Though the Instagram caption, “New year new me” sounds cliche, there is some truth to it. Starting a new year gives everyone the opportunity to make new goals and resolutions. You can take a look back and reflect on the previous year to better yourself in the following 12 months. Our team, Tali, Roberta, Meaghan, and myself are very goal oriented, so resolutions aren’t a new concept to us. Putting them all on the spot, I asked TBF ladies what their personal (and professional) 2019 New Years resolutions are. Through an email thread, I had them write their resolutions, so these are from the ladies directly.

Tali Gallo’s 2019 New Years Resolutions

Find personal time once a week for two hours. I always loved my alone time growing up. Now as a mom, its more difficult to find that time. I don't consider myself a full on introvert, I've just always valued and recharged after some alone time. I think once a week for two hours is something I can commit to and won't feel guilty about. That is two hours unplugged. I know in the future I'll get more time but for right now I just need a little me time to flip through a magazine, watch some cheesy movie, or learn how to meditate. 

Commit to date night twice a month. I think it's so easy to get wrapped up in the to-do list. With both my husband and me being entrepreneurs its hard. I've always had a high level of drive and enjoy working even if that means a 15 hour day. So much time can just fly by and at the end of the day what matters most are the relationships we make and continue to strengthen. I know this so well, but its about putting things down on the calendar. I think we will do just that. Schedule it in on our google calendar.  I would love to hear date ideas from my newly engaged couples! 

Below is a picture of Tali and her husband. They were at a wedding at the Sydonie Mansion!

For the store I have to add to customer service experience & find more designer partners. At the end of the day what I am more passionate about than dresses, is customer service experiences. I love making people feel special. It's so rewarding. Now that The Bridal Finery is in the second year we have worked through some of the time consuming, tedious tasks and can focus even more on giving the best experiences to our clients. I love coming up with ways to enhance the client's experience. Things they wouldn't expect.  I'm on the hunt to bring in a new designer partner to the boutique. This is something I hope to accomplish by the end of the year. I'm in research mode because I've learned how important is to work with other companies with the same values as your own. 

Track my monthly expenses to make more meaningful purchases.  I see money as a tool and not something I keep personal and close to my heart.  It's just like food. You don't realize how much sugar or bad calories you ate until you write a log. I started my expense log a month ago and I was shocked how much I was spending on juice, random Amazon purchases, and UberEats. Knowledge is power, right? Committing to this exercise every month for a year will allow me to be more aware and help make purchases that have a larger impact my life and those around me. 

Below is a picture of Tali & her son!

Meaghan Santos 2019 New Years Resolutions

-I want to focus on being mindful and in the moment
-I want to simplify tasks at home that have become too complicated or overwhelming
-Re-center my clean eating habits and focus more on the foods that work best for my body- I have a thyroid disorder 
-Prioritizing some time for myself

Below is a photo of Meaghan’s three girls!

After becoming a mom, once, then twice, then three times over (and collecting a few or more rescue animals along the way), I have found that all of the goals I listed above have become more important than ever to keep me from feeling completely overwhelmed. I truly believe that before you can take care of someone else, you should first take care of yourself. In my life, this means waking up well before everyone else in the house to enjoy a workout, some quiet time and meaningful thought as I plan out my day and some hot tea! Sometimes life speeds up and simple tasks can be overwhelming, by being mindful and truly in the moment, it is easier to cast aside worry and anxiety over what needs to be done tomorrow and just enjoy the day. At times, I find myself brooding over cleaning the house instead of just sitting in the middle of the mess and playing with my kids...then they can help clean up with me later. I'm not saying this is always the outcome but when I'm being mindful in that kind of a moment, I get a huge thrill out of tossing my cleaning rag and the pile of toys to the side and jumping in on some puzzles or Barbie doll fun. Simplifying chores or tasks at home is a huge must and something I have to set aside time for in order to brainstorm. Just something simple that I have already done just before the New Year: took the duvet off my bed and replaced with a simple old quilt from my closet. I literally got to the point where I was so stressed about cleaning my duvet and having to somehow get it back over the huge comforter that I would go on strike and not clean it, trying to ignore the washable marker stains from the toddler or the random jolly rancher saliva spot that Natalia dripped out when she wanted to see what color it was . Then the stress would compound because I don't like the thought of an unclean bed. So far, my simplify life technique of ditching the duvet has worked wonderfully :)

Below is a photo of Meaghan & her husband!

Roberta Noronha’s 2019 New Years Resolutions

This year's resolutions are a continuation of last year's. In 2018 I focused on spending more time with my husband and daughters, as well as becoming an overall healthier person. -Roberta

Relationships:This year I want to focus on dedicating specific times to date night, family days. My daughters are a few months shy of becoming teenagers, and I feel that our time is running out, so this year I want to focus on sharing activities with them that they enjoy doing, such as game night, biking, cooking together and so forth.  I enjoy being surrounded by my loved ones, hosting dinner parties, and meeting up with friends, that's my focus this year. I want to spend more time cultivating those friendships and dedicating more time to them too. 

Below is a picture of Roberta, her husband and her two daughters!

Health & Fitness:On the healthy side, my focus is to stay fit, keep on making better choices with my everyday life. It is ok to have a glass of wine or eat a dessert once in a while, not every day. I need to keep strong with the self-control, and not give into temptations too often, hahaha. I have two main goals this year in this category.Number one is to run a 5K, for years I have talked about it, and done nothing about it! 2019 is the year that I will complete a 5K, my goal is to run it before the Summer of this year. Number two is to have defined abs! I want to have a flat stomach and ab definition before bikini season! hahaha

Below is a before and after sequence of Roberta’s weight loss journey! She looks fantastic!!

Career & Business: The Bridal Finery, I want to increase the number of brides that I help find their wedding dress by at least 20%. I want to make more connections in the wedding industry by meeting one new vendor per month. 

Jamie O’Neill’s 2019 New Years Resolutions

The transition from 2017 to 2018 wasn’t anything formal or exciting. I didn’t set any goals and I just didn’t really care. However, this year, I am setting goals and I am excited to see myself accomplish and achieve each goal.

Work on communication to maintain relationships. I have let relationships go over the years because of communication. By not staying in contact, the feeling of “out of sight out of mind” sets in fast for me. With cell phones, social media, snap chat, and Face Time, there really isn’t an excuse for not staying in contact with those you care about. My goal for 2019 is to call family and friends as often as possible to stay in touch.

Yoga. Two years ago, I was attending hot yoga classes two to three times a week at Orlando Power Yoga in Dr. Phillips. I was in the best shape I have ever been in. Honestly, my body was on point! Yoga always kept me in a good mood because of the physical and mental benefits, it helped me sleep better, and it forced me to stay hydrated because of the hot classes. I have a gym membership to Planet Fitness, so I plan on going to yoga two to three times a week and going to the gym twice a week.

Maintain straight As in my classes. For those who don’t know, I am a student at UCF! I am entering my second semester as Junior. Schooling has never been easy for me. I have never been the student that doesn’t study and passes. I am the student that spends hours studying and attends tutoring, but will receive a C on the exam. I have never had straight As in my entire life. So, this year, I am working towards straight As.

Open a credit card. Because I personally don’t believe in borrowing or owing anything back, I have always had the mindset of ‘if you can’t afford it now, save up until you can pay for it.’ I have always believed in paying for items in cash. I am the type to save up until I am able to take a trip or purchase the handbag that I want. Recently, I saved up for 5 months to go on a girls trip to Colorado to pay for the entire trip in cash. While I am proud of myself for doing that, I know the reality of things. I am turning 24 at the end of this month, and as I get older, items get more and more expensive. I also need to build credit, so I’d like to open my first credit card before my 24th birthday (on January 29) . If anyone has tips or a credit card recommendation, please let me know!

Below is a photo of my girlfriends & I during our most recent trip in Colorado. They gave me tips and advice on which credit cards to consider!