Resolutions

Ah! We have a new year and to celebrate I uploaded a user photo of me just as the clock was striking midnight on New Year's Eve. I had a smallish party at my home that must have been loads of fun (I mean, I definitely had a blast) because the last guests left at around five in the morning. At one point some of my guests let me know some guests of the party downstairs were being lured up so I went down to try to talk to the neighbor I knew, but he was no where in sight. I ended up speaking to someone else and while talking to him was rather gripped by a strange clairvoyance and decided to to let him know this year would be much, much better for him. This started a chain reaction and in the end I had guests from downstairs coming up, wanting to talk to me about their futures--as in, they wanted my "psychic" advice and to know what 2012 holds for them! One girl was lovesick over a man in Spain, and one guy just wanted to know if he was doing the right things in his life to gain the successes he wants. I think these are fairly common feelings (well...we should all be so lucky to be lovesick over Spaniards!) and I hope they found the answers they wanted to hear.

One of my favorite moments of the evening was when the photo referenced above was taken. I wanted to really say goodbye to the past year, which wasn't my best. I snipped pieces of paper and passed them around to everyone, instructing them to write on the paper the things they were happy to leave in the past as we moved forward into the future. Some decided to share what they wrote and some kept their disappointments to themselves. When we were ready, we tossed them into the kitchen sink and lit them on fire! It was fantastic! Just as they turned to ash, someone noticed it was midnight and we all cheered, poured champagne, then ran to the front windows to watch the fireworks going off over downtown. I missed having some of my very dear, old friends there (most of them live out of state), but I do feel very lucky to have started the year with fun, positive, open-minded friends.

Speaking of the past year not being my best, for one of the first times in my life I have crafted a list of resolutions. And I intend to stick to them! They touch on a variety of things in my life but I think they're mostly habits I want to grow into, like getting a solid eight hours of sleep every night or keeping my place a little tidier on the regular. So without further adieu, a list (long, I know) written in second person, of things I'm challenging myself to get into the habit of over the next 12 months:

1. Write more. Write every day, at least a little. Start a blog (hello!). Write stories. Write about your life. Write about your ideas. Write poems. Write songs.

2. Stick to an exercise program.

3. Make a commitment to eating a greater number of healthy foods and fewer unhealthy ones. Look again at portion controls, plan ahead for meals and stick to your plans. (Perhaps will track my eating habits for a few weeks to notice patterns?)

4. Try to cook at least one new dish a month. Attempt ingredients and dishes that are slightly intimidating.

5. Keep your relationships healthy. Write more letters; spend little time with people who are not uplifting.

6. Keep creating! Try new modes of expression (painting, songwriting, photography, carpentry, sculpting, etc!)

7. Keep your surroundings uncluttered and clean. Messy bed=messy head!

8. This one is a little too personal for me to share right now, but perhaps down the line I'll write about it!

9. Take better care of your skin. Remove makeup before going to sleep, use moisturizer and sunscreen daily, and don't actively sun this year. (I have a horrible habit of letting myself get dark in the sun over the summer--I love lying in the sun and being on the water!)

10. Get a solid eight hours of sleep most every night, even if that means being in bed at 9:30pm on the weekends sometimes.

And the last one! Something I've been meaning to do for ages!!

11. Hone fashion aesthetic and what looks good on you. Purge closet of every unflattering item and do not introduce new unflattering items! Keep a log (at some point) for 30 days of what you are wearing, how you feel while wearing it, and what others say about the outfit (i.e. "that color looks nice on you," "that blouse is so you," etc), and photograph the outfit!