Resolution-izing

I’m a couple days late to the party, I know, but I’ve been thinking. I needed time to solidify my plans for the new year and come up with things I want to do more or less of this year or start or stop doing altogether.

In no particular order, these are the things I want to do — or don’t want to do — this year. Since I am putting it on the Internet for the world (or the few people that read this) to see, I’m counting on you guys and girls to hold me to it.

1. Get healthy. I believe this was one from last year and probably a few years previous, but this year I’m serious about it. Wanna know how I know? I worked out outside on Monday. While it was 30 and snowing. If you know me, you know that’s a big deal.

Seriously though, I resolve to eat better and smarter and well, less. Newsflash: You don’t HAVE to clean your plate if you physically can’t without feeling like shit after.

1a. Get healthy. Besides the eating better and working out stuff, there’s some other health matters that need attending to. Nothing life-threatening, just some things that need to be checked out and hopefully fixed. As we saw last year with the surprise appendicitis and, well, a week and a half ago, nothing is out of the question. I hate going to the doctor, but I have good insurance and would rather pay a co-pay than for anesthesia from a surgery. That’s just ricockulous.

2. Spend wisely. 2012 will be the year I attend — and in a couple cases take part in — some weddings. It will also be the year I (attempt to) become a homeowner (or condo owner cause that’s cheaper and easier). Plus one of my best friends is having a baby and I’m ’bout to buy that kid all kinds of adorable stuff.

Add to that a resolution to get outta town more often to see friends and family (you’ll see that later on in this list) and I gotta be careful where I spend my money because I’m gonna need to be spending it. Kind of a lot.

Savings will be important, but I’m not going to become a hermit, necessarily. I’m just going to think it through a little more before I decide to shell out some dough.

3. Spend my time wisely, too. It kind of goes along with the previous resolution, in that I don’t have to always spend money to get out of the house and enjoy myself. But besides that, I want to do more that involves helping others.

I loved being a team captain for our family and friends’ Alzheimer’s Walk team and can’t wait to do it again this year. But there are other things I’d like to do as well. I want to find ways to volunteer my time and give back to others because if there’s one thing I realized in 2011, it’s that I should be (and am) beyond grateful for what I have in this life because others aren’t as lucky.

4. Road trip it up. I have friends and family all over the country. Well, kinda. They’re mostly east-coasters but there are a few others scattered between here and California. OH and there are those two guys I know living in South Korea and that family I have in England.

Now I may not be able to do another big trip like I did in 2011, but BG is a two-hour drive. Nashville is three. Jackson and Chicago are five and the company I will find when I get to those destinations is well worth the extra time spent in the car.

I also have aunts and cousins in Tennessee, N.C., Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania I’ve been meaning to visit.

It may seem to contradict my whole not spending much money thing, but in 2011, I plan to make a more concerted effort to visit my family and friends who don’t have the same area code.

5. Only play games if I’m with the Game Night Bitchezz. Now really, I’m not talking about board games. But speaking of which, hey game night friends, lets try to do this getting together thing more often than we did last year. Or maybe I’m just feeling spoiled because I’ve seen you all like, every single day since UK went on Christmas break.

Nah, the games I’m talking about in this case are of the mind variety. I’m 27. Some of the gentlemen (and I use that term very loosely in some cases) I’ve dealt with in recent years are older than that. Time to start acting like it.

If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, fine. None of this middle of the road, I’m not sure stuff. If I care about you, I’ll make the effort. If I see that you’re not, I’ll adjust accordingly. Done wasting my time on those who aren’t worth it.

6. Be crafty. Remember how I told you about this plan for my room? Haven’t done it yet. It’s easy and cheap and my wall will look so much prettier, so why the hold up? I have no idea.

Plus, have you seen Pinterest? Holy crap it’s addicting. And there is an endless supply of crafty things on there even I — She Who Sucketh At Crafts — can do. I mean, the vodka-soaked gummy bears I saw on there worked, who’s to say other things won’t?

7. Gimme a break. I need to take it easier on myself. I believe I said last year-ish that I wanted to be happier. I think I was, for the most part, in 2011. But there was still that pesky anxiety crap to deal with. The majority of that anxiety came from unnecessary worry.

Now, that’s not to say that there isn’t something good about keeping yourself in check. But I need to maybe do it less. The sooner I realize I’m never gonna be perfect, the better. I will do my best, while remembering that stuff will go wrong, and more often than not, it will be out of my control.

I will stop being so hard on myself, so mean to myself, so amped up on the thought that one little thing will have a domino effect on everything else. In related news, I may find a new therapist, since I haven’t been able to get ahold of mine in about a year (something seems wrong with that…).

8. Make this blog better. We’re coming up on the third birthday of this here website and there’s so much more I could be doing. So make note that I am declaring that I will post more, shoot more pictures and actively try to make this thing look better in 2012.

And there you have it. Eight resolutions for 2012. I think I can do it. After all, it’s on the Internet now, so I kind of have to, don’t I?

Happy New Year, boys and girls.