My Trailer for 2018

December 31, 2017 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

Just last week I saw a meme that read: “Imagine if you could watch a trailer of your 2018.” That thought has stuck with me.

I love trailers. I will always show up to movies early so I can watch each preview. In many cases, trailers are better than the actual films. They highlight the most stressful, most action-packed, most climactic, most thrilling, and most dramatic moments of a movie—sometimes with a few deceptive twists that aren’t actually in the plot.

It’s no secret, 2017 has been a crapshoot for the world. I’ve had a lot of personal successes, but I’ve also had some failures and disappointments, and I’m just not sure what is going to happen next in the world. What will happen in 2018 evades everyone’s grasp. In past years, a better guess might have been within reach.

The Year of Doing You

January 01, 2017 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

Last year on this exact day, I wrote a post called "Say No to Resolutions, Say Yes to Experiences." If you read it (or remember it, you dedicated reader you), the piece radiates with optimism for 2016 and even joked that Trump may win the presidency. And, well, that's no longer a joke.

I also encouraged you and myself to seize opportunities and learn and grow in a new year. 2016 couldn't be a loss that way. I still stand by that. Okay, I'm about to admit I may have misled you.

Resolutions are challenges to yourself that are binary in their outcome: you either succeed or you fail. There's rarely middle ground. And life is not black and white. That is why you should embrace experiences. You can't fail at those. Even your failures are experiences.

Getting Home on New Year's Eve: The Tow Truck Taxi

December 29, 2016 by Cazey Williams in life lessons, Humor, Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's

Five years ago, my friend had me over for New Year's Eve. I was 20 at the time, not yet of legal age to drink, but of course I did (so sorry, Mom). Needless to say, we drank at my friend's house.

Now I drove to my friend's. Earlier in the day I had seen AAA had a New Year's Eve program where they provided free safe (and sober) transportation to members and non-members. This was 2011, so Uber and Lyft were not things. Aha, this is how I would get home.

Of course, my friend said I could stay over, but I preferred my own bed and this was a free service. Why wouldn't I use it? the selfish millennial in me asked. I showed up without even a toothbrush in case I changed my mind.

Say No to Resolutions, Say Yes to Experiences

January 01, 2016 by Cazey Williams in life lessons, Humor, Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's

Welcome to 2016! Did we make it? Is this really 2016? Trump might win the presidency, I went to the beach on Christmas Day, and Justin Bieber is popular again (sorry??).

Anyway, I guess if you're reading this we made it. And you may or may not be hung over. Hopefully you made it to brunch? No? Well, you have 365 days to complete your other resolutions (yes, it's a leap year!).

Typically today is set aside for resolution making and reflections, the sort of cliched stuff I hate. I've said this before, but why do we need to wait until January 1 to start pursuing goals to better ourselves?

The Rules of No Shopping

January 17, 2015 by astoldoverbrunch in Guest Post, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

In case you're just tuning in, I am NOT going shopping (clothes, shoes, accessories) for an entire year. In my first post, I laid it out for you, very black and white. But now for the details:

As we all know, life is the opposite of black and white. So I knew I needed to make several stipulations of my “no shopping” New Year's resolution. They are as follows:

A Failed Resolution #SorryNotSorry

January 02, 2015 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Social Media, Tweets and Mascara

I never make New Year's resolutions because they're cliché and I try not to be trite. I also don't think you need to wait until January 1 to start something. Or a Monday. Or Lent.

I also don't like to set myself up for failure. Not that I'd ever fail (ignore the title of this blog).

Well, this past year I did make a resolution. I didn't tell anyone because see above. But I'm telling you now - and I fell short (that's different than failing).

My resolution was to stop saying sorry. I know, what? I realized in late 2013 that I say sorry for too many things - and this isn't a post where I wax about not being sorry for my weight, sexual proclivities, or beliefs. No, I was saying sorry for you running into me at the grocery store with your cart; sorry that my friend canceled plans an hour before the event and these plans had been made weeks ago; sorry that I gave you one simple task and weeks to do it and you're emailing me the night before that the project isn't done, NO BIG DEAL; sorry that I'm tired and don't want to be hungover with you tomorrow.

New Year's Sucks

December 31, 2014 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

I could be in New York City right now counting down until the ball drops, but I'm not, and thank God. I hate New Year's Eve, you should too, and here's why:

The hype. I could stop here. Well, maybe I should tack on an "over." All December: So what are you doing? Where are you going? Who will you be with? Who are you kissing at midnight?!?!?! January 1: Everything you said, predicted, and planned all December did not come true.

You work the day of. Yes, the holiday revolves around nighttime activities, but unless the government or your boss lets you off, you are (supposed to be) working for 8+ hours the day of. Does my manager really expect productivity? Wait, my manager isn't here because they have leave they're going to lose if they don't take it. ME TOO. Meanwhile, I'll just browse Facebook and group text with the people I'm meeting in T-6 hours on company time.