New Year Goals

I find it sad that, nowadays, New Year Resolutions get, nearly everywhere you look, such a nasty, bad rap.

Personally, I love 'em.

New Year Resolutions are like brand new chances to do what you've always wanted... to be what you've always wanted to become. For me, they mean finally getting serious about all those little areas God has nag-, uh, convicted me about the whole previous year. And so each January my resolution list writes itself, practically... All those godly nudges I've pretended I didn't hear are never far from me.

Without goals, I have nothing at which to aim. And if I am aiming at nothing, well, that's exactly what I will hit. Nothing.

And who wants to live a life like that?

So here are a few of my New Year Goals (sometimes controversial ideas go over better when you give them a different name):

1. Do at least one kind thing for someone each day of 2007.

2. Watch less tv/fewer movies. Consciously decide which tv shows I'll let go. Choose movies which will have some kind of significance.

3. Read at least as many books as I read in 2006.

4. Dig through every drawer, every box in this house and throw/give away anything I don't find beautiful or useful.

5. Give away any book I don't love to read over and over (or any how-to books which are no longer relevant).

6. Take more walks, even when I don't feel like it.

7. Come up with a better, more varied list of healthy meals to make.

8. Become a more educated photographer.

9. Lighten-up in places where I'm too tightly-strung.


And that is just the beginning. A good beginning, I think.

Sometimes I've looked over my new year list at year's end (when I can find it) and placed checkmarks beside those goals I accomplished.

Sometimes I've even placed a simple 1/2 beside goals of which I half-accomplished. To me, a half-accomplished goal is better than one I never even attempted. Maybe that's too Pollyanna-ish for some, but for me, this glass-half-full stuff is a sweeter way to live all these years which spin faster with each calendar I replace.


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Happy New Year to all my faithful readers!