Challenge Update: 12 in 2022 + January Review

If you haven’t read about my year of challenges, pause and head to this blog post first. Also, fair warning, if you’re just here for style and interior inspiration, this post ain’t it. This is personal. I’m a whole human and am loving sharing more of my life with you guys, but also totally get it if you just want styling ideas. Feel free to skip this one and jump over to this antique shopping post or this bathroom design post instead.

Alright. We’re officially 31 days into the year so how are things going? Well, I quit a challenge already. And I feel zero guilt about it.

And I think I might be ready to make my first 12 in 2022 purchase of the year.

Let’s talk about it all.

First, let’s talk about quitting or failing. Because technically that’s exactly what I did for my Dry January. As an enneagram 3, failing and quitting are hard blows for my ego. Mainly because I want the appearance of success and if I admit needing to drop something from my load or needing (or wanting) to quit something, that feels like a big ole failure.

However, I’m working to fight this self judgement nonsense I tend to do. For example, I was signed up for a fitness challenge via my gym this month. But after kids being home from snow days, isolating with my youngest for a week, and my husband being out of town for a week, I knew I couldn’t dedicate the time to prep my body the way I wanted. I wanted to skip the challenge day, had a long list of why it wasn’t a good time for me, and I STILL needed friends to tell me it was OK to quit. Geez.

But I did quit and it was the best decision for me in this season. And shockingly, when the day came and went, I didn’t feel guilty about it. I felt like I had respected my physical and mental health and I had nothing else I needed to prove.

Dry January

I stuck to it for a full 4 weeks and then on Saturday night, as we hosted friends in our home for the first time in forever, I decided to enjoy a glass of wine.

Does that mean I failed my first challenge of the year? Technically, yes.

Am I upset at myself for choosing to have a glass of wine? Absolutely not.

My goal with Dry January was to reset my body and reevaluate my relationship with alcohol. Four weeks without drinking allowed me to do just that.

I had numerous stressors throughout January (I’ve called it a trash month more than once) and I was definitely tempted to have a drink to deal with the stress. But I didn’t.

I didn’t drink because I was lonely while my husband was traveling.

I didn’t drink because I was stressed about being isolated with my covid + kiddo.

I didn’t drink because my business started the year out slow. (Spoiler - it ended great!)

I didn’t drink because my kids were driving me crazy and home ALL THE TIME.

I had a drink when I was sharing life updates and laughter with friends. And it felt right and good.

So yes, I quit Dry January three days early. And normally that would have me feeling less than, but I feel good about my decisions and how I’m leaning into challenges this year. Goals and grace, friends.

Goals and grace.

12 in 2022

Again the goal for 2022 is to be more mindful in my shopping so I’m setting a limit of adding 12 items only (shoes + clothing) to my wardrobe this year. Plus I’ll be adding items from sustainable and/or fair-trade companies. Go back to the original post for all the details on what is and is not included.

So far I’ve made no wardrobe purchases, but I think I’m ready to place my first order. I have a running list of items that I think I want to add this year and as I spot items online I compare them to my list and to my existing wardrobe.

For example, I thought I wanted an ABLE dress that I used in my Wardrobe Guide but realized I actually own a dress that is very similar and with a little alteration, I think I will find myself wearing it more and more. So naturally, that wishlist dress was eliminated from my running 12 in 2022 list. (I’ll be sharing about this dress soon and showing you ways to style it based on my Wardrobe Guide.)

One of the items I’ve gone back to again and again is the Tradlands Chalet Tiered Dress which has amazing reviews, can easily be layered for a variety of seasons, has pockets (always a win!), and I’ve seen styled beautifully by some of my online friends. I think it will be a perfect option for the summer months, but could also start wearing it now with my LEV Mockneck layered underneath or my ABLE leather jacket on top. It’d also look great with a denim jacket or a sweater layered over it.

So it’s meeting lots of my requirements:

• Fair-trade

• Can be styled in a variety of ways with items I already own

• Comfy enough to be worn daily - not just special occasions

Now, I don’t necessary need it right now, but I have a 15% off coupon, it’s on sale, and a lot of the sizes have already sold out. So I’m thinking of grabbing it now so I don’t wait and miss the color and size I want. But I’ll be honest, only having 12 items I can buy for the entire year makes every purchase a really big deal.

Will I regret it?

Will I wish I had waited?

Will something come along that feels like a better fit for me?

You can see how this challenge is already making me more mindful in my shopping, right? This is how we should all be thinking when we shop. Rather than just buying anything and everything, we should be slowing down and asking ourselves if this purchase fits our existing wardrobe. Will it work for our daily lives? Does it work for our budget?

I think if we slow down and really think of each piece as an investment, we’ll find ourselves happier with the items we own.

So, will I make my first purchase? I guess you’ll have to wait to find out.

xo, Robin