This year, I resolve to....

I usually love making long lists of New Year's Resolutions (see yesterday's post for more about why), but this year, I have had a hard time getting motivated in making my list.

Part of the reason is that I already do a lot of the things that are typical resolutions: exercise, stay in touch with friends, don't drink or smoke, etc. I want to recommit to some of those things, but I also want to try something NEW, too. So, I am having to think a little out of the box for 2012.

In 2012, I resolve to:
- Sleep more. After years of always saying "I don't sleep much", I am going to make an effort to turn that around. I will get in bed early enough each night to give myself a shot at a full night's sleep. I will nap when I am tired.
- Use my new treadmill. I am recommitting to exercising. I will hop on that treadmill, at least 4 days a week for 30 minutes each day. (S has offered to keep me motivated on this one - he said that for every I don't use it, he's going to pile one shirt on it just to see how long it takes me to notice.)
- Show more gratitude. Instead of just blogging about what I am grateful for, I will show/tell/demonstrate my gratitude outwardly. I will send thank you notes (thanks to Jon Acuff for the inspiration for that idea!)
- Boycott all things Kardashian, whenever possible. In my radio job, I cover celebrity gossip - but this year, I vow to keep mum about that ridiculous family as much as I can. Unless one of them hijacks a plane, blows up the White House or cures cancer, I hope to have a Kardashian-free 2012.
- Travel to someplace I have never been. Right now, we have our eyes on Vegas next month - but if that doesn't come to fruition, we will pick another US location and hit the road!
- Eat more real food. I don't mean that I want to eat more - I want to eat more real food. Less processed, more actual food. I will cook at home more, shop on the perimeter of the grocery stores more.
- Focus on the positive, forget about the negative. The universal law of the power of attraction has been alive and well in my life for years. Thoughts become things. I will focus on positive people, places and things - and more of those will come into my life, as a result. It's not ignorance to forget about the negative - it's a choice, a powerful choice that anyone can make.
- Blog 225 times. That works out to about 4 times a week. I want to grow this blog - and I know that regular entries will help with that goal as well. (By the way, if you wanted to "follow" me, you can subscribe to this blog by email too!)
- Play. We have board games, video games, card games - and we have a blast using them. We will turn off the TV - and play with each other! We will invite friends over to play, too!
- Be gentle with myself. I am my own worst critic, and I would never talk to a friend the way I talk to myself. When I stumble, bumble or make a mistake, I will forgive myself and gently try to get back on track. As I learned last year, some times, it's even better to NOT stick to the plan than to force my way through.

Most of those aren't very concrete goals - so, I'll have to find a way to keep track of them. Usually, I use events like anniversaries, birthdays and holidays to compare this year to last year, but I might need to find a way to quantify some of these. Any suggestions?

Are you making a list this year? How many items are on your list, if you are? Is your list different this year than last year?