I'm weirdly excited for 2012. I don't remember ever being really excited for a new year until now, but for some reason I am. Maybe it's because the world's supposed to end this year. Maybe it's because even if that doesn't happen, a lot of other stuff will - like finishing my thesis, graduating with my master's degree, moving to [insert one of about six places here], starting a doctoral program (Lord willing), and who knows what else. But I think more likely, it's because lately I've really been learning to trust God and to see the work He's doing in my life in a way I never have before, and as a result, I see the 366 days of this new year as infinite possibilities for Him to love me, to protect me, to care for me, and to teach me.
I think it's also because I'm excited about my resolutions. I know resolutions are rarely ever kept, and that's part of the reason why I've made sort of unusual ones...ones that go a different direction than the ridiculous and unattainable goals of losing 250 pounds and getting a six-pack and reading every classic book ever written and learning two new languages and being a better person that people usually aspire to.
So that's why my first resolution is to focus more on thankfulness and joy, as I posted about last time. My second resolution is to do new things in 2012...I'm tempted to say 50 new things, and I think that's probably an attainable number, but I'm honestly not too concerned with the number of new things, so much as just the attitude of being open to new opportunities and growth, and of being aware of the way I use these opportunities and growth. That said, I'm going to do new things this year...I've got a few ideas written down of things I specifically intend to do, but mostly I'm just going to take things as they come...and photo-document as many of them as I can, and put them in a scrapbook so that in 366 days, I can look back on 2012 and all of the new experiences it's brought!
My third resolution is boring, and (sadly and rather oddly) probably the one I'm least likely to keep, but I'll share it anyway. It is, simply, to keep up with cleaning my apartment (especially the kitchen). I believe it is one of my most moronic traits that I do not make myself spend 5 minutes a day tidying things up, but instead always wait until things get kinda out of control...even though I know that if I spend 5 minutes a day cleaning, I will keep things clean, and if I keep things clean, I will be infinitely less stressed out (messy apartment=oppressive to my soul).
But anyway, it's almost 2 AM, and past my bedtime (maybe my fourth resolution should be to sleep at normal human hours...but let's face it, that's probably never going to happen, least of all while I'm in grad school!), so I am off to bed. Happy 2012!
