2012 Resolutions: Final check in
I made a lot of resolutions last year. In a lot of areas of my life. Some of them were pretty minor, some were large undertakings. I only fully accomplished a handful of them, but I made significant progress towards most of them. I refuse to think that I failed at the things I only got halfway towards completing, because reading 12 books is better than reading none and I'm closer to being able to do real push-ups than I was last year.
Culture
Listen to more new music, even if it’s just new to me and not new new anymore (basically, don’t let the “I’ve missed the boat on this band” feeling stop me from listening.) This is hard to quantify. I know that in the past, I might not have newly started listening to Band of Horses because I would've felt like I was too late to the party. I might not have gone to see so many bands for the first time (55 of them, to be exact.) I didn't do so well on listening to new music from bands I already enjoyed (except for fun. and Justin Bieber). I think that switching jobs to one where I'm not required to watch new music videos as soon as they come in hinders my new-music-absorption.
Watch at least 10 of AFI's "100 Best American Movies" this year. (I combined 2 of their lists and once I deleted duplicates I am left with 120something. List here.) ET, The Graduate. For some reason I thought I'd done better on this one this year, but I guess I just made big plans to have an Indiana Jones movie marathon and then never did it. I'm a little bummed I didn't make this happen, this should've been the easiest one. 2a. I added a second list of more recent movies that I’ve missed out on. It’s part movies that people say “You haven’t SEEN ________?!?” and part movies that ended up on Best of 20__ lists. I’m still adding to it but that list is here. Goal is to watch 20 of those this year. Feel free to suggest things. Amelie, Pirate Radio, The Help, Hugo, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Artist, Midnight in Paris, Into the Wild, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Beginners, Kindergarten Cop. 12. I also never finished making my list. I lied, THIS should've been the easiest one. I can pretend I got closer to my goal if I want to count movies like The Hunger Games, The Dark Knight Rises, Life of Pi and Les Miserables (or Magic Mike, Pitch Perfect and Twilight 4 Part 2)
Find a list of 100 books everyone needs to read, and read at least 5 this year. I made a decision to give this one up. I was actually reading a book for the NEXT resolution and consciously decided not to force myself to do something just because I feel like I "should." I'd like to read more, and read a wider variety of books, but I don't need to arbitrarily choose books from a certain list just to make myself feel smart.
Read at least 2 books per month. This year I read Mockingjay, Angels & Demons, Read My Hips, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Bossypants, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Middlesex, New Rules of Lifting For Women and got halfway through The Happiness Project. It only averages out to 12.5 books for the year. I did really well until I read those damn Stieg Larsson books. They took so long to read that it really slowed down my reading progress.
Do at least one educational/cultural thing in NYC each month. This year I went to Secret Science Club (Astrophysics), New York Public Library Treasures exhibit, Peter & the Starcatcher broadway invited dress rehearsal, Brooklyn Museum First Saturday, Brooklyn Historical Society, Museum of Sex, Assateague Island National Seashore visitors center, The Princess Bride 25th Anniversary screening/cast Q&A, Secret Science Club: Wild Beasts of NYC, and the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. Some of those things aren't in NYC, but I did 10 things. Too often I left it until the last minute to find something to do, so some things were a little forced.
Money & Being a Grown-up
Open a savings account. Oops. I didn't do this, but I have a 401k now...
Figure out what I want to do with my life, career-wise. I didn't REALLY do this, but I got a promotion at work so I'm staff now, doing something different, and actually learning things. Also I have health insurance now, which is pretty sweet.
Start buying fewer, nicer items of clothing (instead of buying every shitty sundress from Forever 21 and H&M.) I actually forgot about this one, but I've definitely cooled it on the Forever 21 and H&M.
Health, Food & Fitness
Beat my half marathon time at least once.
March 19- 2:21:33, which is 7:29 off my first half marathon time.
Be able to do real push-ups. :(
Get better at soccer. I did a 4-week soccer clinic and I think I improved, but there's a long enough lapse between seasons that I don't know how much good it did me.
Try more new vegetables. I tolerate mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant better than I used to.
Make sure I’m getting enough iron. Probably still not enough. I was better about taking my multivitamin for a while.
Cook a new recipe once every 2 weeks. Butternut squash risotto, Falafel waffle, Mexican lasagna, Bacon cake, S'mores bars, Pumped up corn casserole, Pineapple upsidedown pancakes, Black bean burgers, Sweet potato black bean burgers, Chipotle seitan sausage, Pumpkin gingerbread smoothie, Pumpkin chili, Brown butter pretzel cookies, chubby hubby cupcakes, pumpkin s'mores, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin mac & cheese, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin baked french toast, pumpkin spiced cornbread, cinnamon swirl pancakes, Berry yogurt muffins, Unturkey, Gingerbread pancakes, Ethel sugar cookies. 25 recipes. Not every two weeks, but it averages out. Not all that much of a challenge.
Bucket List
Assess how many states I’ve visited/figure out what my rules will be for what “counts” (i.e. does driving through count?)
I had been to 21. My criteria are that I have to do something in each state (besides drive through, get gas and use the bathroom) and there should be a picture of me.
Visit at least 1/3 of the states I have not been to yet. I got 4 more. It's a far cry from the 9 I should've gotten, but it's something. I have to step it up in the next 21 months. Here are pictures of me in New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware and Vermont.
Other
Volunteer at an animal shelter OR find/start a nonprofit like Monster Milers. Fail.
Keep my room generally clean on a regular basis. Mostly better.
Sew more. I made a tote bag, some dresses, painted some pictures, made shelves for my wall, fixed some skirts, made throw pillows for my bed, sewed a tank top, some headbands/hair clips and my halloween mask.
