Resolutions for 2012

I said I'd post about my different resolutions, so here we go:

In the vein of Allie over at A Literary Odyssey, I have broken mine into categories.  I have reading, blogging, and personal goals.

Reading:

• My goals for reading are pretty simple.  I don't want to put a number on it because either I will fall hopelessly short like I would have for any number I would have put on 2011 or I'll get close enough that I can finish...if I FLY through easy books I don't really want to read at the end of the year.  Not interested.  
• So, I'm going to shoot for reading quality books well.  I bought a copy of Harold Bloom's How to Read and Why, so I'm going to read that soon and try to read my books better.  
• If I get stuck on what book to read next, I'm going to go to my favorite source: the Rory Gilmore Book Club's reading list.  So many classics that I should read and already own.  
• I'm going to try my best to read books I already own instead of spending my entire paycheck each month on new books I won't get to until who knows when.  I know that in the grand scheme of things, books are one of the better things to buy because they won't go bad and they will always fit, even if I don't pick up a book I buy now until I'm 50.  But I live in an apartment.  I'm running out of room for new bookshelves.  I'm just going to have to suck it up for another two and a half years.

Blogging:

• I want to post more often.  I think shooting for three times a week is a good amount.  But if I don't have anything to say, I'm not going to post because I hate when people post just to post (I also hate people who talk just to talk).  Posting this often fits in with my personal goals of journaling and being more mindful of my existence.
• In addition to my own writing, I want to interact with other bloggers more, which means investing time in reading and commenting on other blogs.  And that's fine with me.  I'd love to build up some more friendships with people who are interested in the same kind of thing as me.
• My posts will be a mixture of bookish pursuits (when there is anything to report) and personal posts about how I'm doing with my other goals and activities.

Personal:

• Establish a sleep and wake up time because I do better on a routine.
• Read for one hour before bed--I think I'll amend this to stop working an hour before my "bedtime" and get ready and read for thirty minutes because one hour is starting to seem unrealistic in the face of my thesis.
• Exercise on the Wii Fit three days a week and at the gym three days a week.  I'll do something like yoga or walking the lake the other day.
• Go through my closet--When unpacking, I went through my closet and put several things in a donate box.  I also turned all of the hangers in my closet around to the back side of the bar; when I wear something, I'll turn the hanger right side out.  After a month I'll evaluate.  It might take two months because of the sheer amount of clothing I own.  But I'd like to pare things down and get rid of the everyday items I wear on only certain occasions.
• Attack clutter and focus on the dump zones--Again, I live in an apartment; space is limited.  Too many objects make the place claustrophobicly crowded.
• I want to apply the one-minute rule (do anything that will take less than a minute immediately) and practice the ten-minute tidy-up (spend ten minutes cleaning up at the end of the day).
• Drink eight glasses of water a day and eat healthier.
• Menu plan so food doesn't go to waste and I don't have to spend time deliberating what to pack for lunch or we'll have for supper.
• I have some relationship goals, like quitting nagging, fighting right, no dumping, give proofs of love, and have a regular date night.  My relationship is wonderful, but I feel like Zach deserves to be treated better than I treat anyone else because I love him more than anyone else, but as often happens, Zach gets crapped on because he's the closest to me.
• I also need to lighten up, so I'll try to make a joke instead of snapping, I'll acknowledge other people's feelings, I'll do better at preserving happy memories, I'll find more fun, and I'll be generous.
• I want to spend out--that is, trust in abundance instead of more or less hoarding the last of something to the point that it just goes bad or becomes unusable.  That last cookie and those really delicious leftovers?  I can get or make more.  The really good coupon?  I should use it before it expires.
• No. More. Gossip.  I mean actively or passively participating in it and listening to it.  I just don't want to hear it because I just don't want to get involved.  Period.  Hearing my friend's problems is one thing.  Hearing from a friend about another person's problems is quite another.
• I also want to give more positive reviews.  This is kind of like looking for the blessing.  For example, if Zach and I manage to steal a couple of hours to watch a movie, I should focus on the time together being a treat instead of the movie being bad.

As you can see, I have a lot of personal goals.  Like I said last time, I've allowed my life to drown in negativity.  Nothing is ever enjoyable or good enough.  I don't like living like that.  If it means having to cut out activities or limit interactions with certain people, so be it.  But I think that doing these things will put me on track to live and be happier.

Well, it's about time for the Day After Readathon activities to commence.  We'll be starting the day with waffles.  I have some books I've started reading that I'd like to finish:  Washington Square, Nine Stories, Out of Africa, Joy in the Morning, How to Be Lovely, and Possession.  And some others that I'd like to perhaps start reading:  Anna Karenina, The White Goddess, Cannery Row, and others that begin calling my name throughout the day.  I have no idea what Zach will be reading.  And I have no idea how long this is going to last because the roofers are going at it on my building's roof and OMG! the noise!  And OSU is playing in the Fiesta Bowl tonight and they'll probably never in the foreseeable future get so high a bowl, so we'll probably be good little OSU students and employees and watch even though I'm definitively a Bama fan.  Maybe with friends.  I'll post about what actually winds up happening tomorrow.