True confession time. I'm resolutionally challenged. I make them, forget them, remember them, and then it's already October and "too late" in my mind to do anything about them.
Another confession: 2010 sucked. For lots of reasons, and it wasn't one even that made it especially sucktastic. But the one thing I already know about 2011 is that it's going to be awesome. And it's going to be awesome because I'm going to make it so. So here, on January 5, is my list of 11 ways I'm going to make 2011 awesome.*
1. Take risks. For the last 22 years, my life has been safe. Not safe in a plastic bubble kind of way, but safe in a I don't take risks way. If I wanted to keep living this way, I'd stay in Monmouth and work for the college until they either hire me or kick me out, and if they kick me out then I'd go home. But the new taking risks me is going to be the kind of person everyone wishes they had the balls to be.
2. Enter the real world. Right now I'm living with my uncle and not paying rent. My parents pay for my cell phone. I have no bills to speak of. To make this year awesome, I'm going to find a job, move, get an apartment, and be an adult. I'm going to figure out insurance, retirement funds, and learn how to live in the real world. Because even though I live off campus doesn't mean I'm out of the Monmouth bubble.
3. Dress up for me. If I didn't have to work, I'd probably hang out in sweats all of the time. I get home from work and if I'm not going anywhere, the sweats come out. And once they're on, I'm not going anywhere. This year, I'm going to put together real outfits. I'm going to do my hair (almost) every day. I'm going to wear makeup for more than just going out on Friday or Saturday nights. I'm going to dress up for me, because it makes me feel good.
4. Appreciate my friends. I want to stay in better contact with my friends. I'm going to write more letters. I'm going to make more phone calls. I'm going to do more than write on a facebook wall once a year for birthdays. I'm going to let my friends know that I appreciate them.
5. Read more books. Now that I'm not in college, I actually have time to read. (Ironic, isn't it?) But I've been working on Emma since 2009, and this is going to be the year I finish it. Perhaps my friend Paige over at paiges [of] books can make some recommendations?
6. Listen to more music. More confessions: I love Ke$ha. And Trey Songz. And Katy Perry. Basically, I love music that has the relative worth of abc gum. But I'd like to expand my musical horizons. I was a music major, for goodness sakes. And just because I can appreciate Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky doesn't mean that I get to rot my brain with Ke$ha.
7. Create less drama. I'm really quite good at creating drama. Maybe I find it subconsciously exciting? I really don't like being in the middle of it though, so I'm going to stop (or at least try to stop). No more worrying about things I can't control, no more complaining to friends unless it is at least somewhat warranted...like I have a fever or I'm homesick. Then I can complain. Otherwise, it's just drama.
8. Get a cat. Or some other living thing. Like a fish. Or a plant. Maybe I'll start with a plant.
9. Find my passion. I thought I had one, but as soon as I made it a major I stopped being passionate. So I hope to find a new passion in 2011. Is it cooking? Baking? Writing? Who knows, but hopefully I'll find it and explore it!
10. Don't stress about being awesome.** I already am awesome. Why would I need to worry about being awesome? I'm just going to live the best I can.
11. Live a good story. I hate cliches. Hate hate hate cliches. But there's one I've been mulling over for a while, and that is "Life is not a dress rehearsal." Why would I want to live the rough draft of my life? It's not like I can go back and edit it when it's all said and done to make it more awesome. I'm going to live awesome now.
*Ok, maybe not all of them are life altering, but they're things I'd like to accomplish!
**Courtesy of my dear dear friend HW
You are awesome! Good luck! kf
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