2012 Intentions

You thought that since it was over a week since the new year and I hadn't yet written anything about resolutions then clearly I hadn't made any this year.  Nope, not the case.  I always make resolutions at the beginning of a new year.  Some years they're more ambitious than others.  And, usually I fall off the wagon around week 2 or 3.  But I always make them.  For one reason.

I. Love. Starting. A. New. Year.

I get really excited when January 1 rolls around each year.  Magically, at the stroke of midnight on December 31/January 1, everything is wiped clean and you're given a fresh start.  I know, I know, there's nothing "magical" or special about January 1 and if I really wanted to change things in my life, I could start on any random day of the year.  The third Tuesday in May could be the first day of the rest of my life.  But for me, I get all giddy about the first of January.  And this year was no different.

I sat on the beach in Florida the morning of January 1st and wrote down my intentions for the year.  I'm calling my resolutions "intentions" so that I don't feel like I've failed if I don't stick with them.  This way, even if I veer off course, I can look back at my list and remember what I had set out to concentrate on this year and get back on the right path.  With resolutions, when your resolve fades away, you can feel like you already failed so there's no sense in continuing with the resolutions.  (Or is this just me?)  I realize this might be silly, but here's to hoping I can keep my 2012 intentions at the forefront of my mind this year.

The reason I've delayed in writing this post is because I keep going back and forth on whether or not I feel like sharing my list with the few family members who read this blog world.  But I figure why not.

So here is my list:

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables each day.
2. Make my marriage a priority (this sounds more complicated than the intention is. I promise, it's not - just take my word on this one...)
3. Detach from my cell phone/computer/facebook - be fully present in interactions with my family and friends
4. Make exercise a regular part of life - dance with Lukas, walk Wrigley, do a yoga DVD, run, etc.  And don't feel defeated if I exercise for only a short period of time. 
5. Live more frugally - cook meals, bring lunch to work, etc. (this coincides within intention #1 and has been a huge success so far thanks to the January meal plan Mr. Cob and I created, and have stuck to for 10 days!)
6. See love in everyone and express love in all actions - don't judge, don't assume
7. Stop searching for outward validation.  I am amazing.

So there is the list.  I could (and might) write a post about each intention and the background behind it.  But for now, that's my list.

Here's to a fabulous 2012 filled with good intentions.