Friday, January 6, 2012

resolutions.

i am a big advocate of resolutions. in fact, i'd even go so far as to say that they're necessary. and i don't just mean with the turn of the year. oftentimes, i will make resolutions each month. i've even been known to make them on a random tuesday, in the middle of april. resolutions are my lifeblood. they keep me going. they keep me out of ruts. i love resolutions.

thus, i will be sharing my 2012 resolutions with you today. and rest assured, there will be more to come as the year ticks by.

lauren, in 2012.

1. be present, really present. it makes you a better listener. it makes your memories more vivid.

2. fix your hair every.day. you feel a million times better when it's fixed.

3. pray with purpose. have a real & meaningful conversation. grow a relationship.

4. clean.out.your.life. clutter equals stress.

5. be more forceful & true to yourself - ask for what you want. say what you feel.

6. work out every day, no matter how much or what you actually end up doing. every little bit counts, & this is how good habits are formed, how consistency is maintained.

i don't know why being present is a struggle for me, but lately, i've noticed that it is. i find myself daydreaming during conversations. i find myself peering at others over twitter. facebooking while watching a movie. this is not conducive to remembering much, as i've come to find out the hard way. i do not enjoy this sensation, so i am changing it. now.

and you know, i'm a little bit lazy. and naturally curly, frizzy hair + laziness yields an ugly result. and this ugly result is a source of nagging self-consciousness for me. so, what shall i do to change it? well, the answer is pretty obvious. man up, stop being lazy, & fix my hair.

i'll admit it: i am guilty of praying only when i need something. please let me have a safe flight. please keep so-and-so safe as they do this certain activity or go on this certain trip. please let me be successful at this particular task. and while it is good to rely on god, these kind of prayers feel a little bit like fair-weather friendship. and no one likes a fair-weather friend.

clutter. the bane of my existence. and yet, i surround myself with it. if you're looking for an answer to this enigma of sorts, you're looking in the wrong place: i certainly don't understand it. but i do understand one thing: i'm in control of it, & i am going to change it.

ahhhh yes, being forceful. being outspoken. being, shall i say, a strong personality. this is something i once prided myself on. but, as with most good things, it can be taken too far. which is exactly what happened last time i toyed with this particular trait. it is my goal to find the perfect balance between forceful & reserved. this is sure to be one wild ride.

as pointed out by many in my life, i am a very extreme person. everything is black & white with me. i'm either working out at every spare moment, or i'm laying in bed, eating donuts, & watching gossip girl, wishing myself skinny. this behavior has resulted in a distinct timeline of fat years & skinny years. how disgusting, right? look at me, & you'll see an example of yo-yo dieting at its finest. 
i'm ready to ditch that identity & amp up the normalcy. so, onward.

 

photo: a little taste of my carolina new year, taken with instagram. 

10 comments:

Jenna @ LaFemmeLaFanciful.com said...

I have such a difficult time staying the present, too! I am literally always daydreaming or thinking about things to come in the future rather than concentrating on what is happening all around me! Great resolutions, Lauren!!

carissa said...

good stuff, girl! yes, i'm so with you on the less is more; clutter does mean stress.

happy 2012!

Annie said...

I love that your first resolution is to be fully present, because present is my word for year, about which I wrote here: http://saamusings.blogspot.com/2012/01/if-word-equals-three-hundred-sixty-five.html

Your reasoning for why you love resolutions made me smile. My problem with resolutions is that everyone only thinks they're a New Year's thing, but I believe no time is the wrong time to make a change for the better. And so to hear you say that but still call your goals resolutions was a little paradoxical to me, but I love it!

Kate @ Daffodils said...

Beautiful resolutions. I know you will be able to accomplish them all. happy New Year Lauren!

Kate @ Daffodils said...

Beautiful resolutions. I know you will be able to accomplish them all. happy New Year Lauren!

Eliza :: Case Study said...

I love this post :) I needed to read it! Especially the part about being present, I think I'll be joining you on that one for sure. Hope you have a great weekend! xoxo

Val Fox said...

I definitely want to work on many of these things myself, especially #3! Oh and I'm so with you about #4. I HATE clutter. I get a little giddy when I fill several bags up with things to donate or throw out! It also helps to get rid of one item every time you buy an item! Oh and I do the yo-yo thing day by day. Or actually meal by meal sometimes. I'll have a salad with water for lunch and then for snack about a million chocolate goldfish. I'm trying to work on that!

Dree said...

I really love your resolutions! Being present is such a great one, I will add that to my list.

http://bethesong.blogspot.com

Leah said...

Great resolutions. I like the bit where you mentioned that resolutions should be made all year long. This is exactly what I think! New Year's resolutions will definitely end up broken because they are only made once, but if you make a practice of changing bad habits and adopting good ones then that's a different thing altogether! Good stuff!

Wendy (SpikesnSparkles) said...

all of these are great resolutions! I totally relate to each and every one!

the back and forth.

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