New Year's Intentions

So, Day 2.

I am going to try to post everyday for the month of January, just to see if I can actually stick to it and do it. If I don't make it, I will not mentally punish myself, but it is a nice thing to just see if I can do. I always get too nervous around NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), the pressure always gets to me, and I just want to do this for me. I want this year to be all about me setting my own pace, but encouraging myself to move forward. Which is where the title of this post comes in.

New Year's Resolutions always seem so threatening, like if I don't accomplish them then I will feel like a failure. And is it just me, or does it sound like an absolutely horrible way to start the year off?? All that pressure? So, instead of resolutions, I am making intentions, things that I would like to use to help guide me through the upcoming year, but not to put unnecessary pressure on myself, or unwanted guilt if I don't accomplish all, or any of them. On the bus to the movies yesterday, these are the ones that came to me:

In no particular order.....
1. Stop caring so much about what other people think.
2. Put myself (including my happiness) first.
3. Get more financially stable and responsible.
4. Do something great for "28".
5. Blossom a little.
6. Get a better bed.
7. Write ALOT more.
8. Nourish my creativity.
9. Please, stop being so hard on myself.
10. Forgive myself, for so many things.
11. Trust more.
12. Love more.
13. Enjoy more.
14. Take better care of myself, both physically and emotionally.
15. Be happier.
16. Be open.
17. Breathe.
18. Reintroduce myself to myself, and learn how to listen again.
19. Take more photos. Don't give up on my photographic abilities.
20. Print out more photos. Decorate the apartment more.
21. Get a system in place to keep the apartment clean.
22. Be patient with myself. Give myself time to recover and grow.

And probably more to come. Now, I realize that some of these only make sense to me, and some probably seem very hippy-dippy bullshit-like, but I really feel good about them, and I am looking forward to seeing how I do with keeping hold of them throughout the year. So many things can change in a year, who knows where my life will be by January 1st, 2015. It's nice to have something to guide you through the upcoming year.

Wish me luck.

(photo at the top: pretty old pic from like 2007, senior year of  college, taken at my then apartment. But don't I look both calm and focused? At least i think so.)