(BTW! Can we talk about the fact that it’s going to be 2016? How crazy futuristic does that sound?!?!)

Those of you who know my backstory know that I pretty much fell into blogging. I love to write, I love sharing my passion for wellness, and I basically fell in love with the art of connecting with all of you through this blog & through social media. I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for the world, but I am the first to admit that blogging is a lot more than just sitting in front of a computer and coming up with new things to write about and photograph each day. Running a successful blog means creating and maintaining a full on brand, and for the last 2+ years that is what I have been focusing on doing.

Ever since I decided to blog full-time, almost a full year and a half ago now (woah), I knew that I wanted to create a brand that had longevity. In order to do that in this fast-paced social media world, that requires a lot of brainstorming & staying on my toes. I guess one of the most fortunate aspects of being one of the most high-strung/anxious people that I know is that I have always made sure to pay massive attention to the fact that social media changes everyyyyy day. There are always new platforms popping up, new people to reach and (most importantly) a current audience to keep entertained. Just because you have a big audience doesn’t mean you always will!

So sometimes the best thing you can do for your brand is take a step back, think about what inspires you and your audience, and formulate a plan to bring your audience info and imagery they’re going to absolutely love.

Oh, and I spent the majority of 2015 writing my book & then editing / marketing it — so 2016 is going to be crazy different for me! I will have a lot more time to dive into the blog and focus on this area of my brand more than I was able to last year. It’s kind of thrilling, because the bloggy really is my bread & butter and the aspect of what I do that I love the most.

After sitting down and giving it some serious thought, here are some deets on what I came up with that I want to focus on this year:

TBB 2016 Whaaaat?! Da LIST:

• More recipes and more food photography! The blog began as a healthy recipe blog, and throughout my eating disorder recovery process I sort of stepped away from the recipe developing part of the blog for a while. But I have made so many strides in the recovery department, and it is time to start sharing my love for healthy cooking again. I recently got a band new Canon 6D camera and am super stoked to get back into the art of food photography!
• More unsponsored content about things I just FEEL like posting about and photographing. I have always made an effort to include as many unsponsored posts as I can on the blog because at the end of the day this blog is basically an online diary for me — and I know that posts from the heart are the most fun to read. Howeverrrrr when I was super busy writing the book and traveling all year, sometimes my sponsored posts were almost all I had time to blog about. This year I want to sprinkle in a lot more “just for fun” posts and feel like I am finally on a level of time/financial stability to be able to do so.
• More fun collabs with other bloggers AND fitness instructors/studios!! I used to do collabs ALL the time but then I sort of stopped because A) I hardly had time to write my own posts let alone collab with other people for their blogs, B) I get approached to do them so often that I basically made it a rule to say no because I knew it would be hard to make it work with my schedule, and C) with all the products and people I end up genuinely and organically promoting on this blog, I haven’t felt that there has been a lot of room to promote anything/anyone else! But NOW I feel like I am in a position where there are so many bloggers I am close friends with and I see so many collab opps in our future that it makes me super excited… And they all have philosophies / styles / recipes that I simply cannot wait to share with you!
•  TRAVEL! I will continue to travel a lot this year, and I want to maintain the awesome travel section of the blog that I got to begin this year. Between Costa Rica, Hawaii, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Italy, France, Northern California and more… This blog has racked up quite the fun amount of travel content!! That’s something I definitely want to continue.
• Style! Over the years I have developed a pretty unique style that I’d say falls between bohemian, beachy and athleisure-inspired… That is something I want to share more of on the blog with you this year! I also have an obsession with side braids, chunky sweaters, leather bags, printed watches & more… Something I barely ever write about on here but this year I believe I will have the time to do so.
• YOUTUBE! Sooo last year I created my YouTube channel, and for a while I was really into it! Then I sort of stepped away from it because there was a period of time where I was getting so much hate & negativity from the vegan community on my channel that I felt a little discouraged and wanted to lay low for a while until the craziness died down. I love making videos and working with fun production teams, so this year I will definitely focus more on the channel and bring you guys more fun videos and tutorials! Here is one of my favorite videos from this year!
• Running Deets! I have gotten far more into running over the last several months and will be running the LA Marathon this Feb. Lots of running updates to come and I don’t see them stopping anytime soon.
• WHAT DO YOU WANNA SEE?! At the end of the day, I can write about anything & everything in my life but it’s way more important to bring you guys what you are most interested in. Comment below and let me know what you are most excited to see this year and I will absolutely bring it to you!! You can be as specific or as general as you want. I love when you give me detailed post ideas, so bring it!!!!

BASICALLY… I am feeling beyond recharged and inspired and cannot wait for what 2016 has to bring on the blog and beyond. 2014 and 2015 brought me this blog, my social media accounts and you guys, and 2016 is all about honing it and maintaining the awesomeness!! I feel lucky, lucky, lucky. More details to come on my new schedule & detailed plans for the year… But this is good for now. Love you babes.

Today is January 2^nd, 2015. That means I’m in my 25^th year of life. A quarter of a century. Holy double you tee eff. I couldn’t be more excited, anxious and quite frankly curious about starting a brand new year.

This will be my first year starting off the beginning of the year as an entrepreneur, a full-time blogger, clothing line owner, app developer (okay, I didn’t develop it, but I developed the content!), AUTHOR (my first book will be published by the end of 2015… ahhh!), and now YouTuber/vlogger.

This time last year I was managing the blog while going to graduate school full-time for creative writing. I was juggling my semi-newfound passion for writing on the Internet with my longtime passion of writing fiction, I was deep in the midst of my eating disorder and I was also, at this exact time last year, suffering from a MAJOR case of strep throat and tonsillitis.

 The things that can change in a year!!! I left grad school to pursue the blog full time, I created the clothing line and the app, enrolled in the IIN health coaching program, started recovering from my eating disorder, transitioned from veganism, appeared on national television, moved back to Los Angeles, started my YouTube channel, met incredible people who are now some of my colleagues, and started blogging seriously as my job versus as my hobby that was taking up 99% of my time.

I’m still single, but hey, I think for the moment the blog is my boyfriend and I’m more than okay with that…

To commemorate how much my life has changed for the better in the last 365 days, I thought I would celebrate NYE in a way I’ve never done before… or at least in a way I haven’t done since I was about seventeen. I rang in the New Year (pretty much) sober, AND in a much, much, MUCH more low key way than I have in the past several years.

Ever since the beginning of high school when my social life took the reigns as unarguably what felt like the most important part of my life, New Years has been one big party every single year. I have gone hard, surrounded myself with tons of people, drank myself silly and bought tickets to expensive events wearing similarly expensive, sparkly, festive dresses.

Not to mention I was always the one planning the NYE event if not hosting the party. I still love getting everyone together and surrounding myself with people I love to ring in an occasion, but I would definitely say I have outgrown my wilder years and I am tired of immersing myself in that lifestyle just because it’s what I’m used to.

So instead of having a crazy & wild New Years planned out months in advance… I didn’t pin down a plan until the day before NYE. I dabbled with the idea of staying home, working on the book and taking a nice long bubble bath to ring in the New Year (which would have been AWESOME), but I decided instead to head to San Francisco to celebrate with some of my closest friends.

We went out to dinner in the city and then headed to a party to have a low-key celebration with great people. No bars, no shots of vodka, no jumping into a pool fully clothed, no trips to the ER at 3 a.m. with strep throat… And instead of being AFRAID of alcohol as I sometimes have been in the past because of eating disorder and stomach problem reasons, I sipped on red wine throughout the night that probably amounted all in all to a glass and a half.

I did spill a glass of red wine fifteen seconds into the new year… so not THAT much has changed.

The best part? No January 1^st hangover! We woke up and went to breakfast at my favorite brunch spot in Lafayette, and I got to spend the day snuggling with my favorite people and my favorite pup. Then I headed back to Sactown and had a SUPER low key dinner with my parents and was in bed before 11, working on the book.

Now that’s what I call New Year, new me.

PS… NYE 2010, 2012 & 2013:

Embrace who you are. Love who you are. I’ve spent the last 2 or 3 years stuck in a time warp, unsure of how to move forward and afraid to leave my wilder, “fun Jordan” years behind. But guess what? I’m still fun, and I’m actually more fun because I’m doing what I love and I’m exceptionally happy doing it! I’m more financially independent than I ever have been, and I’m working toward pursuing my dreams in all aspects.

I have been getting to work setting goals for 2015, which include… following more of a schedule/routine so I don’t get stuck doing a trillion unrelated things in one day, not letting the large scale of my dreams scare me or deter me, continuing developing a better relationship with food, running a half marathon (and training properly this time!), worrying less (especially about pleasing others… I have an issue with that), getting a new TATTOO (!!!), and staying focused on what I really and truly want out of this life, which is to continue being blissfully happy with what I do and finding success doing it.

Cheers to January 2^nd! Cheers to making changes and not being afraid of them.

Who’s with me?! What are some of your goals & changes this year?

Also, we have a new TBV Apparel tee, inspired by my favorite sentiments. Perfect for the New Year.

However, I do believe in creating positive sustainable lifestyle changes, and if those come in the form of a resolution then I am all about them. I think the New Year is the perfect time to wipe our slates clean and reevaluate where we are and where we see ourselves going.

2013 brought many huge changes for me and showed me that a New Year can actually bring an entirely new perspective. I went through a rough break up at the very end of 2012, and I had to rebuild the shattered mess I found myself in.

I threw my energy into things that I was passionate about: yoga, exercise, writing, friends, family, traveling, reading, trying new things. I singlehandedly taught myself to cook, fell even more in love with green smoothies and anything health-related, and most of all realized that I was happiest doing the things I loved most and putting any and all negativity behind me.

But that’s enough about last year. Now it’s all about 2014, and I want to share my goals and aspirations with you! It’s going to be a big year, people. And health is going to be the backbone and the driving force for all of us.

New Years Resolutions (a.k.a. Life Mottos):

1. Surround myself with only people who make me ridiculously happy. The other day my best friend Jillian and I met up with an old friend who we hadn’t seen in a long time. He is someone who has such a positive, genuine and inspiring energy. I can’t even describe how great it was to see him. I was feeling sick that afternoon and almost opted to rest while the two of them caught up, but I am so glad I went because it was one of the most enjoyable situations I’ve been in in a long time. It also reminded me that the people I surround myself with is all in my hands. I have the opportunity to feel that way all the time, and I am definitely going to make sure that 2014 is the year I keep the amazing people in my life closer than ever.

For example, these two shining beauties mean the world to me!

2. Have an alcohol-free month and maybe extend it to (largely) an alcohol-free year. I have been toying with the idea of doing this for a while. When I was in college (and even when I was in high school… shhh), I drank alcohol quite frequently. And by frequently, I mean every weekend and more than the occasional weeknight. I never liked the way it tasted, but I drank because it was a huge part of the social scene I had always been involved in. Every weekend included going to parties, drinking tons of alcohol, waking up hung over and doing the same thing the following night.

By my senior year of college (which was just last year) I started listening to my body and my heart more and more often when it came to drinking. I knew drinking so often made me feel like crap and also accounted for several extra pounds I knew I could get rid of if I cut back on alcohol. I started drinking significantly less when I went vegan, but because of the social aspect I continued to drink at least one night per weekend.

This year I want to make a change, so I am conducting an alcohol-free month (not sure yet if it will be this month or next month), and I am going to document the changes I see and feel. If all goes well, I will continue it into the following months. I will no doubt have to endure questions and pressure from people who don’t understand. But it will be so worth it, so I am finally going to take the leap. Anyone who is interested in joining, please let me know and we can make and email support thread!

A photo of me from my wilder days with two drinks in hand on the beach in Cabo:

3. Drink a green smoothie or green juice for breakfast every morning. This might sound like something I already do, but all too often I wait too long to eat breakfast and then it sounds like a great idea to add a bunch of granola or trail mix into my smoothies and then I am too full for lunch so I have to eat a late snack instead and it messes with my routine. When you have stomach problems like I do, it is all about routine. I learned this in 2013 and I am putting it to the test in 2014!

I like to eat small amounts frequently because it makes me feel my best, and I am going to stick to doing that this year. I have been doing it the past few weeks and I already see positive changes!

4. Listen to my body every day. This is not all that different from #3, but it brings it to the next level. If I wake up and I’m not feeling like a green smoothie or juice, I will eat what sounds like it will make me feel my best. Sometimes my body is more acidic, sometime more basic, sometimes more hungry and sometimes more lethargic. Listening to my body is key in feeling my best, and sometimes it can be easier to push those feelings aside and go with the flow. In 2014 I will listen to my body first and foremost.

5. Continue growing The Blonde Vegan. This blog, The Blonde Vegan Instagram account, and the connections, friendships and discoveries I have made through it over the past six months has by far been my largest blessing in a long time. My best friend asked me the other day what the most unexpected thing that happened to me in 2013 was, and my response was absolutely this blog and the healthy living community I’ve found through it. My goal is to continue growing the blog, connecting with all of you, and to find new ways to inspire and grow within this awesome health community. I also want to run The Blonde Vegan 5-Day Cleanse Program at the beginning of each month, and create new programs seasonally. I plan to create a YouTube channel and grow the yoga and exercise portion of the blog. So much to do in TBV world, bring it on 2014!

Photo from my first ever TBV photoshoot by the amazing Tynan Daniels.

6. Start teaching yoga again. I still practice yoga daily (wouldn’t be anywhere without it), but when I moved to NYC in August and got busy with school, the blog, and life in general my quest to find the perfect studio to teach yoga in the city fell by the wayside. I get so much joy out of teaching and sharing my passion for yoga, so in 2014 I absolutely plan on teaching again. Most realistically I will begin this summer, but in the meantime will be teaching privates for family and friends! Before I get back to teaching in a studio I would like to continue my yoga education by doing another teacher training in a specialized area and/or going on a yoga retreat.

7. Read more. I absolutely love reading fiction, and anyone who writes fiction knows that reading often is the key to writing well. Between school and the blog I usually end up reading books that are assigned for class and poring over food blogs and Internet articles, but I am determined to get back into reading for pleasure every night before bed. I am currently reading a book by Meg Wolitzer called “The Interestings” and it is fantastic.

8. Write every day. My writing workshop teacher last semester taught us to write every day, even if it’s just a little bit, to keep our skill fresh and our writing ever flowing. I go through weeks and even months where I write every day, but every writer knows it can be easy to fall off the wagon – especially when you’re writing a novel and the entire story exists in your head! Writing a novel can sometimes make you feel like you are going mad, but writing a little bit every day helps. I am usually too extreme for that – I’ll write 30 pages in one day and zero for the next five days, for example, but that has proven to burn me out.

9. Allow myself to be mellow. I have felt so much pressure in my adolescence and early 20s to always be “on.” I felt like I had to be on in class, on for my friends, on in public, and even in the yoga studio. What I mean by “on” is energetic, talkative, engaging, pleasant, etc. While I am a very social person, I have learned that sometimes it’s OK to just be. Sometimes all you need is a night in with your pajamas, some soy ice cream and your favorite TV show. And it’s even OK to be mellow with other people – in fact; you should surround yourself with people who you are comfortable being your complete mellow self with. I have bonded with people so much more deeply by having a quiet dinner or mellow movie night rather than going out to a party and drinking.

Moving to NYC was great for me because it helped me distance myself from the social obligations I felt when I lived in LA surrounded by everyone I went to college with. There is something amazing about knowing so many people in a city, but it also means doing tons of things that other people want to do even when you don’t necessarily want to do them. I have learned to say no, and I think people who knew me when I was younger and wilder are learning to accept who I am now, which is a much more mellow version of who I was once. So really, #9 is not just about allowing myself to be mellow but it’s about accepting the fact that I have mellowed out.

10. Don’t dwell. I am a dweller by nature. I dwell on conversations that don’t seem to go right, jarring or surprising situations, future commitments and obligations, past relationships, meals that made me feel like crap, missed opportunities, missed phone calls; you name it, I dwell on it. Not only is dwelling an ineffective way to spend your time, but it is exhausting and unpleasant. It also keeps me up at night, and I have enough insomnia issues to deal with! I know 2014 won’t bring me the magic cure to stop dwelling on the little things, but it is something I can certainly become more aware of.

11. Get a cute journal. Before bed each night my goal is to write down a good character idea, something that made me happy that day, something I want to work on, a good quote, a memorable conversation from the day, a good book title I came across, etc. It will be fun to look back and have 365 (probably more like 300, let’s be realistic here) fun ideas and smile-worthy things to look through.

12. Get involved in combatting the childhood obesity epidemic. I want to use The Blonde Vegan platform to make a change in the way the children in our country view food and health. I hope to do my part in educating our young ones about the power of fruits and veggies and I want to help make them attainable. I am still researching relevant nonprofits to get involved in – if you know of any, please shoot their names/websites my way!

13. Start acting again. Whether it’s an acting class in NYC or just reading scenes and monologues with friends, I miss acting and the amazing high it gives me to do something I am so incredibly passionate about (luckily I still get that high from writing and yoga, too!)

14.  More random acts of kindness. It makes me incredibly happy to surprise people (strangers and friends alike) with random acts of kindness. I know it makes my day when people do something nice for me unexpected and unwarranted, and there’s no reason not to do the same for others as often as possible.

BOOM! That may sound like a lot, but 2014 is going to be full of super awesome things and I am not going to let the year slip away from me. I’ve never been one to sit back and make the most small or realistic choices, anyway… if I was, I would probably have a real job instead of this food blog!

What are your resolutions? Would love to hear you share. And, if you’re looking for a healthy way to start 2014, check out The Blonde Vegan 5-Day Cleanse Program. It starts on January 6^th! Comin’ up!!!