Last week, I was talking about the things I accomplished in 2012 here on NOH and within my family. I have to say it was an incredible year with lots of changes in so many aspects — but so far, all of them were absolutely wonderful and seem to have been the right paths to take. With that being said, I’m fully looking forward to all that 2013 has in store (thanks to the fact that the world didn’t end on December 21, 2012) and embracing the lack of the apocalypse as a general change in life for the better!
So here’s what is on my bucket list for 2013. I tried to not be too vague with my resolutions since that rarely leads to any solid action, but rather refined them to very specific goals and objectives, many of which I’ve already begun implementing and living out!
- I will finish reading The Happiness Project and create my own happiness project. In fact, I’ve started the first month of this already and kinda on February so I’m on a roll. This book is really fantastic and I can relate so much to what the author, Gretchen Rubin, says in every page. If you love your life but somehow feel like you don’t appreciate it enough or just don’t celebrate every day of your life, then I highly recommend you check it out!
- I will be kinder & give more compliments to people. This is going to tie in with the happiness project as well, but I have a tendency to be short tempered (which I hate) and I’d much rather be known for my level-headedness instead! I am also going to stop criticizing people I don’t know on the street (or even people I do know) because I don’t want make becoming judgmental at just 4 years old! And I’m going to be nicer to my husband as well, cause let’s be honest — he totally rocks!
- I will wake up at 6:15am every morning and be in bed at 10:30pm! Both Stefan and I are doing this, and I have to say it’s pretty amazing. Not only do you get tons accomplished every day because the day is so long, but I also seem to have more energy. That could also be related to the next “thing” on this list (exercising) but whatever it is, I’m liking it! We also have been converting our bedroom into a sleep oasis, putting up our curtains finally so it’s not bright as day in our room at night (thanks to the neighbors and their 500 watt light bulbs which stay on all night across the street!)
- I will stick to my workout plan. This year I will be focusing a lot more on health, if only so that I can achieve the goal of running the Berlin Marathon in September 2013 a bit more easily. I will be starting yoga at least once a week + doing BOSU ball training at least twice a week and kettlebell swings every morning. Plus I’m running Tuesday, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays! Seriously folks, I have never been this into a sports habit before!
- I will kick butt during our runs and races. I will not let myself give up or dilly-dally. I will give every run my all, even though it’s 6:30am and still dark out! And I will strive to constantly set new personal bests for myself. Cause the truth of the matter is, I actually enjoy it! And when I go more than a few days without running, it just seems that something is missing from my life.
- I will stay focused so that I can achieve great things in our businesses. I am not going to go into great detail here, but we have gotten better about taking baby steps and focusing on one thing at a time finally. We are devoting more time to them in the evening, once Mack is in bed, and have a renewed focus and energy about our projects in general which should help us achieve some major changes this year!
- I will be more active in social media circles. So if you’re on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, have a look out for me. I’ll probably be a bit more active on Pinterest too. 🙂
- I will take time out for myself. That will not only include doing the icky things like not putting off necessary doctors appointments but also getting a mani-pedi from time to time — and even going to the yoga is doing something for myself that I talked about for years but never actually did.
- I will be a better housewife. I have already created a rather detailed monthly cleaning schedule for myself and I’ve been sticking to it. Plus things are already looking better around here by the day, which helps the mood of everyone at home!
- I will read at least one book a month. I even have a loose plan that I created a little back. So with a few updates and my Kindle all loaded up, I should be good to go on that in no time and ready to read! I’ve always loved reading, whether fiction, self-help or other learning books — but in this day and age where we’re constantly on the go, reading becomes more difficult all the time.
- I will continue to kick clutter’s butt! We have gotten rid of SO much stuff in the last year…but we still have a lot of stuff to get rid of and especially to sell off. So we’re going to be spending time every Saturday on projects around the apartment…and will set aside a specific time to do the stupid ebay listings too (or find another way to get rid of the boxes of kid’s clothes we have piled up!)
- I will print out these goals for myself and start crossing them off. Actually, I’m making them into a list in Evernote with checkboxes. Yeah, I’m a geek. But I will also post an update every 3 months to let you know how I’m doing! You’re holding me accountable — starting today.
What can I help you accomplish and hold you accountable for this year? 😉
I retired six years ago after a rather lengthy tenure as a meat cutter. Working in a retail environment I had cause to conduct many conversations with people I didn’t know or didn’t know well. I am a rather gregarious fellow so this posed no problem for me, as a matter of fact I rather enjoyed it.
Since retirement I have made a practice of greeting strangers I meet in public places with a smile and a few cheery words. In almost all cases my smile is returned and I have engaged in a few minutes of conservation with a complete stranger many times. Being nice to people is so easy to do and you just might be doing someone a favor by cheering them up. I plan on doing this throughout 2013 and beyond. Love, compassion, and understanding are the lubricant that makes the world go around more smoothly. 🙂
Thanks for your insight, Charlie. I think that a few kind words and even just a smile can go a long way!
It seems that over here in Germany, many people choose not to smile (or maybe they think their scowls are smiles since I’ve heard that Germans don’t know how to smile lol) but I do try to set a smile on my face when I’m out and about. And it’s amazing how people warm up to you when you compliment them. We’ve especially been noticing this at the local farmers’ market, where I think the vendors rarely hear a kind word!
Life is too short to be caught up in tearing others down…and I think that if you can send positivity to others, it comes right back to you immediately.
I wish you a Happy New Year… My list of “resolutions” has become much more smaller with the years and so it is not so much frustrating… I also set reasonable goals similar to some of yours such as “declutter the house” or “plan healthier meals”… On the social media point, my personal goal is to get more engaged and interact more with the people in my surroundings (commenting on your blog is part of this resolution). I also have as a goal to get in touch on a more regular base with friends. Do you do retrospective at the end of the year?