My New Year's Hopelutions

The King of Written House has informed me that my blog has started off on a dark note, and would like me to sunshine it up a bit. This post, King, is for you.

So every New Year's Day, millions and millions of people "resolve" to do or quit something that year. The most popular being - lose weight, quit smoking, stress less, and so on. The gyms and grocery stores grow more crowded, the quit smoking hotline becomes busier, and the daily "to-do" lists analyzed. And come January 15th to February 1st, the gyms grow quieter, the Restaurant delivery business increases, life becomes more chaotic, and the people shivering outside my office building trying to light their cigarettes is back up to the usual again. And all of these people have a darker look in their eyes. A look of disappointment and frustration. And, sadly to say, I'm one of those people (sans the smoking--yuck!)

This year, after watching a few news reports and listening to my friends decide, in all gusto, that they are not making ANY resolutions this year, I decided to make a list of HOPELUTIONS. Things that I HOPE to do or make happen this year. No actual deadlines. NO strict rules.

So here's my hopelutions' list (in no particular order):
1) Lose another 10lbs
2) Learn to swim (*I can tread in water, but that's about it)
3) Stop being a shopaholic (*Hubby's favorite off my hopelution list)
4) Learn fluent Hindi & Spanish (*both of which I can only "get by" on now)
5) Take up dancing again (*I took every type of dance class you can think of from the ages of 3-14)
6) Declutter my life (*my office, my desk(s), my apartment)
7) Change my hairstyle
8) Keep a manicure for at least 5 days to a week (*mine tend to chip after a day...if they even make it out of the salon unscathed)
9) Write more (*that's what this blog is for)
10) Get back into my creativity (*Photography, sketching, writing, dancing, general creating)
11) See my nieces and nephews more (*at least those who live in the country)
12) Cook more often
13) Read more (*any good book recommendations? check me out on GoodReads)
14) Go back to school (*I'd like to eventually get my masters...just not sure in what yet)
15) Be more confident
16) Take on more responsibility at work
17) Do more outdoor activities (*bicycling, roller-skating, jogging...once the weather gets warmer)
18) Take up yoga/meditation (*quiet my mind)
19) Workout 4-5 times a week
20) Volunteer more / become more involved
21) Stop procrastinating
22) Increase my energy
23) Organize my finances / understand my finances
24) Wake up earlier / sleep better
25) Stop drinking Diet Coke
26) Be more on top of doctor's appointments (*mine & Hubby's)
27) Buy an apartment
28) Keep up my correspondence with people
29) Organize the addresses/information in my address book
30) Start a family
31) Find AT LEAST one new buyer/store to sell our clothing line to

If you would like to post your hopelutions online, check out 43Things