I want to laugh as I write that title. No matter how optimistic, hopeful, committed or deluded I am about "my plans" I know that life has a way of banging reality into my face. So, I recognize the hilarity of thinking I'm going to have utter control over the journey of this year and acknowledge that in all things I pray that God will direct my life, protect me and my loved ones and give me "the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Here then are my hopes and dreams for the year 2010:
Do the hard things.
That is my goal for this year. I'm an avoider who would much rather bury her head for a few days than face the pain and trouble of life many days. That means that for most of my life, I've chosen the easy thing, the less-hard road, the path of least discomfort. Yet, this past year I've done many hard things and realized once again that there is an exhilaration, an energy and a deep-seated joy that comes from doing those hard things and choosing the rocky road. Every single one of my goals falls under the heading of a "hard thing." My goal is to choose the hard thing so that I can reap the benefit of that exhilaration, energy and deep-seated joy.
The things I can change:
1. Daily time in prayer and scripture study
2. Daily exercise
3. Cooking, eating breakfast daily
4. Packing lunch and dinner: saves my health and saves me money and boosts my energy
5. Early to bed and early to rise
6. Cooking most of my meals
7. On time to work daily
8. Start graduate school
9. Out of debt entirely
10. Run my first race
Here's to hoping and praying and working towards making these dreams a reality.
P.S. Okay, there's more to this list. I can't stop myself. So, here are a few more things that I would love, love, love to make a part of my daily repertoire: pilates, yoga, playing guitar, playing piano, painting well, dancing. Yes, the creative juices are at a high mark for me right now. And whenever they rise up, so does my list of goals.
