30 Mini New Year's Resolutions that I (and you!) can do!

January 3, 2013 Jessica Moseley Gordon

res·o·lu·tion

-l

1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.

2. A resolving to do something.

3. A course of action determined or decided on.

4. A formal statement of a decision or expression of opinion put before or adopted by an assembly such as the U.S. Congress.

5. Physics & Chemistry The act or process of separating or reducing something into its constituent parts: the prismatic resolution of sunlight into its spectral colors.

6. The fineness of detail that can be distinguished in an image, as on a video display terminal.

7. Medicine The subsiding or termination of an abnormal condition, such as a fever or an inflammation.

8. Law A court decision.

a. An explanation, as of a problem or puzzle; a solution.

b. The part of a literary work in which the complications of the plot are resolved or simplified.

10. Music

a. The progression of a dissonant tone or chord to a consonant tone or chord.

b. The tone or chord to which such a progression is made.

11. The substitution of one metrical unit for another, especially the substitution of two short syllables for one long syllable in quantitative verse.

I am one to make resolutions. I never used to. I was of the mentality that I'd never stick to my goals and so therefore why bother. And then I got old. I think turning 40 had a great impact on me, my mindset and my life. It was when I started to look inwardly at my life and the world around me and it was then that I started to realize that life is indeed short. Middle age. I really don't consider myself middle age I really don't feel any different than I did when I was 20 except I am in better shape... albeit a bit stiffer and sorer. When I turned 40 I began to itemize my life... I sorted out what was important to me and what really wasn't. I looked back on where I came from and all that I had accomplished. I looked ahead to the future to figure out where I was headed and all that I still wanted to accomplish. I now do this at the end of every year. I take stock of my life and all around me. I take some time to reflect and contemplate on the past year, focusing equally on the positive and the negative. There's always both. With the positive I saw personal goals that I had achieved. With the negative I tried to figure out how I could grow and improve. There's always room for improvement. There's always room for growth. I strive to do this every day. This year, as always, my resolutions aren't grandiose like saving the planet and mankind, but they are comprised of smaller, much more attainable goals - mini goals if you will. And when a few of these mini goals are strung together, well, you have a pretty damned successful year! My resolutions, or goals are as follows (in no particular order):

1. Read more
2. Stop comparing myself to those rediculous 20-something models on Pinterest!
3. Start working out 5 days a week again.
4. Stop making excuses - see above.
5. Lose 15 pounds by March 1 - that's 2 pounds a week (I'm down 3 so far!)
6. Get back into my 2s... my 4s are very tight (I'm petite for those of you cursing me out!)
7. Write every day. NO EXCUSES.
8. Play more games with my kids.
9. Go on more excursions/outings with my kids.
10. Grow my business.
11. Grow and monetize this blog.
12. Upgrade to a new DSLR - old one has seen better days.
13. Stop procrastinating.
14. Stop letting fear prevent me from doing something new.
15. Do something new or try something new every day.
16. Take a chance whenever possible.
17. Go out on a limb whenever possible.
18. Pay it forward every now and again.
19. Work on my photography
20. Work on my illustrations - You had no idea, did you?!
21. Learn something new.
22. Travel someplace new whenever possible - even if just a road trip.
23. Get book #1 off to publisher... get book #2 on paper
24. Focus on the positive even if the day's a total negative
25. Take time for me
26. Be in the moment/live in the moment
27. Don't sweat the small stuff - everything has a way of turning out just as it's supposed to
28. So something that scares me as often as possible
29. Eat the colors of the rainbow every day (and I don't mean m&ms!)
30. Be grateful for all that I DO have !

A few years ago when my life was topsy turvy I made an inspiration book... It was like an inspiration board but in a looseleaf notebook. I gathered images of things that I wanted, aspired to have both personally and professionally. It was sort of my dream book if you will. I remember including a picture of a small white Cape Cod style house with green shutters that was near the ocean. When I saw my little rental, I walked through her rooms with beautiful hardwood floors, crips white walls, large sunny windows, warm brick fireplace... and then it dawned on me... this was the house! This was the house I pictured myself living in! I am not on the beach, but I am minutes away from three of them! Incredible, yes?

And so I spent the majority of yesterday creating my own inspiation board that sits grandly next to my desk. It's not yet complete, but it's filled with images of things that inspire me... things I want in my future... things I love... things that motivate me and dreams and goals I hope to reach in the next year.

There's more to be added...

This was fun to create... I felt like a high school kid again but instead of a memory board I've got an inspiration board!

My grandmother entered a contest to build a bridge in London. Here's her sketch. It's based on the Ponte Vecchio and it won her a highly impressive 3rd place!