Raise your hand if you make resolutions in January, then by
March, well…….ahem.
Not only have I made (and broken) more New Years’
resolutions than I can count, but in general I lack in dedication to long
term goals. Whether it’s saving money for a big purchase, losing weight, or
keeping my car clean-I stink. I go all balls to the walls for a few weeks, I
love the results, but the follow-up/follow-through? I get busy, distracted,
move onto the other thing. Sound familiar?
Well, I for one, am sick of it. There are so many things I
want to accomplish, that I want for my life. I think like any other body part,
maybe discipline is a muscle you need to strengthen? A practice you need to
perfect? Does that sound totally corny?
In the past two years I have accomplished two major long
term goals. Two years ago I managed to save enough money to go to Europe (I
blogged about that here). That was a loooong slow process, and had I been more
organized and dedicated it may have only taken me two or three years…instead of
seven or eight. Last year I finally finished paying off all my debts (car,
student loans, credit card). Man, did that one feel good! It was also a loooong
time coming, but now I am living freer than I ever have (financially). More on this in a later post. Both
experiences taught me that I can stick to and accomplish something, that I don’t
always need to be impulsive. I can do something I really set my mind to. So,
this year I am going to stretch my muscles again. No large, looming,
youbetterdothisorelse goals, no I’m going to be skinny by summer goals. Real,
motivating actions that will improve different areas of my life.
And this is me
jumping on the bandwagon of blogging about my goals and the results.
Of course I needed a graphic, right? Made using my old friend Picasa.
I'm really excited by my plans this year! Check it out:
{12 On The Twelfth}
A while ago I read about a project called 12 on the 12th.
It’s not rocket science, the idea is to get out your camera and commit to take
at least twelve pictures on the twelfth of each month. I’m going to stick with
this for the year for two purposes: to document the little things that I do and
experience during the everyday this year, and to practice my photography
skills. I have an awesome point and shoot camera (Cannon G11) . It has all
these cool features and capabilities that I have no idea how to use. What’s the
point of paying so much for a great system if I only access half of it? So-I am
going to read my manual (again) and take on a few of the mystery dials and
buttons: ISO, stitch assist, macro. Whether or not I use them all the time, I
think it will be fun to know what I can do if I want.
At
Write.Click.Scrapbook they are putting together a community of people who are
also following along with 12 on the twelfth. You can sign up here for newsletters,
inspiration, tips and to see what everyone else is doing. Even if you don’t show
them to anyone else, take the pictures! I would love to see if any of my online
friends take pictures and what they have going on (this project appeals to my overly
nosy nature….)
{12 Dishes of 2012}
Every year I say I am going to cook more, eat out less.
EVERY year I fall back into the same old habits….sound familiar? there’s lots
of reasons why I don’t cook more-all lame (I live alone, I hate the clean up, I
REALLY hate chopping vegetables). Lame, right? This year I am going to make AT
LEAST 12 new recipes-one a month. It’ll
be all sorts of things( desserts, salads,sushi-that one is definitely on my
list), and hopefully I can share the meal with a few of my friends ;). Have you
heard of Recipe Spinner, an app you can use to fins new recipes using ingredient
you have already, or you can spin by theme!
Really, there are a million places I can find new recipes.
In fact a few years ago my brother gifted me several cookbooks. Oh, and I
bought The Joy of Cooking. ahem…….
{12 Dates With Me}
I am going to have 12 new experiences in the upcoming year. This
goal is a little more open ended. ‘Experiences’ means an activity, either a
store I’ve never been to, a new class that the gym, a new art project. Just
looking to expand my mind a little. I took one intro to Pilates class at my
gym, and I would like to work up to doing a fully fledged class. Oh, and try a
Pilates machine, those look really cool. I have a few other ideas as well: take
a road trip somewhere new, a new park, get a new kind of massage…haha. Obviously
places like Pintrest are a great resource for cultivating inspiration. I may
have trouble choosing just 12. As long as I DO 12, I win!
{12 New Cars for the New Year!!}
Kidding, kidding….did you see paragraph #3? No more car loans
for this girl. The thing is, I spend more time in my car than the average bear.
It’s a crucial part of my job. I often eat lunch in my car, drink coffee in my
car, change clothes….you get the idea. You can imagine the amount of
napknscupstissuehairscrucnchiesflyers that accumulate. And let’s not forget the
cat hair. No, my cats don’t ride in the car with me, but in some ways, they
are. I am SOOOOO lazy when it comes to cleaning out my car, and vacuuming-let’s
just say that is not the easiest task to perform from a seated position.
However, the truth is I have a NICE car, a GROWN UP car that
clients/coworkers/friends ride in. ‘nuff said. So I have a monthly appointment
with my local car wash that offers free vacuums (holler!).
So, there you have it. My plan for the new year. Hopefully I
will get it together well enough to share what I do here.
Does anyone else have
a goal or a plan for the new year? Do tell! I’ll help keep you honest ; )
