New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year's Eve!  I'm not big on New Year's Eve, at least not the going out and doing the whole crazy party thing.  Actually, one of the best New Year's Stephen and I ever had was a faux New Year's Eve - we went out with some of our friends in Houston on Dec. 30 and really did it up as if it was the real thing - I'm talking makeup professionally done, limousine, fancy dinner, champagne toast at midnight, a crazy night out.  We had the best time!  Everybody around us may have though we were crazy, but it was so much fun and a lot cheaper than the real thing.  Recently most of our New Year's have been spent at home with friends and a good home cooked meal.  We miss our NYE buddies this year!  Tonight we are going to a party with our friends who live below us.  I am going over to their flat this afternoon to help make hors d'oeuvres.  

I'm actually not big on resolutions, I can't really remember a year that I've actually made one.  I like setting goals, I just don't associate this particular day as the time to do it for whatever reason.  But I did just read a couple things that have struck a chord with me, and while they're not resolutions I think I will keep them in my head as reminders of where I want to go and how I want to get there.  

The first one is from a blog called The Happiness Project.  I heard about this from my dad a while ago, I like checking in and reading it from time to time.  Sometimes it gets a little too flowery for me, but hey,  people find happiness all different kinds of ways!  There is a particular posting on the blog called Secrets of Adulthood where I read my first mantra.  This is it:  

"What you do EVERY DAY matters more than what you do ONCE AND A WHILE."

I like this because yes, what we do once and a while can be great efforts, large gestures, special moments, or just plain important.  But, what I do little by little, invest in every day, even if it's not a large thing, in the end plays a larger role.  I like thinking about this because I have room for adjustment here.  Some things I do every day are good and I'd like to keep them.  But some things need to be added in or changed.  So I'm going to try and approach goals this way.  What do I think is important?  If it is, I'd better have something about that particular thing in most of my days.  

The second thing I read recently comes from this blog entitled "Top Five Regrets of the Dying", and is this:

"It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way.  From the moment you lose your health, it is too late.  Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it."  

Health.  The ability to move easily and without pain, disease free.  What a gift, and it's something I rarely think about.  So this year I want to continue to make strides in maintaining/improving my health, and also using the time that's in my personal "healthy living" bank account while I still have it.  

So, happy New Year!  I will be spending a lot more time with friends and family in 2012, and that makes me very happy.