What's New?

Photo by Just Juls.

Okay, okay, the title of this post is silly. We all know the answer to that question: new year, new decade, and of course new resolutions being made right and left. But not by me.

I really dislike resolutions. To me the term indicates something that is short term and transient, often due to it being couched in the hope of the result occurring quickly. I am, of course, thinking of that ubiquitous resolution -- to lose weight, shape up, and look fabulous. And that's not a bad thing, but most people who make this kind of promise to themselves rev up their efforts too hard, too fast, and burn out by February.

Instead of resolutions, I like long-term goals. Last year I set some random culinary goals, and actually met quite a few of them. This is headway for me, because on the rare event that I make a new year's resolution, I never meet it. Not so for 2009, though! For example, I baked more loaves of non-quick bread than ever before. I also explored ice cream-making, crock pottery, and using other people's recipes.

Last December I also set my mind on these things:

Let me share some of my big plans for our future together. I'll give you a short preview: deeper intimacy with God . . . wider freedom from eating disordered behavior . . . increased unity with the Best Husband Ever . . . a greater appetite and joy for life . . . running my first 5k . . . higher cooking and baking summits . . .

Like I said, big plans. And they all boil down to this: love. For and from God, my husband, my family and friends, all people, myself.

Did I get there? I'll just say this -- if I did not meet these goals (and some of them I definitely did, like running a 5k!), then I certainly took giant leaps in their direction. That, I think, is pretty darn rad.

So what's in store for 2010? Only God can say for certain, but here are some things I would like to focus on:

• Talking with God and reading Scripture daily, preferably first thing in the morning.
  
• Cultivating a deeper friendship and intimacy with the Best Husband Ever.
  
• Improving my intuitive eating (i.e., listening to my body and eating balanced choices when it tells me to).
  
• Hooping! To be more specific: earn my teaching certification, perform, teach, and visit hoopers in other cities as well as attend hooping events/festivals.
• Writing. I want to finish and submit a novel for publication.
• Travel -- to a different state (Austin and Portland are on my list in addition to my native New Jersey) or a different country, I'm not picky!
• Spending more regular quality time with friends. My big challenge that I'm setting myself in this area is to host a dinner or game/movie night!
  

The last year's goals seemed to reduce to a basic theme of love -- for God, myself, my husband, other people, passions, activities, my job, the world, and so forth. This year, I think my theme is intimacy. I don't want to do things or know people -- I want to go deeper, passing through the surface and connecting at the heart. Somehow, though, I think this theme (and last year's, for that matter) will extend well past 2010 before I feel that I've attained it, if I ever do.

Do you have a theme for 2010? I'd love to hear about it. Oh, and happy new year, my wonderful readers!