café in a mug. If there’s any time to start taking more action to help the planet, it is now!
– Stop sticking cotton buds into my ears until it makes me cough, even though it feels awesome. So fucking awesome. The final frontier of cleanliness.
– Start cultivating shit. I’m getting myself a level one noob plant; a cactus. If I can keep it alive I’ll be a golden god.
– Stop driving everywhere! My legs aren’t painted on; I’m only 31. And “but it might rain” is NO EXCUSE to drive a car 1km instead of walking. Remember when we were teenagers and would walk like 45 minutes to each other’s houses, just to be able to get out of our parent’s sight and smoke durries and shit?
– Start doing more random acts of kindness. Like a casual beej when I’d otherwise be too tired.
– Stop buying more notebooks, for fuck’s sake – I have about 80 pretty little A5 notebooks already sitting on my shelf, begging to be actually written in.

So that’s me – that’s how I am going to be the change I want to see in the world this year. If you want to change shit up, my advice is to make it realistic and make it specific. Broad goals such as save money/get fit etc are large and vague. Make your new year’s resolutions specific little things that can assist you in your bigger goals, and you’ll have a far more fruitful year, I promise.

Love Akika xoxoxoxo