10 Things to Achieve in 2012

The moon was beautiful this morning.  Yes, this morning as I pulled out of my driveway, it was low on the horizon, glowing brightly by the sun rising.  It's one of those moons you just wish you had the right camera with the right lens, and the time, to take that photo.  I didn't, of course, but the picture is embedded in my mind.  It made me feel amazing - I love the moon!  It renewed my "fresh, new" feeling of a whole new year of potential!  This picture does the same:

photo credit

 Achieve is my One Little Word... but as a quick way to list out some things I'm aiming to achieve this year, I wanted to add it to Ten Things on the 10th.  So, here goes, ten things I want to achieve in 2012:

1)  I want to read one book a month.  I want to start with the books people have loaned to me (and there are plenty of them) and the move on to my ever growing list of recommendations.  Right now I'm struggling with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  People tell me to get to page 50 and then it will take off.  Well, I think I've been on page 36 for a week!  I will prevail...

2)  I will achieve weight loss and fitness goals.  I haven't outlined them in the detail I want, with the steps leading up to the end-goal, but I am getting there.  I have joined the Cathy Zielske's Move More, Eat Well 2012 and hope that this class, along with my weekly personal trainer meetings combined with my soon-to-be-attended Zumba classes will boost me toward this goal!

3)  I will have a decluttered house.  Hoo-boy, this is a biggie.  I have a gut-wrenching feeling that I will be disappointed in my goal to achieve no clutter, but any progress toward this major end goal will be rewarding!  I listened to a book on CD by Peter Walsh to get me started, then handed it off to The Hubs, who has been traveling with it in his car for far too long.  He hasn't listened to a single word.  Time to get it back and re-listen and get moving on it!

4)  I will journal every day.  I had hoped to say "art journaled" but I'm still in the beginning/beginner phases of this.  A friend, not knowing of this goal, surprised me with a Christmas gift of a "One Line a Day, Five-Year Memory Book".  It's the perfect "little" thing to get me started!  You have about a one-inch space on each day to write a few memories down.  And that's perfect.  It sits by my bedside and is one of the last things I do every day.  I love it!

5)  I will take better care of myself.  Besides the fitness and nutrition, I'm an awful caretaker of myself.  I want to buy clothing that fits and flatters, instead of "it'll do and it's cheap".  I want to cut and style my hair more often than once or twice a year (seriously!), and take better care of my skin and nails (this will be hard). I'm not a girly-girl; I'm not much into pampering myself, but it's time to treat myself right in every way.

6)  I will begin writing, creatively.  I sometimes use this blog for that outlet, but I used to write short stories and poems all the time as a young adult.  I stopped when the criticism (external and internal) became too loud for me to get outside of it.  Time to stop that chatter in my head and do some creative writing exercises.  That, of course, I'll have to research.

7)  I will achieve financial goals.  I will set up a financial plan and adhere to what I plan for myself.  I will work toward some major debt reduction.  And I will work into those goals some "fun" money so that we won't feel deprived and jump off the cliff when we're stressed out about meeting financial obligations per the plan I "enforce".  I will achieve debt reduction... I will.

8)  I will reduce procrastination at work.  I will create lists and do the work and check those lists off!  And you know what?  Since January 2nd, I have been very successful at this.  I've been a list-making fool!

9)  I will finish the classes and the scrapbooking projects I have started.  This includes all the classes I didn't finish in 2011.  One at a time, I will complete them!

10)  But the biggest challenge I see before min 2012?  I will be the truest, most authentic ME I can be.  For a girl who hides a lot, this is a tall order.  But it is something I want most of all.

Thank you for letting me share some of the goals I wish to ACHIEVE in 2012.  Keep me honest and remind me to tell you how I did at the end of the year.  Right now, it's a great new start to a fabulous new year just ripe and overflowing with potential.

The Universe WILL Conspire in My Favor!

"When a person really desires something,

all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream...
Don't give into your fears," said the alchemist,
in a strangely gentle voice.
"If you do, you won't be able to talk to your heart."

Quote:
The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coehlo
published in 1988 in Portugese, translated into English in 1994