Smile #20 - Lifestyle Challenges [Edition I]

It's my favorite time of the year!  It's the time of the year I don't feel guilty putting on a few extra dessert pounds, staying up a little too late, exceeding the budget and just enjoy every moment.  :)  Counting down to the new year also means new goals.

Goal of 2015:

See those little hidden gems in life and smile!  :) 
Take action.  Plans are good, but it's better to take that leap of faith.  I am ready!  

1. Read!  50 books challenge!  Read the books before it becomes movies.  Paper Towns, Insurgent,  Me Before You, Dark Places, so many good books!  Add a few nonfiction, biographies and memoirs in there as well!  
2. Exercise!  Do a challenge for a month or take a zumba class or get on the elliptical at least 2x a week.  .  
3. Travel!  Weekend trips, long trip, short trip, get to know my city tour, day trip, overnight stay, visit friends, exploring the world begins with one step at a time! 
4. Connect!  With friends/family near or far.  Skype date?  Coffee date?  
5. Invest!  Hello personal finance, let's make peace.  Let's work on sticking with my budget every month.  
6. Learn!  Take at least one course at any one point.  Starting with Coursera's Learning How to Learn.  
7. Write!  Actually keep up with this blog biweekly as a way to reflect!  Finding smiles each day!
8. Try!  Try a new recipe each month with Chef Bubble.  Maybe 2015 is the year to expand my cooking skills ... 
9. Network!  Attend industry events or business meet ups or leadership gatherings monthly.
10. Practice!  Use Duolingo or other language sites to learn a new language at least 2x a month for an hour each and practice Mandarin.