The Year Ahead

The Blue Moon of New Year 09/10.

I'm going to continue my new tradition of not making any formal resolutions, but I'm very excited about the year ahead (for once!) and I have a few things I want to focus on.

1. I have two creative goals which I really want to accomplish this year. We are restructuring our week to accomodate my work on these things, and I'm really excited about it. You'll see bits and pieces as I work on them! I decided to skip school for another year to work on these instead, so I'm very motivated to get them done! (hint: they involve art, cooking, and books)

2. Continue my success of last year's Keeping Things Simple. Not too much spending, not too much worrying, not too many "shoulds"... trying to keep things ultra simple and low-stress. It's good for Terri's health and it's good for mine, too.

3. Focus on the positive. I know there will be rough spots, and tragedy strikes when you least expect it. But we have so many good things in our lives and I feel better when I focus on those things. It pulled me out of some rough spots last year, so I'm going to continue the practice.

4. Figure out the house-buying question. It still depends on a few things, but I'm really hoping that by the fall of 2010 we will at least know whether or not we can buy something in the Bay Area... somewhere. Small is fine, starter-home is fine, a bit of a fixer is fine, townhouse is fine, a bit of a commute is fine. Maybe I'm dreaming, but I'm really serious about figuring this out. So the next time I see one of those free home-buyer seminars, I'm going.

I think that's enough. #4 will depend on a few things... but I want to be prepared in case the stars align and things work out.

No resolutions about weight, exercise, reading, eating, resting, working, cleaning, stressing or anything else which implies a "should." Just stuff I'm excited about and want to make some progress on! I'm getting together with a friend tomorrow to work on her plans for the year... it seems like new year, new decade = good time to make some big plans.

Terri and I made some fun couple goals too: go camping at least once, spend the night in the city, go see some music, attend church more often (because we like it). She made some really terrific goals. I just feel so positive. I'm a little frightened of this new and unfamiliar feeling. :)

Oh, and lots of people are choosing words for the new year. I decided not to think about it too hard, and the words that popped in my mind were, "Hop To It." As in, get a move on. Get stuff done. Enough pondering -- get moving. So there you have it. My big philosophical statement for the year ahead. Hop To It. I finally feel ready.

What about you? Thoughts for the new year?