With 2017 coming to an end, I can’t help but be thankful for all of the changes (good and bad) that have helped me grow as a person these past 12 months. I’m also really grateful for all of the opportunities that have come my way since launching ITSMARKYATX. I’ve always had a fond for detail, photography and writing in general — if you recall from my first blog post, creating content has always been a passion of mine, from being Editor of my high school newspaper to being part of the yearbook committee — and I didn’t really know how to channel my creative energy into my daily life as an adult. Working in tech a lot of things are very black and white, thankfully, my blog has helped me paint all the colors that were missing from my life.
For 2018, I have a lot of goals in mind and I figured I could write this blog post to help jot all of my resolutions down! In the case that I get a creative slump (as I often do) I can look back on this post and remind myself all of the great things I had in mind…
Resolutions
- Try to have more fun with family and friends by taking time to live in the moment
- I can do this by putting my phone down from time to time, and not feeling the need to put every single second online is a huge goal of mine. Challenge accepted.
- I really want to get into writing Yelp reviews and eventually becoming a Yelp Elite
- Yelp can be a tricky application because you not only have to write really good reviews, you have to constantly provide feedback that people want to read and see.
- Of course, this would add yet another social app to be on top of, so we will see how the year goes…
- Moderation, Awareness and Consciousness
- I definitely need to be more aware of what I put inside my body… being a food blogger makes it difficult to “eat well” but by simply being more conscious and aware of what I’m eating will make me a lot happier, not to mention healthier.
- Yoga! Yoga! Yoga!
- I currently have been having some muscle spasms in my back, and have been really, really stressed out lately….. I’m trying to figure out the root of this stress and have considered going to see a therapist. Trying to relax your mind from overthinking too much is harder than you’d think… pray for me y’all… I always try to keep it positive but lately I’ve been in a huge funk and my hormones are definitely off balance.
- My doctor has highly recommended for me to do yoga, and I plan on jumping on the bang wagon more seriously in 2018.
- Find a Church
- I really want to find a church I can attend regularly in Austin that will accept me for who I am. If you have any recommendations let me know.
- Self Care
- Wether it be through more exercise, exfoliations, massages, facials, getting rid of toxic relationships, saying “no” more or taking a soothing bath from time to time, 2018 will be all about taking care of my body and mind. God’s will.
- Blog MORE
- A huge resolution of mine is to be more active on my blog!
- I have to say that when I started blogging I didn’t expect it to grow as fast as it has, what went from a hobby has turned into something bigger than myself and I would not have it any other way! I have made some great friends and have been able to experience some really good eats and experiences that I would have not been able to do on my own — for that I am forever grateful for the people who “follow” me online and for the people in my life that have encouraged me to follow what seems to come so naturally to me.
- So thank YOU! To say I have been holding myself back for some time is an understatement. I was really afraid of opening up to strangers because of my own self doubt and insecurities (I grew up Catholic, okay!), but I’m learning to love myself more and more each day, something I truly feel I would have never been able to feel had it not been for my blog and the hundreds of virtual interactions I make with all of you.
- The Year of Happiness
- Like Ru Paul says, “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?” a quote that has stuck with me since first watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race in college. It has truly become a life mantra of mine.
- Post More Raw Photos
- I’ve learned that people don’t care about the perfect tweaks and touches. I’m excited to post more raw, in-the-moment photos, like the way I used to when I first started Instagram. I want to stop critiquing my work so harshly and just have fun with my content. I’m excited!
- Say “I Love You” more to family and friends
- I want to be more active as a content creator
- I want to show all of you more of what Austin has to offer by creating authentic photos and really fun blog posts that better introduce you to who I am as a person and what I like to do in my city.
- A weird obsession I’ve had since say high school (think Laguna Beach era) has been to be a really energetic, positive person that people can follow online, someone you can reach out to whenever you need a recommendation of what to eat and do — blogging has definitely done that for and I absolutely love it.
- I love when you guys ask me for a food recommendation, or some tips on “where to go for Tex-Mex,” it really makes my heart warm. So thank you, and never be afraid to ask me for a rec!
- I want to take each blog post more professionally. It’s all about the layout!
- Mindfulness
- I need to get better at saving my money and stop making useless transactions! Until I’m making a triple digit income I’ll start to care a bit less, but for now I have to stay mindful.
- An app that has helped me stay up-to-date on all of my spending has been the Mint App, check it out in the App Store if you need help budgeting your hard earned cash. #notsponsored
Thanks to everyone who continues to support my blog shenanigans and foodie adventures around Austin, Texas. All of you have touched my heart in more ways than one, thank you for being my friend.
In 2018 I want to produce a more eclectic variety of content on my blog, I really want to bring a lot of fun and different posts on @markyatx. Obviously, blogging is a big passion of mine (now) and it has really changed the game for me. Originally, I intended on being a life and style blogger, I would currently say that I am more of a food blogger with a fashion forward edge, but on 2018 I plan on mixing the best of both worlds.
With that said some blog (and Instagram) posts that I plan on putting out in 2018 include:
- Weekend Eats (think along the lines of this post)
- More #OOTD’s
- Restaurant Grand Openings
- “Best Of’s” (think “Best insert food type here in Austin”
- Morning/Night Routines
- What Would Mark Wear
- Pop Up Shops in Austin
- Events Happening Around Town
- SXSW (can’t wait!!!)
- ACL (maybe)
- Product Reviews (maybe)
- think men’s products
- Partnerships (think along the lines of this post)
- life and style related
- Restaurants I Love This insert month here
Wishing all of you a happy and cheerful holiday season!!!
Love,
Mark Rodriguez
@MARKYATX
