goals and keywords

I, like many people, used to make long lists of New Year’s resolutions that, like many people, I would let fall by the wayside in approximately February. So I started doing things a little differently a few years ago – setting one easily achievable goal for the year, and then picking a keyword for myself to drive the coming year (I also make birthday resolutions, see here for this years.)

My keyword for 2011 was “purposeful” and my goal was to start flossing every night – something I’d never done with any regularity. I’m calling success on both counts, even though there was a break in the flossing habit this fall (I’ve since gotten back on track.)

My goal for 2012 is to learn to apply fake eyelashes quickly and flawlessly (hey, I never said the goal had to be… virtuous, just easily achievable.) And my keyword for 2012 is Yes.

I know from experience that my life is both fuller and happier when I say yes more often. (This, after all, is one of my favorite quotes.) Yes to adventure, yes to new experiences. Yes to dinners out with friends, yes to spontaneous trips, yes to helping people out when they need it, yes to inclinations to spend a warm afternoon reading outside. Yes to spur of the moment coffee dates with friends, even if it means working a little later that night. Yes to going to that show, even if it’s going to mean an extra cup of coffee in the morning. Yes to doing things that scare me, because they’re usually the things that make me grow. Yes to joy, even when joy seems like it might be a little inconvenient or tiring or expensive. I have realized that I only very rarely regret doing things, but regret not doing things much more often. So here’s to doing things in 2012. Here’s to yes.