Last week I took a break from all things social media and it felt so good.
I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I know I did. It gave me the opportunity to catch up with old friends, make some new ones and spend some time with my loved ones. It also gave me the opportunity to look over the past year and firm up my Year Plan for 2012. (That's just a fancy way to say my Resolutions.)
I have twelve of them. One for each month and each month I will work to really make sure I am doing it.
1. Be active every day. I can walk, Trikke, Zumba, play on my PS3 (which seems to take great enjoyment in kicking my ass in table tennis. Thank you Sony!)
2. Work on being more patient.
3. Smile at strangers and say Hello.
4. Learn something new this year. I don't know what it will be, but I want to have a new skill at the end of the year.
5. Read at least 20 books a month. I think that is conservative. I know I can do it. (I already got a great start on this yesterday and today by knocking out two of them.)
6. Actually give up something for lent this year. Every year I say I am going to do it, but I never do. This year I would like to give up something I take for granted and see how I feel at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights. (I may need some help with this. I have been thinking about chocolate (one of the four food groups in my house). Or red meat. I don't eat it everyday but when I am craving a piece of red meat, I need it. Or maybe I could give up alcohol for Lent.
7. Control my road rage. This one will probably take all year as I have not patience when it comes to stupid drivers. This should also help me conquer patience. Refer to #2.
8. Unplug from the world a little more often. Maybe once a week. (Honestly I think this will be the easiest of them for me. Dedicating myself to not being on social media one day a week will be a good thing and is pretty easy to do during the summer months.)
9. Sticking to my Budget. I have created a pretty bold plan to get my house paid off. Not this year, but it will mean we have to buckle down starting this year to do it. I know we can and I am ready. No trips this year. No exotic vacations. One year down isn't going to kill me. I might think it will, but it won't and again, this helps me with #2 on my list.
10. Do a good deed for someone I don't know.
11. Do a good deed for someone I don't particularly like.
12. Show my husband how much I appreciate and value him. After almost 21 years of marriage it can be a little bit easier to take each other for granted. I want him to not just know I love and appreciate him, I want him to feel it too.
So there you go. That's my list for this year. Now you tell me. What great resolutions did you make this year?