2012 Resolutions

New Year's resolutions are a mite hokey. Everyone starts out strong, with the best intentions. But after a week or two...or even three or four...those good intentions typically go by the wayside (my New Year's resolutions not excepting).

This year, however, I'm hoping to break that cycle. I really only have two goals for 2012, but they're kinda big ones. Well, okay, three goals as my husband reminds me. The last one, however, I really don't have total control of, so I'm not sure how much of a resolution it can actually be.

(1) I want to reach my goal weight of 125 lbs. Due to the poundage gained during the last couple months, this is a somewhat more daunting task than it was at the end of June (after I'd lost 20 lbs). That being said, I really believe this is a reachable goal. It will just require a lot of hard work, determination, and more than a little discipline on my part. I want to begin 2013 learning how to maintain a healthy weight. At that point, I will be 37 1/2. My ultimate goal is to have this loss and maintenance stuff down COLD by my 40th birthday. Again, all possible.

(2) I want to finish my novel. This has been a long time in progress, and I just want to have that satisfaction of a finished work. Regardless of what comes of it--even if I have to self-publish on Amazon--I want to be able to tell people that I am a published author. It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. And it's about time this dream is realized.

(3) I want to celebrate Christmas next year in Costa Rica. For those who do not know my family, this may seem like rather a selfish goal. Christmas in a tropical paradise? Without family?? While I hope to be digging in the sand instead of digging in snow, there really is more to it than just wanting a tropical vacation. We will be spending a year in San Jose, Costa Rica solely to learn the Spanish language. Our time in country will be anything but a vacation. Yes, there will likely be pleasure trips during our days off between each trimester during the year's study. But spending a year doing nothing more each day than learning a language--well enough that it becomes a heart language (my prayer)--is not exactly relaxing by the beach. Whether or not we are fully funded and able to head to language school is somewhat up to us, but it is largely up to God as well.

Imagine if all three of my resolutions are met? What if I am finally that lean-and-mean mama spending next New Year's Eve next year on a Costa Rican beach, reading a copy of my brand new book? Wow. That would be amazing.