Looking Forward...

You've got to love me...
(right?)

Because here it is - more than *halfway* through January, and I'm only now finding the time to sit down and write about resolutions/intentions/goals/whatever you want to call them.

But just because I've not written about them, doesn't mean that I haven't been thinking about them...

I started to say that I've been mulling them over, and thinking really deep thoughts about them. But that's not how it is. I've more been reflecting on this upcoming year, and where I want it (and me) to go. Looking for the diamonds in the rough, more like it. Focusing on the shiny happy stuff...

It will be interesting to see if this post is any easier to write - having dwelt upon the subject matter for going-on-three-weeks now...

So. As promised. Looking forward...

---

Ha - I'm such a tease.

Because before I can look forward, really I need to take one long last look backwards. At last year's list of intentions.
(And I've got a bad feeling about this one, not so sure that I did all that swell with it...)

For 2007, I wanted to:

• Make something of my own design
  My initial thought on this one was - "ooops, didn't do that." But in looking back at the year's photos, I actually did.
  
  Admittedly, most of "my" stuff was an interpretation of an existing pattern - but I did make a panda baby, and the information architect scarves with my own twists. So that's some nice baby-stepping there... (Can you tell that I've been watching "What About Bob" again?)
  
  The UT scarf I made for Bubba's cousin was probably the most "mine" - as I completely made up the striping pattern, etc. after graphing it out in my beloved Excel. But since I never took a picture of it - so ugly! - I didn't know if I got credit for it...
  
  And, oh yeah - I made Valentine Cards!
  
  (So maybe I did better at this than I thought???)
  
  
• Make something for myself
  Again, started to say "ooops." But I made washcloths for myself. So, technically, I guess I met this one, too.
  Although, that wasn't really the spirit in which I meant this...
  
  
• Actually list an item for sale in my poor, empty etsy shop
  Yeah. This one? Didn't happen.
  I'm still trying to figure this one out. Every time I start to make something to sell, it just doesn't feel right, and I usually end up giving things away as gifts. On one hand, I love the idea of selling on etsy - on the other, I'm not comfortable with it. (I'm SO GLAD that most people don't have this problem, as I love to browse/shop there!) But for right now, I'm OK with not having met this goal.
  
  
• Meet another blogger face-to-face
  At the risk of sounding all boastful - I rocked this one!
  Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You and Thank You!
  
  
• Write a will
  OK - this just makes me mad. Bubba keeps saying that he's got the software, and that's we're more than halfway through, etc. I think I need to pitch a fit and make sure that this gets finished so that its not on the list for a second full year...
  
  
• Learn enough crochet to crochet in the round and make an amigurumi critter
  Meh? I made a granny square or two - but then lost momentum. May need to revisit this if the urge strikes again.
  
  
• Simplify and declutter
  I'm giving myself another "meh." on this one. Made HUGE inroads, but it's still not done. Must keep reminding myself that we've been in the same house for almost 16 years now, and this has never before been attempted. If it took 16 years to get to this point, I probably wasn't shoveling it all out in a few short weeks.
  
  

So - final analysis? I wasn't great, but I didn't totally suck either. I give myself a good solid "C" - maybe even a B- ('cause, thanks to y'all, I really was an overacheiver on that "meet other people" thing!)

And you know what?

I'm OK with that grade. I really am.

And that, my dear readers, kicks of the resolution/intention/goal for 2008: to be OK with it. With life, and stuff. And with myself.

Which is awkward - it's not measurable, it's not quantifiable, etc. And I do love me some metrics. I guess I'll just know it when I get there. And when I'm OK with it...

There is, however, one measurable and quantifiable portion to this though. (sigh) My weight.

Yeah, I said it. I've got to get a handle on this issue.

It's the one area of my life where I've just never been able to have any real, lasting success. And that is reeeeedonkulous.

Don't worry - I'm not going to turn BadFortuneCookie into a weight-loss blog. For starters, there are already so many of them out there, and they are far more fabulous at it than BFC would be. And secondly, when have any of you known me to focus my efforts on just one topic for any length of time here? :)

But I did feel the need to put this out there.

2008 is the year in which I need to lose 20 pounds.
And I need to still have it off at the year's end.

And that, my dear readers, is the part that always kicks my ass. I can lose it (or at least most of it - I tend to lose focus as I get closer to my goal) - but keeping it off? Not so much.

So - there it is, in scary black and white letters. Out there for everyone to see. I don't know why that's scary, but it just kind of is.

Some of you out there may be thinking, "20 pounds? Big whoop. I just saw some guy on The Biggest Loser lost that in a week!" Well - and trust me here - 20 pounds isn't going to make me sexy or hot. It's just going to make me healthy. To even approach the sexy/hot stuff, we'd be talking closer to 40 pounds. Which, given my success rate in the past seems as insurmountable as Mt Everest at this point. So, healthy it is. Also - I suspect that the heaviest part of this is going to be the looking inward to figure out the "why" of it all. So, that's why it's scary....

Anyhow - I'll try to spare you the worst of the amateur-hour self-analysis. Unless I figure it all out. Then I'll write a book, and become a bazillionaire overnight for uncovering the magic secret... :)

So here's to having a 2008 that I can be OK with.
And hopefully, maybe even a little proud of.

Because really, don't we all deserve at least that???


xo