Now that 2008 is well underway, I’m ready to make my New Year’s Resolutions. Yes, I know most people consider this to be a January event, but its easy to thrown down a list when you haven’t given it any thought. Lose weight, get organized… blah, blah, blah-blah-blah.

So, I wait.

And if you know me, then you know how hard that is to do.

I am the Queen of lists, the eternal “plan-maker”, mapping out every idea, every goal, every aspiration that might cross my busy little mind. Why? Because I’ll forget it if I don’t. But what’s worse, I’ll know that I’ve forgotten. I’ll remember that I had an amazingly brilliant idea, but no clue as to what the idea was. Its frustration. Its aggravating. And its absolutely fixable.

Back to the resolutions. Yes, its tempting to make that list of “I Wants” on January 1st. But I’ve learned that if I wait, all the random clutter seems to make way for desires that are clearer, more defined and much more in tune with my real objectives.

So, here’s my list for 2008:

  • I resolve to be grateful. This is sort of a given since I’ve been consciously practicing gratitude for several years now. Its not a “hey, I’m doing good” kind of grateful or even a “wow, look at all my cool shit” state of mind. Its the idea that I’m here, I’m alive and I am completely and eternally blessed.
  • I resolve to be healthy. You’ll notice I didn’t say I wanted to lose weight or work out or dust off my old Tae Bo videos and there’s two reasons for that. The truth is, I am trying to drop a few pounds - nothing major, just 10 or so and lifting weights or boxing in front of my TV just might help me accomplish that. But I’m looking for something just a little bit better. I’m resolving to stay in a healthy state of mind. To think healthy just like I think about doing the laundry. It should be second nature - not something that I have to struggle with and certainly not something that leaves me feeling deprived or deflated. So maybe I will dust off that Tae Bo video. Maybe I’ll dig out those hand weights and start walking every night. Maybe. But whatever I do, it will come from a naturally healthy state of mind.
  • I resolve to be amazed. It is so very easy to get caught up in our own little “drama” that we forget to notice all the incredible things happening around us. My daughter reminds me of this every day when she brings me the tiniest flower or points out a shape in the clouds. I want to have that wonder. I want to have that awareness. I want to be amazed.
  • I resolve to be creative. Several years back, my friends and I had a standing painting party on Friday nights. I would get home from work, we’d decide on dinner and then we’d stay up all night painting. Most often, it was on canvasses but a few times, we ventured over to the kitchen walls. It was absolutely exhilarating and I miss it deeply. So, for 2008, I want to get that back. I resolve to find my creative self again and promise to engage her on a regular basis.
  • I resolve to be different. Who do you remember - the people that “blended” and “fit in” or those that marched to a different drum? Our society has become very obsessed with “what other people think”, regardless of whether that thinking really meets our individual needs. So instead of following the masses, I resolve to be different. What exactly does that entail? I’m not sure… but I’ll know it when I see it.
  • I resolve to grow. My birthday falls close to the first of the year so I tend to spend December in a very retrospective state. Another year has come and gone - what did I do with the time? To help with this contemplation, I try to learn at least one new thing a year. Lucky for me, 43 Things helps me maintain my list and also provides me with an ever-growing resource for coming up with new ideas. At this writing, I’ve added eight things to the list but by the time you read this, I’m sure I’ll have added more. What do you want to do this year? Make your list and start growing.
  • I resolve to take action. Okay, I’m going to get on a soap box for a sec but hey… its my blog… I can do that now and then, right? A few paragraphs up, I talked about how easy it is to get caught up in our own drama that we forget to look outside the box. But maybe some of our “drama” is the result of an apathetic mindset. Our world is what we’ve made it - good and bad alike - so it stands to reason that we can change it anyway we see fit. The economy, the environment, how about quality healthcare for everyone? Think we can change the world? I do.

And there you have it. My list of resolutions for 2008. Did I miss something? Probably… but that’s the beauty of having a blog. I can always come back later and add to my list.

Now its your turn: What do you want to do this year?

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