What words come to mind when you hear talk of New Year's resolutions? (Pointless? Helpful? Unrealistic?) I have always liked the concept of making resolutions, but I've never been the greatest at keeping them. I think two of the reasons I've never really kept my resolutions are:
1) I never made specific resolutions
2) I never really had anyone to hold me accountable
Both of these reasons are fixable! I'm going to make my resolutions specific this year, and Silverio and I have agreed to hold one another accountable for our 2012 resolutions. I have decided to come up with 12 resolutions for 2012. (hence the 12 for '12 title) In no particular order......
1) A Picture a Day -- Both Silverio and I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and take on the challenge of taking a picture every day in 2012. Neither one of us has attempted this before, and we thought it would be a great way to capture memories.
2) Read 12 books -- I honestly do not read enough. What exactly is reading "enough", you may ask. I'm not quite sure! haha I'm hoping to read 12 books of any genre this year. Each book must be a minimum of 100 pages. I'm very excited about this resolution because there are many books out there that I am wanting to read.
3) Understand politics better -- I'm almost 23 and I'm embarrassed to say, I honestly couldn't tell you much about politics. I have very minimal knowledge. I have enough to teach 4th graders, but I couldn't really tell you anything about those individuals who are potential candidates for the 2012 election. I want to be able to vote in this election and make a decision based on my knowledge of the candidates and their stances on issues that are important to me.
4) Get Healthy -- many people make a resolution to lose weight... I'm making the decision to make healthful decisions. It is my hope and desire to treat myself better in the following ways: a) workout 3-5 times a week b) eat healthier c) have dessert less d) get more sleep e) drink less diet coke ------ woah WoAh WOAH! Hold it right there! Did I really just type, 'drink less diet coke'?! I'm afraid I did. I have become way too dependent on that heavenly drink. I'm going to find a way to make water my best friend in 2012 : )
5) Expand on my baking skills -- I have really developed a love for baking over the past couple of years. I have tried new recipes here and there, but this year I really want to improve my skills and try new things. I'd love to learn how to work with fondant this year, and be more daring with my recipe choices.
6) Love more like God -- God's love truly amazes me and blows me away. He is so forgiving and patient. I have much room for improvement in the "loving" area. I really desire to imitate Christ and be "slow to anger, and abounding in love". It is my prayer that my life would become more and more a reflection of His love.
7) Improve my Spanish -- I have to say that since I moved to Houston 6 months ago, my ability to understand Spanish has improved. I most certainly do not understand everything I hear, but I am able to understand more than when I first arrived. Now it's time to really start working on speaking Spanish. I think I've really siked myself out into believing that because I am in my twenties there is no way I'll be able to pick up another language. There is no way that I'll be able to become bilingual. Can we say LIES?! In no way is learning a new language an easy task, but it is certainly not an impossible task like I have made it out to be. It is my hope that by this time next year, I am able to have conversations with folks. I might not be able to speak super fast, but it's the effort that counts!
8) Get more into The Word --- I want to read my bible more and understand God's word more. I have found that for me personally it is helpful to have a bible study to guide me. Bible studies get me on track and pave the way for more understanding. I'm in the middle of a great study right now, and plan on starting another one as soon as I finish this one.
9) Make a wedding album -- Yes, it's true. We've been married for 7 months now and I have not put together an album of our wedding photos. Time to hop to it! I really want to make a photo book online with our most favorite photos of our wedding day.
10) Expand my creativity -- I want to try more crafty/DIY things. There are so many fabulous ideas on Pinterest.
11) Stop Comparing -- Comparing myself to others is probably my biggest crime. I do it WAY too often...almost daily. Someone once said to me - "Compare and Despair". That expression couldn't be more true. Comparing gets us nowhere. It just makes us feel crummy, and doesn't change anything. Half the time there is nothing that needs to be changed, but we are dissatisfied anyways. It's time for me to live with a more grateful heart.
12) Blogging -- I really want to keep up with this blog. Hopefully, I will post a couple times a month. This is a great way for me to keep my family and friends in the loop because I live half way across the country from them! Also, I enjoy it : )
God bless 2012....
