This season, early January, is about more than trying to remember to write 1 "4" and not 1 "3." While adjusting to the new date can be a struggle, by the time I make that adjustment, I will also have a new set of goals, dreams and plans for the new year. I LOVE this season. Isn't it great to breath it all in? This time of new beginnings, refreshment and hope. I scan Social Media and enjoy seeing how my friends and love ones are hoping to improve themselves, empower themselves and love themselves. It excites me. It also reveals so much about each individual. In our resolutions, we can see what is important to us. When we look back on the past year we take stock. We define areas that we feel we have failed ourselves, or failed others. We expose weaknesses and disappointments. We think, "Next time, I will do it this way." Or "I think I will be happier and healthier if I do this." We are also sharing with the world traits and habits of people we love which we want to emulate. What we value in the actions of our friends and family. We are saying these are things which bring me joy and I want more of them in my life. Some may fall short of these goals, these dreams. Some may succeed. Either way we have made a statement to anyone who wants to listen, and we have made a statement in our hearts.
For me, 2013 was a great year. I did pretty well with my resolutions from last year. I learned it is super hard to remember to wish all your FB friends a happy birthday. I will try again, but I sure did underestimate the difficulty in that task!! Sorry to my friends who were born between October and December. YIKES! Meal planning was a HUGE success. I planned and executed about 40 weeks or so including all weeks spent on vacation. I also lost 50 lbs! Meal planning works!
Finally, Reading 24 books in 2013. I did it! (Counting one book about Potty Training, and the book that I finished yesterday, Jan 3 CORRECTION: After making the list below I realize I read 25, I had left one out before.). I'll take it as a win because one of the books I read was Under the Dome which is over 1000 Pages and the first book of Game of Thrones which is about 700 pages and introduces a bijillion characters. They were not great picks for completing books quickly. That said, I am so happy with this resolution. I can feel my mind clicking. I can feel my vocabulary expanding. My love of new characters, new stories, new journeys is like a familiar blanket I am all wrapped up in. It was not until I was all cozy inside that I realized how cold I was. However, to accomplish this, I had a to focus almost all my spare time on reading. Which I am hoping to adjust in the coming year.
SO with out further ado- my 2014 resolutions:
I want to WRITE more. It is the other side of the coin of reading. I had a teacher who taught me you should not do one without the other. SO while I loved reading 24 books, I had no time to blog, or write much of anything. This year, I write at least 2 blog entries a month, and write an outline for a play that I have been dreaming about for years.
I still want to include reading on this list because I don't want that to fall away completely in 2014! My resolutions for this year are: Complete Game of Thrones series, Read a book with John, and read 3 research based books for my play.
Painting is a pass time that I love, but I just NEVER get around to it. This year I plan to Finish 2 paintings, and complete a cool series of kid based projects.
For my health- I want to maintain a healthy weight this year. I plan to do this by: Meal Planning weekly, and participating in the one 5K a month (I stole the 5K idea from a friend, Thanks Charlotte I think you are groovy!)
I have a few smaller ones as well, drink more water, use a chore list at home, go to confession at least twice this year, see more movies and do more goal setting in my profession life.
In case you are curious, my books from 2013:
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
- Rise of the Governor by Robert Krikman
- Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman
- The Walking Dead: Second Compendium by Robert Kirkman
- Perks of being a Wall Flower by Stephen Chbosky
- Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo
- 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
- Water for Elephants by sara gruen
- Under the Dome by Stephen King
- Sin Killer by Larry McMurtry
- Friday night Knitting Club by kate jacobs
- Hunger Games: Book 1 by Suzanne Collins
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
- Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
- The Chase by Clive Cussler
- Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Street Lawyer by john grisham
- Killing Linclon by Bill O'Reilly
- Knit 2 by kate jacobs
- Two Rings by Millie Werber and Eve Keller
- Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
- Potty Training in One Day by Narmin Parpia
- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
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