New Year's (Not) Resolutions

It is seriously appalling to me how little I blog anymore. I decided I would make it a goal this year to keep up on my blog, but it's difficult, because I also set a goal to keep up on my journal. What I have found is that I am a pretty consistent writer, but only in one medium. If I journal frequently, my blogging plummets, and if I blog, my journal entries dwindle into nothingness. Then when I pick up on my letter-writing, blog and journal entries sort of just disappear until I stop being faithful to friends via snail mail. I aspire to someday be consistent at all three things simultaneously.

Anyway...

I don't like the term "New Year's Resolutions", because it makes me think of people who can't keep commitments to themselves. I don't know why I think of this... But I don't want to be one of those people, so I don't make resolutions for the new year. I set goals instead.

I also set goals on my birthday each year. This is kind of nice, because if I'm not quite on track with the beginning-of-year goals, I can reset them halfway through the year and make them slightly more realistic and attainable. It's important to set some attainable goals, because then at least I can be sure I'll get to check things off in a year.

I usually also set a few goals that are totally ridiculous... just for the heck of it. Even if I don't reach those goals, they are still fun to work at. But enough jabbering. Behold, my goals for 2012.

1. Read through entire Bible.
2. Be learning to constantly love and serve those around me; especially my family or those with whom I live.
3. Complete Bob George study guides - for real.
4. Learn six new piano songs from sheet music.
5. Read two books per month.
6. Journal (and blog) regularly - especially regarding what I learn in God's Word and His work in my life.
7. Write one letter every day
8. Finish levels 2, 3, and 4 in Rosetta Stone German.
9. Complete the 7 Wonders story with Candi.
10. Go on a special trip with Candi (even a day trip).
11. Be trusting God
12. Be honest
13. Be gracious in everything
14. Be learning and make notable progress in NOT INTERRUPTING PEOPLE.
15. Grow more incurably optimistic!
16. Keep in contact with friends.
17. Be learning to live caring only for God's opinion, resting fully and finding my security in my identity in Jesus Christ.
18. Be learning to walk humbly in submission to God, and to consider others more important than myself, not in false humility, but in true love out-poured through belief in Jesus Christ to be who He says He is in my life.
19. Exercise somewhot (yes, whot) regularly.
20. Get a job, more to San Jose, and save up some money.

You'll notice that I say "be learning" instead of "learn". This is due to the influence of Charlie "Tremendous" Jones:


"Did you ever hear these famous last words: 'This is one thing I've learned'? Know what he's learned? Nothing! I remember saying that, and soon afterward I would wind up learning all over again what I thought I had just learned. Now I've almost learned one thing, and that is that the process of learning to live is TREEEMENNNDOUS!"


Well anyway, it's a lot easier to check off a goal that has "be learning" at the beginning than one that starts with "learn".

The "for real" in Goal #3 indicates that I have extended this goal way too many times. Time to finish something.

The rest are pretty self-explanatory. I want to get better at the things I do. I want to finish things. I want to grow this year. I have already failed at writing one letter per day, but that's a goal that I can work on every time I remember it. I knew I would fail to achieve it when I wrote in there, but I wrote it down anyway with the hope that I will be be a much better correspondent by the end of the year.

Oh, and also:

21. Develop some mad cooking skillz.

What are your hopes for this year?