I know that most New Year's Resolutions aren't achieved. I even read an article recently on the science behind our failure to keep our resolutions. It has something to do with our brains being overloaded, or something. I don't remember all of it. There was a lot of information to take in. However, I remain an optimist, and a person who believes in the value of goal-setting to improve oneself. The other option is complacency. At the end of the year, I can tell by my tendency to lounge around on the couch in my pj's at any given opportunity that I have become complacent. The new year is the perfect time for me to kick myself in the butt and work toward a better me. For a few years my resolution was simply to break status quo. That worked out quite well. I conquered fears, started new good habits, and tried new things. In 2012, I will be working on specific goals. Hopefully I can stick with them.
1) Stop using plastic shopping bags and only use reusable bags. It costs more to recycle plastic bags to make them, they are a hazard to wildlife, and they release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere when they break down.
2) Lose ten pounds. This will be the year I get back to my competition weight. Trust me, this potbelly I suck in all the time is not cute.
3) Stick to a budget. It would be nice to pay my bills without holding my breath.
4) Give more of my time and money to charitable causes. There are so many with greater needs than myself.
5) Study smarter. I would really like to excel in my course work and earn a good GPA to get into grad school eventually. Plus, the more I put into the learning, the more I'll be able to help people once I'm in my career.
So that's it. Five simple resolutions. I'm actually quite excited about them. We'll see how having a passion for the resolutions plays out in action. But as I always tell myself, your priorities are set by your actions, not your words. Time to go do.
