Welcome, 2012

Good things are going to come this year, I can just feel it.  I can’t exactly pinpoint why, but I haven’t felt this optimistic about a new year in quite some time.  Typically I’m not one for resolutions.  I never stick with them and they become distant memories in a short period of time.  But this year, I’ve come up with a few.  Nothing too unrealistic, nothing too outside my comfort zone.  Just things that I planned on doing anyway, but writing about it will make me more accountable.

1. Write Every Day.  I’m already off to a bad start, having missed yesterday.  But I’m writing today, so that is success.  30 minutes every day at a minimum.  Hopefully I’ll be able to blog more than once a month, and maybe I can make some progress on a couple of book ideas I’ve been working on.

2.  Run 1000 Miles.  At first this seemed like a lot.  That’s like 83 miles a month! But if you break it down even more, it’s less than 20 miles a week.  That is totally doable.  However, I have yet to lace up the running shoes in the new year.

3.  Say I Love You More.  Everyone’s busy.  Me, my family, my friends.  We all have stuff going on.  But it makes me sad when I stop to think how much time passes between telling the people who matter most in my life how much they mean to me.  Along with this, I will make more phone calls, write more emails, and make more time for visits.

4.  Be More Organized.  I used to pride myself on my organization skills.  I’m not sure where it all fell apart, but it did.  I feel like I’m trying to do a lot right now, and the only way to keep on top of it all is to get my life in order.  I do better with a more structured environment, so while I lament the loss of the flexibility of my old job, I look forward to the routine that the new job will provide.  Staying organized also includes keeping my house clean.  I’ve actually accomplished that one – for the most part.  I only have a small amount of dusting and sweeping left upstairs.  Let’s hope it’s not another two months before I life another dust rag.

5.  Be Happy.  I wasn’t sure what to title this last one.  I spend a lot of time fretting and stressing over what other people think.  What if I say something stupid?  What if I make someone angry? What if I’m wrong?  What if I have to argue with someone even though I know I’m right?  All of these “what ifs” are exhausting and not productive.  And silly.  In order to focus on doing things that make me happy, I can’t worry about what other people think.  I can’t waste time doing things I don’t want to do just because someone might be mad if I say no.

Five things.  I don’t think this is too tall of an order.  They aren’t really resolutions, but goals to make 2012 the best that it can be.  I’ll keep you posted on the progress.