Inspired by zenhabits’ Leo Babauta’s Year of Living Without, I’ve decided to give up something different for one month throughout 2014. The hope is that I’ll be able to foster my willpower and undertake a large amount of self-reflection in the process.

1. January: no sugar or processed foods.
2. February: no caffeine
3. March: no social media
4. April: no spending
5. May: no swearing
6. June: no sleeping in
7. July: no watching YouTube or other videos on the internet
8. August: no wasting (buying nothing that has to be thrown away)
9. September: no driving
10. October: no watching television
11. November: no shaving
12. December: no cell phone

Hopefully, I’ll find the time to reflect on each of these endeavors as the year progresses.

Here’s to a prosperous and joyous new year!

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PS- here are some of my past new year’s resolutions:

2013: living a ‘pure year’, consuming only pure foods and having pure relationships.

• Reflection: the resolution was far too vague to start with. There was also no way to track whether or not I was living ‘purely’.

2012: finding my biological father and gaining admission to Yale and the University of Michigan.

• Reflection: I soon found out that it was pretty much impossible to track down my father due to the anonymity of his sperm donation. I decided not to apply to Yale after my college road trip, though I was admitted to UMich, I later chose not to attend.

2011: veganism

• Reflection: still going strong! On January 8th of 2014, it’ll be three years since I went vegan. At this point in my life, I doubt that I’ll ever eat meat again.