My 2023 Resolutions

One thing I really believe in is having a clear vision for the life you want. Since I was little I would observe people around me that I found interesting and aspirational and would make a mental note that I want to be like that ‘when I’m older.’ I would get specific with it, too. Sometimes it would be a parenting style that I admired, how someone carried themself in the workplace, or just what their lifestyle was made up of.

I can’t even lie though, I’ve always been attracted to the finer things in life. I like to think that came from watching movies growing up and seeing what was out there – nice houses, luxury cars, designer handbags, lavish vacations, etc. While I’ve always possessed this materialistic side of me, I have never let that define me. Sure, I love to treat myself every now & then to a nice bag or vacation, BUT, in my day-to-day life, I live pretty practically. I’m big on moderation & balance in that category. Designer EVERYTHING feels gauche to me. I like things that have meaning, significance, or a story. So to me, a good approach to ‘nice things’ is a reasonable outfit paired with a nice bag or shoes.

I know I went on a tangent there, but my point is this: Material items have been a motivator for me to work hard since I was old enough to have a job. I knew I wanted those things (it started early thanks to Juicy Couture) early on and they continue to drive me to work hard.

Of course as time goes on, I get older, I had kids, and I evolve, my priorities have shifted. While I still very much love my luxuries, I’m also working towards building a life for my family. Although I don’t want to make everything about working and money, it does go hand in hand and it honestly gives me purpose to work. My life feels so full and special and whenever I achieve something I view it as a reward for my hard work. It’s a mentality I’ve adopted early on and it has really served my life for the better.

So, with all of that said, I view my resolutions as the blueprint for the life I want to build. The limit is endless and there is always more to strive for. Writing out my resolutions gives me clear direction for what I want to focus on for the year; and while I’m proud of the ones I keep all year, there are definitely some that just don’t end up fitting into my life. I’m not super hard on myself for not living out my resolutions because that’s not realistic or fair.

Here is my roadmap for 2023:

+ Spend more time with the kids one-on-one: We do a lot as a family but I feel guilty leaving one or the other so I don’t get a lot of alone time with either kid. I’d like to work more of this into our designated family time. Maybe once a month? Something realistic.

+ Elevate: Yes, one word. Last year I touched on the fact that my life has changed / evolved and I felt a little lost on social media. I still very much check DMs as a pulse check for what you guys are liking / disliking, and I was getting mixed signals. Mostly because I was receiving negative feedback on my “upgraded” house and my life coming off as unrelatable. Comments like that do make me sad because I genuinely enjoy documenting my life and for those who have been followers since the beginning you’ve been along for the very long ride to get here. I had to remind myself that I’ve worked my ass off to get to this place – nothing was handed to me, I don’t have a trust fund, and I continue to put in the work.

My intention is to continue sharing my life without sugarcoating or censoring. Deferring to my ‘no filter’ approach, which is how I even grew on Instagram to begin with. Dare I say maybe my life can be viewed as aspirational rather than resenting me for reaching my goals? We will see.

+ Healthy Gut: So much of how we feel is related to your gut health. I would love to get mine to a point where meals don’t hurt my stomach and I don’t have a to wait a few days for my bloat to go away. I’ve been taking more initiative in this department by drinking AG1, ensuring my water intake is high every day, limiting alcohol, and paying attention to things I consume that have a negative effect of my body later.

+ More community service: I’ve always been big on donating to different causes (even when I had no money I would give what I could afford), but what I truly feel makes the biggest impact is directly helping people. I know it’s not always possible or realistic, but there are certain programs that enable us to do so. This holiday season I signed up for the Adopt-A-Family program through the LA County website and it was such a special way to help a family in need. Donating your time is another way you can help. As an example, organizations like Baby-2-Baby allow volunteers to come into their facilities to help put together care packages for families. I’m passionate about helping people and would love to influence you guys to help in any way you can, too. This year I’d love to get more involved with organizations that are important to me as well as continuing to connect with people directly to make a difference.

+ Expand our community: I still consider myself new to San Diego, but I am so grateful for the people we have met here so far. This year I would love bring all the people we now consider friends together so we can resume hosting dinner parties and events in SD. This is something we gave up when we moved out of LA but I’m starting to feel more established here and would love to test out this house for a fun party?! Paul will probably faint if I invite people over to sit on the white couch but honestly someone has to do it!

I’ll leave it at that for 2023. There are always new things I’m adding to my vision board for myself and the family, but these are just bigger picture things for me to focus on to keep my mindset in the right place. I hope you all take a moment to reflect on this past year and decide what you’re bringing with you into the new year and what needs to be left behind. You all have the power to manifest your dream life, I believe in you!!

XOXO,

Sivan

P.S. In case you’re interested, here were my 2022 resolutions.