I’ve never been a New Year’s Resolution type of person, besides the usual, lose some LBs and see the world. But I really want 2011 to be different. I feel like 2010 went by way too quickly so this year I want to take a moment to really set some goals and do my best to achieve them. From personal to professional, they’re all here and I’m hoping that if I share them publicly it might even help me stick to them a little more ;)
1. Lose some lbs. I used to be an athlete. i was a big time runner. If I didnt run at least 3 miles a day in my 20s I felt wierd, jumpy and moody and just off. But I married a couch potato who doesnt like to go to the gym and so i quit. that was 19 years ago. I was in great shape until I was about 30. Then It went south. The odd thing is i really don't eat much. All those years of waitressing I got turned off to food. I have actually forgotten to eat some days. I think ive wrecked my metabolism. Ive gained about 3-5 lbs almost every year for the past 10-12 years or more. EEK. Did I just say that outloud???. That's what happens when you hit 30. The old Metabolic rate slows down, slower than a line at the post office in December.
Our son is a power lifter. i used to love to lift weights. I took pride in it. When I was 27 I could bench 125 (the same as my weight and I could run 3 miles in 3o minutes.) THOSE DAYS are GONE. So im gonna do it. I'm taking lots of scary Before pics so the afters look good. I can hardly wait.
2. Learn to play a musical instrument. Ok wait, thats impossible. I am gifted in visual ways but not musical ways. I so admire anyone who can sing, or play the piano or any instrument. I played the drums in high school. Whats odd is i can sing Opera. I was singing Opera in the bathroom in Belgium in a 900 year old castle and when I came out the staff from the kitchen applauded me. I dont know why, but I can and thats all I can do, music wise that is. wierd, really wierd.
3. Put friends and family first more often. I think a lot of my photographer friends can identify with the downside of being self-employed: work is almost always first. It’s so easy to fall down the slippery slope of “Why not work a few more hours?” So this year I’m going to make myself focus more time on checking in with family and spending more time with friends. I think it’s a win win — work gets more focused energy and my non-work life does, too.
4. Attend Church more often. Now I average one Sunday a month. I need to be there along side my son and daughter and family every Sunday. I'm just so lazy on Sundays. Theres something alluring about my recliner and fireplace on a Sunday morning. It wraps around me and wont let me out, And my favorite blanket, you know that super soft one? I just want to be 6 years old on Sunday morning and stay in my Jammie's all day and do things like Color, sleep, read and sit. Sit a lot. Then nap and sit a bit longer.
I love the lord and going 12 times a year isnt enough. Plus our Pastor Gary Riles is awesome. he can make you laugh and cry in the same sentence.
5. Document real life more often. I’ve flat out forgotten to take pictures of most things that have happened in my personal life over the past few years. More shots of my husband, our grandsons, my parents. real life. I want to videotape my father telling stories, and my mom too. I want to photograph them doing something they love. So this year I want to be better about taking pictures and actually saving them somewhere they won’t be lost, such as being printed out and framed. Not on a hard drive. It’s hard to top a great memory, but it’s nice to have something to actually look back on, too.
6. Make my home a priority. I love our home and its decorated very tastefully. But I need more organization, and to declutter a bit too. I'm planning on having a great yard sale in the spring. it will be huge, as I have 3 storage buildings full of beautiful furniture and studio props. Stay tuned for it.
7. Visit old friends. I was never someone who had a lot of friends growing up. I believe in having just a few really deep friends. Not shallow fair weather friends. I adore the ones I have. But saying hi on face book and a passing visit every 10 years isn't good enough for me anymore.
I am always making plans to visit them but rarely get the chance to actually follow through. But no more. I’m so thankful to have friends that go back that far in my life and this year I’m going to be a better friend to them — no excuses. They deserve to be a bigger priority in my life and I’m going to do my best to make that happen.
8. Be scared — and brave — more often. I haven’t been truly scared of anything in my life since giving birth to my son. I used to do all sorts of brave things. Bungee jumping, flying around the world ALONE. Betting it all in Vegas, etc. But I want to do more. I want to skydive and things like that. I need to do more of that this year. Much more. It’s a great reminder than life happens outside of this Computer, too.
9. Remember the happy. Fellow photographers,you know how this feels: You have a great day, hear from nice people all day and then get slapped with one doozy of a mean e mail or voice mail. I’ve gotten pretty good at letting them roll of my back, but sometimes I can slip into that place where I forget to really absorb the happy comments, too. I’m going to work harder this year to really soak in the kind things people say as much as I soak in the negative things. Both are valuable feedback and I shouldn’t let the ones that can hurt a bit drown out the ones that don’t. My daughter always says "Don't let anyone rob your JOY mom, Its really really important." I love it when she says that.
10. Cook a lot more often. My son is 6 2 and 240 lbs and he has a big appetite. My husband works hard and they deserve something better than Pizza. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am a really really good cook. I didn't learn to cook well until I was about 35. I can make almost anything, i really can. Its just that im too LLLAAZZZYY to do it as often as they would like. Like 6 nights a week. I mean its all that work and then slurp, its gone in 10 minutes. But my family deserves some LOVIN' From the OVEN.! Yep, I'm gonna really follow through on this one. I actually love grocery shoppping too. I just need to plan better. Its all about the planning, then the gro shopping and then the execution. Look for lots of mouth watering pics on my blog this year of the wonderful meals I'm going to woo my husband with. Hey wait, doesn't this conflict with resolution number one? Oops. First thing I'm going to try is a MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH this weekend. and lots of Roasts, Pork tenderloins and Stews and desserts. and wih full color pictures. Oh yea. 2011 is gonna rock.
BTW, last thing is I want to devote more of my time to reminding the people in my life how much they mean to me, whether it’s through a hand-written letter, lunch date, little gift or just a big hug.
Honestly arnt these boys the cutest? I wanted to scoop them up and kiss thier cheeks!
Grandpa and his grandaughter. Whats more tender than that????
