My New Year Non-Resolutions

My family doesn't do New Year Resolutions. Instead, we have New Year Planning Sessions.

I don't remember when my dad started it--it's been going on for at least four years--but we're rather dedicated at it. My dad will sit us all down, buy us planners, make us worksheets, and we will all fill out detailed plans for the upcoming year.

It sounds a little lame, I know, but it's actually rather helpful. I'm the sort of chaotic planner, which means I plan things, but the plans are vague and far off, though I'm wholly dedicated to them. Making myself write down things I'm going to do this year somehow impresses me to do it--I suppose it's all part of being a writer, once things are written down they are very real. Anyway, these planning sessions have been successful--four years ago, I wrote that I would get accepted into my previous college, and I did. One year ago, I wrote that I would start a literature-based group with my friend LeTempest at my current university, and I have done that.

So here are my non-resolutions for the new year, because, as my dad says, no one really follows through on their resolutions. These are legitimate goals.

1. To not be anoemic and become a better runner.

I'm kind of an odd duck when it comes to stress--a lot of people eat a TON when they're stressed. This is...not me. When I am super stressed, I don't eat. It's not that I'm anorexic or have body-image issues, I just simply don't eat. The thought of forcing food down my gullet nauseates me and I almost have the feeling that if I sit down and eat, rather than studying, working, cleaning, or whatever I feel I need to be doing, that I'm wasting time. So I don't. I think I pissed LeTempest off a LOT this past semester--she threatened to call my mother, and even though she doesn't know my mother's phone number, I somehow am still really intimidated. I have been anoemic since high school and I'm tired of being fatigued and exhausted all the time. So I'm going to work hardcore on eating healthier, especially iron-rich foods.

As for the running thing, I've already been running and I suck at it, so I just want to work on doing that a little more and get a tad more toned. Plus it gives me an excuse to buy cute new workout clothes.

2. Budgeting

This is a boring goal. Basically, I'm going to work on writing out a budget every month and trying hard not to overspend on it, because oftentimes I run out before the month's up. This was never a problem at my previous college because I had a mealplan, but as I'm a commuter (a walking-distance commuter but a commuter nonetheless) I simply don't have that to fall back on. There were times this semester when I was literally wondering what the hell I was going to eat this week, it was no wonder I was anoemic. It's not that I'm a huge spender or anything--I'm actually rather stingy when it comes right down to it--but not writing it all down and keeping meticulous accounts of everything I spend money on has bit me in the ass on several occasions. So all hail my most boring goal of the year.

3. OXFORD (or Cambridge or WashU)

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it in this blog, but if you know me personally then you'll be aware that it is my greatest dream to attend Oxford University for grad school. Yes, that Oxford. The really intimidating one in England. All of my favorite writers attended there, it has not only a nationally renowned English program but a WORLD renowned English program (it's Asian Studies program is also superb) and it's just plain where I want to be. This semester is the semester when I begin the arduous application process which will make me cry, scream, rip my hair out, and not eat. Minor sub-goals along with this is to get a 3.7, an A in Japanese, study sessions, tutoring when I need it, whatever it takes. Cambridge and WashU are my safeties--but it is Oxford I dream and lust for.

4. My clubs

I have been super lazy about the clubs I joined this semester, aside from Inklings. Even with Inklings I've been lazy. So my goal for this is to attend meetings regularly, come up with more big plans for Inklings, and really involve myself, even when I'm tired and don't feel like hanging around on campus. The groups are as followed, Inklings (of course), Feminists for Action, SER, Philosophy Club, PeerxChange, and possibly Spectrum, though Spectrum may coincide with Philo club and then I choose philo club over it.

5. Be more clean and organized, read for fun.

I didn't get nearly enough reading done this semester (other than school reading) and as the president of a literature group, that's pretty sad. So I'm setting an hour aside every evening to get a tiny bit of reading done and putting aside thirty bucks out of my budget to order more books off of Amazon every month. As for the organizational stuff, that's pretty self-explanatory. Just need to stop being so damn lazy.

So there you have it, my goals for the new semester and hopefully the new year. It should be an interesting year to say the least. Happy 2011!