My 2012 New Year's resolutions

I love the last day of the year, for a variety of reasons. First, more than any other day, champagne reigns supreme. Second, it is the occasion to wear something red and new. Mom always said that wearing something red and new would bring us good luck in the New Year, and this was always the perfect excuse to buy a new dress, new underthings, a new necklace (tonight I will wear a beautiful new red dress from my favorite store in Geneva, Apostrophe). Third, the last day of the year is the day to take stock of the previous 364 days, and to plan for the next 365. Last, but not least, the 31^st of December is no longer “only” New Year’s Eve, it is also the eve of my wedding anniversary. Tomorrow will be the first…

I also love the last day of the year because it is the day to think about New Year’s goals and resolutions. Here are mine.

1. Read one book per month. (In continuation of my 2011 “read more” goal – this time it is more measurable and thus more actionable).
2. Have one spa treatment per month. I will count eyebrow waxes and pedis as spa treatments… this should be one resolution that is fun to work on. An expression of my belief that we all need to take better care of ourselves, and that I need to live what I preach.
3. Continue to reduce clutter. I am a firm believer in quality over quantity, and I commit to purging more and buying less (but always nicer things).
4. Develop a better morning routine. This is the same goal as I had for 2011 – I failed miserably at this this past year. Maybe it is because I don’t quite know what a better morning routine is. I just know that waking up to my phone’s horrible buzzer, checking email before getting out of bed, and immediately having my mind race about everything I need to do, every fire I need to put out, is not very zen. Maybe I should split this goal in two and say the first part is “figuring out what a better morning routine is,” while the second part will be implementing this new morning plan.
5. Practice one random act of kindness per week. Kindness to my family, my friends, to perfect strangers, and to myself. Just because.
6. Drink 16 ounces of water per day. In 2011, one of my goals was “drink more water” – like “read more,” it was too general and not quantifiable enough. Hence I failed. I will try again in 2012. 16 oz. may not be enough, but it’s a start. Baby steps.
7. Continue to work at my personal relationships. Be the best wife I can be. The best sister I can be. The best friend I can be. The best daughter I can be. And more. Never take anyone I love for granted. And show/tell the people I love that I love them. Early and often.

It is only 9:30 am in New Orleans, and I have my 2012 resolutions figured out. This leaves me the rest of the day to get a head start on some of them… Happy New Year to you, may your 2012 be filled with love, happiness, health, and peace.