On December 31, I was running around like a lunatic. Doing my nails, finishing up work, writing down my resolutions and texting people to figure out plans, all in hopes of starting 2014 right. 2014, I decided, would be my year. 2012 was one of the most tumultuous of my life, 2013 was a year of recovery and growth, and 2014 was devoted to achieving extraordinary things. I was determined, and I was determined to wrap up all of the loose ends of 2013 on December 31 so that nothing could hold me back and I could start the year off running.

I woke up on January 1 feeling great. Ready to take on the world. So I did. I started gathering recipes and making plans for my Whole30 challenge that I was to start the next day. I went to two different grocery stores to get my ingredients, and prepped for hours. And I was off. Ready to take on the world, one Larabar at a time.

I also started making a plan to take on 2014. First were my resolutions:

1. Hone my skills in branding and graphic design
2. Continue to buy at most one item of clothing/shoes/accessory per month
3. Make my bed every day
4. 1second everyday video
5. Do one thing I would never have expected myself to do
6. Make a new recipe 1x/week
7. Start a blog, update it at least 1x/week (oh, hey!)
8. Take on a task or project that I am scared about/challenges me
9. Be financially confident
10. Try on no more than two outfits in the morning, put away clothes at night

Then the things to always keep in mind:

1. Open myself to new experiences
2. Be mindful of what I eat, how I treat my body, how I treat others and how I treat the world
3. Put out in the world what I want to get back
4. Invest in mutually beneficial relationships
5. There is no such thing as “should”
6. Do things that make me happy, avoid the others whenever possible (recognizing that it’s not always possible)

I reminded myself of all these things for a month, and proved to myself that I am capable of taking on the world. I trained with my personal trainer, stuck out all 30 days of the Whole30 (okay fine, I have three more meals!), cooked dozens of meals, kept organized with my work schedule and personal schedule, contributed as a member of a startup team, had a weeklong successful work trip to Miami, didn’t have a sip of alcohol (because of the Whole30!), took a Skillshare class, found a new office for my team, and took on my first branding client. I made sure to keep in touch with friends and to filter out the energy I didn’t need around me. I avoided dating so that I could focus on myself and what makes me happy without the distraction of adjusting to someone else’s needs. I spent time with family. I booked a trip to Peru for April. I started implementing Friday “personal workdays” where I can focus on tasks and projects I am working on outside of my job description (I am fortunate to work a four-day work week at my day job!). Overall, I got things done.

January was one of the most productive and empowering months of my life, and I believe it was all about the framing. I went into 2014 with a positive, can-do, ready to take on the world attitude. And that’s what I did. I believe you can do the same if you set goals and actually believe you can.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next 11 for me and all you troublemakers. Let’s make 2014 a year of productivity towards ourselves and the world. Are you in?