Touchdown! And nope! I’m not talking about the Carolina Panthers and Broncos just yet (even though I’m super excited about the game). Instead, I’m talking about the first month of 2016 that has already bitten the dust.

Can you believe it? I must say, I was kinda worried about 2016 living up to all the hype surrounding it. The month started off a bit rocky for my family , but I soon discovered why… That mischievous little planet known as Mercury was in retrograde. Gah! And for a Gemini girl, that can mean total chaos, aka nothing gets done. Thankfully, things have improved and near the end of the month, I found myself sliding into the vibe of all the good things to come this year.

I’ve decided to forego New Years resolutions yet again. The concept of setting 5 main goals and writing them down worked so much better than broadcasting unrealistic New Years resolutions. I achieved mostly all the things I set out to do last year and then some. Without the added pressure of talking about what I resolved to do, I found I was able to get so much more done. And guess what? If I didn’t get it done then you can best bet the task now sits on 2016’s agenda. A full article about why I’ve chosen this path yet again will follow shortly.

This brings me to the first Life Survival Checklist of the year. And I’m happy to share this list of the 10 most influential aspects of my life so far this year.

1. Reading – Ruby, by Cynthia Bond… a haunting and unique story that I don’t want to rush through and read… and When Silver Moons Rise Book two of the Lost Immortals Saga written by me, your bloggerly host. Why am I re-reading a book I’ve already written? Well, I’ve suffered from the George RR Martin syndrome on this series and want to make sure book three turns out as tight as possible before releasing it to my loyal readers.

2. Writing – When Tidal Waves Call, Sebastian’s Closet, and the next two books of the Love & Alliances serials, an Interracial Romance about a young graduate student and the enigmatic son of a ruthless Hollywood mogul. Think Scandal meets Fifty Shades. Yeah buddy. We’re aiming for a summer release date on all these novels.

3. Planning our Italy trip – I cannot tell you how badly my face hurts from all the smiling I’m doing when I think of this event. More news will follow so I won’t dwell.

4. Preparing for the 2016 Rock N Roll Marathon – I ran this race last year. Not only does prepping for the competition keep me in good shape, but it also serves a good cause. Breast cancer. As someone who has lost several loved ones to this disease, then the choice to run wasn’t a matter of checking off a notch on a bucket list, but more of a way to say thank you and I miss you to the ones I lost.

5. Evaluating style and design schools – I’ve made the decision to become a stylist. I’m already giving advice through the blog, but there’s a leap of faith involved in rearranging your career and life at this stage of the game.

6. Choosing between hardwood or carpet – The 11-year home renovation project is almost complete. So what’s the holdup? My inability to choose between carpet and hardwood flooring. I prefer the lush softness of the former, but the latter would bring in the most bang for my buck. Decisions. Oh well, you’ll see my choice in the upcoming home tour.

7. Letting go of negativity – As I said, 2016 started off a little rough. When handling the needs of an aging parent, your emotions tend to run high and patience runs low when dealing with the folks around you. In the end, the parent suffers the most. Staying as positive as you can will truly benefit everyone on this type of situation.

8. Embracing faith and change – Make no mistake about it. 2016 will be the year of change for many folks, myself included. The best thing you can do to roll with the flow is to have faith in you! Whatever you’ve chosen to do this year, then make sure you believe before jumping out there and finding yourself frustrated because life just doesn’t seem to be working out. I’ve known for some time now that 2016 was going to bring a great deal of change into my world. I’ve dreamed big for years. Now, the time has come to do it!

9. Excited about LiWBFs collaboration with Reebok – the Fit & Thrifty Diva returns this week and I’m super excited to be partnering up with Reebok on the blog. What does this mean for you? Well, my dears, you’ll get tips, outfit ideas and discount codes galore on items from a brand we all know and trust.

10. Thankful for waking up and being able to hit the reset button of life! Nuff said…

Have a most fabulous February!