Posts from — January 2012

Happy New Year!

So, it’s January. Again? So soon?

I’m becoming one of those people who exclaims frequently, “I can’t believe it’s January!” or “I can’t believe it’s 2012!” or “I can’t believe the Kardashians’ 15 minutes aren’t up yet!” (That last one isn’t totally relevant but still true.)

I don’t generally do New Year’s resolutions because I make too many to-do lists as it is, and Lord knows I don’t want one full of terrible items like “go running more” and “do my taxes before 10 p.m. on April 14.” That’s really a buzzkill way to start a new year. And I hate running.

I did successfully make a few (well, two: get scuba certified and host more dinner parties) resolutions in 2010 by following three rules:

1. They must be fun.
2. They must be flexible.
3. They must not inspire guilt.

I liked those guidelines because they made me choose goals that I was actually excited about, not resolutions that I shamed myself into picking.

This year, I’m trying something different: a one-word New Year’s resolution. A few friends have told me about this idea, and I love it. Instead of writing a laundry list of tasks I want to accomplish (and may resent by February), I am selecting one word to be my theme for the next year. I hope it will help me stay focused on what my priorities are and be a positive, gentle reminder when I get off track.

My word is for 2012 is: Grow.

I would like to grow in:

• My personal relationships
• My work
• My travel experiences
• My foreign language skills
• My culinary endeavors
• My reading
• My support for causes I care about

Just to clarify, I would not like to grow in:

• My waistline
• My road rage
• My Veruca Salt-like impatience

What’s your word for 2012?