New Year’s….’thing-ies’….??

Well, I never did find a different word to use instead of resolutions. I don’t make resolutions and I’ve never been very good at setting goals — well, not at setting them and achieving them, anyway. So, that left me no choice. This year, I will make New Year’s Thing-ies. These are not to be confused with thingamabobs which require a great deal more commitment! No, I think thing-ies will do just fine.

This year I decided to divide my New Year’s Thing-ies up into three categories: body, mind & spirit. You won’t find a long list of specifics here. Rather, what I decided was that this year (2012), I am going to endeavour to gradually put my life together in such a way that it finally makes me comfortable in my own skin. So, without further ado, my New Year’s Thing-ies for 2012!

Body

Four very simple words: eat better, move more. I weigh less now than I have in about 15 years and this is without even trying very hard. Since I went back to school last spring, I have cut way, WAY down on all the snacking or, boredom eating, that I had been doing. I simply didn’t have time for it and it’s very hard to eat and write research papers at the same time without getting peanut butter, jelly, chocolate and potato chip crumbs on the computer!

For 2012 I’m actually going to make an effort. I will eat out less. I will cook fresh food more — this is something I love doing anyway. In all honesty I don’t even really like to eat out, but it has become a habit and one I intend to break. That’s all I intend to “promise” about the eating thing. I won’t say I’m going to cut back on red meat, eat more fish, etc because it doesn’t seem very practical for me — at least not right now. But, I will eat less of what I cook.

I will also move more. No, I’m not going out to join a gym tomorrow. There is not one close by and I don’t have the money to do that anyway. But, I will do some sort of physical exercise every day. I am very fortunate to live in a town where it is not dangerous to walk on the streets at night. I also have access to the track at the stadium virtually anytime I want to go. So, this will not be a stretch. I will also try to get some other form of exercise, too when I know I can do it successfully.

(…this thingy may seem a bit of a cop-out to some of you, but I will not say something I already know will be highly unlikely for me to achieve.)

Mind

Is it too easy to say, “finish school”? I mean, really, barring any completely unforseen circumstance that is going to happen. No, I’m going to say it anyway. Finish school. There, now that one is out of the way. I also intend to read more — and NOT TEXTBOOKS! It has been such a long time since I’ve been able to just read for pleasure or for my own edification. That needs to happen and that will happen. Last, but certainly not least, finish these menacing grad school applications and get them sent in. For some reason or another, these applications are as daunting to me as has been any paper I’ve written since I’ve been back in school. They need to be done!

One other thing here that is almost completely out of my control….get into grad school somewhere. But, that one doesn’t really count as a thingy because there is only so much I can do to make it happen.

Spirit

Three words: do something fun! It has been so long since I’ve been able to go do something just for poops and giggles. Either work or money or my anxiety crap or school or a combination of the lot has been an insurmountable obstacle for nearly four years now. That has to end!

There was a time when I actually had hobbies. I sang, I played piano, I went places with friends, I saw shows and movies…you get the gist. But, I haven’t done a lot of that in a while. My two best friends in the world live only an hour away from me and the last time I saw them was Christmas Eve of 2007, with the exception of an ill-fated trip to Dallas last Christmas when I saw them for about 10 minutes! The point is, I haven’t done anything for fun in a very long time. That stops this year! It may take until after I graduate in May, but mark my words it is going to happen!!

I’m also going to spend more time outside. I need to get re-acquainted with the sun. My yard looks awful and needs tending to and my skin is so white it could stop traffic. No more being holed up inside. I’m getting out of this house as much as is practical and possible.

There you have it! My New Year’s Thing-ies for 2012 are on the books. There is one more that I did not mention here now, but I will post about it later. It deserves a post all its own. As I said, I intentionally did not make a long, bulleted list of resolutions or goals because I know myself and I know it would be just another list of things I DID NOT do. There are things that are both practical and possible for me. I encourage you to do the same.

Have a happy, healthy and blessed New Year! May 2012 be the year that all of your thing-ies come true!!

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