Resolution Recap: New Years Resolutions for 2023

Hello friends! 

Can you believe we are 6 months into 2023 already? The time has flown! I'm really happy to be writing this post, as these always rekindle my fire for accomplishing my resolutions (and hopefully they offer you a bit of inspiration as well!).

If you haven't read it yet, you can check out my resolution post from 2023 here. 

2023 Goals and Resolutions:

⚠️ A work in progress
⭕ Success!
❌ Fail

Just a fun book shot, not the book I read! haha

⚠️ Read 3 French books

I'm making awesome progress on this resolution! Reading books in French is actually SUCH a great way to learn, I highly recommend it.

The first book that I decided to was none other than the legendary 'The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This is a timeless French classic so I knew that I had to get my hands on it and see what the hype was all about. After finishing that, I quickly plunged headfirst into the novel 'Sophie's Misfortunes (Les Malheurs de Sophie)'. I definitely have a lot of comments to share on these two books, but I'll save them for my end of year conclusion post!

As for my current read, picture this: I'm wandering through the charming streets of Lyon, and like a magnet, I'm drawn to this adorable little bookstore. I browsed cookbooks for over an hour before stumbling upon a book that that jumped out at me. That book is 'The contagious smile of butter croissants (Le sourire contagieux des croissants au beurre).' I'm really enjoying it so far but I'm only about 15% in for now!

If you have any recommendation for books in French, please comment them below! 

⭕ Get an HR/Diversity related job

When I first wrote my resolution post, I was looking for internships to start after finishing my masters. I'm really happy to announce that I am currently working as an HR Intern in Paris for an amazing French company! Although it can be a little challenging at times, with 90% of my work responsibilities conducted in French, I see it as an incredible opportunity for personal (and linguistic) growth. 

⭕ Start building my dream wardrobe

I'm absolutely thrilled to share that this journey has been an incredible success! I can't express how delighted I am with the transformation of my wardrobe from head to toe. I've invested around 800 USD in revamping my style, and the results have brought me immense confidence. I've always wanted to really 'commit' to the vintage style inspired by the 40's, 50's and 60's, and now I'm well on my way. 

I've discovered and acquired some truly extraordinary pieces that I adore wearing, and I'm planning to create a collage featuring my favorite things at the end of this year.

 ❌ Become A2 in Swahili

For the first 3 months of 2023, I gave Swahili my best shot. I downloaded apps, textbooks, flashcards, etc to really do my best to learn this language. As interested as I was, I realized quickly that I had very little real world incentive for learning. I don't know anyone who speaks Swahili, I'm not sure if I'll ever travel to areas where it's spoken, etc. As interested as I am, I didn't see it fitting into my life. 

However, there's another language I decided to take up instead about 3 weeks ago, and I'm hoping I can make some progress before the end of the year. I've decided to keep it a secret for now, but I'll reveal this language in my December post!

⚠️ Find a form of movement that brings me joy.

Okay, folks, let's keep it real. I have to admit, I haven't been as gung-ho about my fitness journey as I should be. However, I'm going to use this post as an opportunity to refocus and try to hone in on doing enjoyable and effective exercise! I will say though that my move to Paris has resulted in me walking a lot, so that's a plus!

Thanks so much for reading this post, I hope to see you at my end of year post where I wrap everything up and set some new goals for 2024!