goals.

In anticipation for the approaching new year, I decided to develop a list of goals to tackle in 2012. These goals are not to be confused with my new year's resolutions. These goals are far lighter and more task oriented, yet are things I've been prodding myself all year to do, but just never gotten around to doing them!

1. Learn to speak html. I've tried and cried (okay, not really), and whined about not knowing enough about html to develop my own templates. I can create banners, headers, and collages, but I still don't know html enough to create a full on, personalized template complete with personalized fonts and graphics. This irritates me beyond words. Whether it takes countless hours pouring over tutorials online, or actually attending a blogging class, I will learn to speak html, blogger language.

2. Learn how to use camera. In the spring of this year I finally got a decent camera for picture taking. I purchased my Canon and have been loving it ever since. I must confess that I feel super unequipped using it. I really just tap the button a few times and that's all I know how to do. There are so many different settings and options; I'm afraid to mess with it! With so many books and workshops available, I really want to be able to work my camera by the end of the year.

3. Buckle down to a strict running/ yoga routine. I love yoga. It's relaxing and totally puts my body at ease. Unfortunately, yoga is a timely exercise. I need a good 35 minutes to really calm my body and burn some calories. During the day I feel too much pressure to be doing something more important (my famous last words). I never quite feel relaxed enough, and a million little tasks pop into my head while I'm lying there. I would really love to set aside those worries and dedicate a little portion of time each morning to getting a good stretch in. As far as running goes, I hate running. Hate it. I'm not going to mask this, I'm a total whiner. I whine a lot. I hate that I get out of breath, I hate that I'm bored on the treadmill and all I have to watch is this little lady who is doing one arm curl per fifteen minutes. But, I still run. Why spend 23487394879 minutes (slight exaggeration) on the elliptical when I can pound out a good 30 minutes on the treadmill and get on with my life? I realized that by doing some really hard work for a short amount of time, I'm really getting a lot more out of my workouts and spending less time at the stinky gym. Oh yeah, the point of this goal is to run and do yoga on a regular basis. No exceptions. If time is cut short, go anyway.

4. Eat better. This is a popular new years resolution for most people, but I mean this in a whole different way. In February 2011 I self diagnosed myself with gluten intolerance. I'm not entirely intolerant of gluten, I can eat small amounts each week and still feel fine. My issue is that I have a hard time resisting temptation. When we're at a gross fast food dump and everyone is ordering greasy chicken that smells and looks so so so delicious, I have a hard time saying, "No, I can't eat that." Why? Because I know the questions that always follow. Why? You look healthy as a horse? Oh, I don't believe you can't eat that. That gluten free stuff is nonsense. You'll be fine, just have a bite. You can't even eat bread? That's a joke. These statements may seem silly and dumb, but honestly they hurt. No, I don't have a doctor's slip explaining that I cannot consume gluten. perhaps if I wrote my own then more people would be understanding and not so judgmental and rude. No, that probably wouldn't help. This year I really want to stop caring about what other people say, and eat for my body. i'm the one that deals with the cramping stomach, the dreadful feeling when I don't want to do anything but lie in bed, curled up into a ball. I must take responsibility for my actions. I choose what goes into my mouth, and what doesn't.


5. Find my passion. Warning, this goal is a tad on the more serious side. I've been searching for the right career for some time now. Words cannot express the difficulty of trying to decide which lifepath is the right one. I've set a few options in front of myself, now just praying and researching for the next couple of months until I choose!

6. Embrace Life. A couple of months ago I dotted a little note down to myself, " Worry less, give more". I'm such a worrier by nature, but I'm working to undo that reaction. 2012 is going to be a year of brand news for me. New job, new house, husband, new gym, new bank, new church, and new anything-else-you-can-imagine. This year is going to be nuts. I'm striving to enjoy every part of this year, instead of worrying about all the chaos!