Time to hit the reset button

"Well, my time of not taking you seriously is coming to a middle." - Mal from Firefly

I wish I could offer a happy pleasant close to 2011 and excitement for 2012, but sadly that is not the case. 2011 was, honestly, a bit of a disappointment for me. I failed at quite a few of my goals, and many of my efforts (goal related or not) were ultimately fruitless. I just don't have very much to show for 2011 from any facet so I find myself rather upset.

I have had a 2 or 3 weeks of sulking about it, but now I need to shake it off, stick my head out from underneath the covers, flip the lights on and hit the reset button. I thought a good way to start would be with a new look for the blog. Something a little warmer, cheerier and perhaps with a slightly more humorous undertone.

So despite my reservations of once again not meeting expectations, here are my 2012 goals (well some of them):

1. Drink more water - there is no way I am going to try to cut out the soda/caffeine. I am not going to set myself up for that kind of failure. That being said, I know I don't drink enough water and perhaps if I increase my water intake it will "counteract" my soda intake.

2. Keep Leaky Light alive - so my photo social experiment didn't go well. I really have no one but myself to blame. I should have pushed harder, but I didn't want it to be a burden. That being said, I enjoyed having a place to post some of my better photography. Therefore, even though the intent will be overhauled, Leaky Light needs to stay updated and functioning.

3. Increase my take home income by $6000 this year - I don't care how I do it, as long as it is legal. If I need to get a second job back in retail, pick up some freelance/contract work, start an at home service industry, selling my crafts on the street corner, or finding a new job all together, I need to make more money then I am currently. Money has never been an issue for me, but perhaps if I made it more of an issue I might find myself in a better place.

4. Be the lady that would accompany that gentlemen to that party - I realize that is vague and many, if not all, will not understand what I mean. This kind of has two parts. First I don't want you to think I am aspiring to be a supermodel, actress, celebrity etc. Nor do I want you to think that I looking to "score" me a model, actor celebrity etc. That being said, I was at a movie a week or two ago and the male leads were in these amazing suits looking strong, confident and intelligent. It is amazing that a well tailored suit can exude that. Looking at them I thought to myself, "I want to be with a person like that, worthy and on par to be next to a person like, I want to be equal or of the same caliber of a gentlemen like that." What all this will entail, I am not sure yet. To be honest, I am not sure I could pin down what makes a man like that, it obviously isn't all the suit, but it does help.

5. Read 12 books in a year - That is 1 book a month. I know that this is a highly attainable goal. As a matter of fact I am already head of the game here. It's only the 9th and I have already got 2 books under my belt. This is a recurring yearly goal for me, but I have stepped back on the number for 2 reasons. First, with the "no headphones" policy at work my audiobook consumption has gone down drastically. Second, I think my movie goals might get in the way.

6. Watch 36 movies in a year - This was a goal from last year and I didn't attain it. This year will be better though. I need to see 36 movies in the movie theater, and I already have 2 under my belt. I have see "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and "The Adventures of Tintin."

7. See 100 movies in 100 days - I know what you are thinking, didn't your last goal say 36 movies? This one works in conjunction with the above listed goal. I read a few months ago about a guy who did this challenge. The goal was to see 100 movies, in theaters, in 100 days which in theory would be fantastic. But if you do the math, I can think of a lot of ways to spend $1000, which is approximately what it would cost to see 100 movies in theaters. The guy I read about worked for a movie related company, and I am sure was paid/reimbursed to see them. So I am altering the challenge just a bit. The goal is to see 100 movies I have never seen before, in 100 days. This means I can rent them or stream them, though the first choice would be to seem them in theaters, as long as they are feature film length and un-edited (that means no TV movies, mini series or films edited for TV). This challenge will probably take place in the Summer, but I might wait do it for the Winter movie push, we'll have to see.

8. Complete a printed family recipe book - I have wanted to do this for a couple of years now. My mom and aunts have some great recipes, but they have been used and altered so much over the years the recipe cards are barely legible. I would like to design a book that compiles them all in one place. I think I might break this one down in pieces and do it as part of thing-a-day this year. Yes, I plan to do thing-a-day again this year.

9. Start a novel - This one really doesn't need any explanation. It is another repeat from last year. I didn't even attempt it though. Hopefully this year I will give it a chance.

10. Start an etsy store - This one works in conjunction with the "increasing my income" goal. Basically, pinterest.com has given me a lot of great ideas I want to try and I think etsy might be a good place to off load some of them after I have had my fun. Plus, the money might be nice, if my stuff sales that is.

11. Renew my passport - Another self explained goal. I don't really plan on leaving the country this year, but it might be nice to have just in case I win the lottery and decide to take an around the world cruise.

12. "Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite" - This is one of the books I have already read. It is a really quick read by Paul Arden. Basically, it is about thinking outside the box, which I need to get back to. I need to start pushing my limits again. But I am going to expand it a little further than that. By changing my perspective, I am going to try to not be so emotional and attached. I am going to learn to lie a little better, say no with a little more confidence, and be a little more nonchalant.

I will admit that there are a few more that I am not listing here and I still need to decide on a "big one". We'll just have to see how it goes.
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Addendum
I want to add another goal to this year's list, not the big one though:

13. Learn to meditate - So it isn't a big secret, but it isn't something that I broadcast either, I suffer from panic attacks. They are generally mild, I can keep them under control for the most part. I know a couple of triggers, big crowds for one, so I know the things to stay away from. So add this to a couple of irrational fears, and I think meditation might do me some good.