It’s time for my annual resolutions list! Every year it’s a lofty list but I’m going to aim for some more concrete resolutions that are (I hope) more achievable for me so that I don’t end 2013 looking at my list and shaking my head at another year of PHAIL.

1) Achieve a full split
This might seem weird, but I haven’t been able to do a full split in any direction in 10 years since I stopped taekwondo and ballet. Being able to do this again would be a fantastic physical achievement.

2) Get a 4.0 for my last undergraduate semester
Okay, so I’ve failed at getting 4.0s every past semester (and I’ve made it a resolution every year but gotten further from my goal…), but this is my last chance. I. Got. This. (… right?)

3) DANCE at least once a week.
I loooooove dancing (e.g. Zumba, random dance parties in my room) so this is a super practical fitness goal. Ideally, I would get to the gym about twice a week, but I know that things like weather and school and general grumpiness keep me from making that one mile trek much too often. Dancing around is great cardio, I am never sad doing it, it’s a great way to unwind with friends, and a great reason to get to a club and rub up against strangers. (… okay maybe that’s not as fun XD)

4) Try to do yoga once a week… or month…?
This one is tougher for me to do on my own since I don’t really ever do yoga, unless I buy a tape or video or do my Wii Fit stuff at home. But with my back issues getting a bit worse and also with how high-strung I am, there is no doubt that increasing the yoga in my fitness routine from none to some will be beneficial. Ommmmmmm.

5) Smile more: when I walk, talk to people, sit, stand, etc.
I have a tendency to look a bit down, especially when I’m walking, mostly because I’m thinking hard about how the day is going or how the day sucks… ^^; Smiling is good for you and good for me and I should do more of it. I can probably start by not scowling when I walk.

6) Laugh once a day.
I should really save up things I know make me laugh, like Youtube clips. Laughing hard can really make my day better.

7) Keep my room clean.
The state of my room fell to complete disarray when I went to North Carolina for the summer and then came back, and it has been a source of constant stress. The haphazard packing and also unpacking was too much for my room to recover from without a day solely dedicated to cleaning. I will be going in sometime in the next few weeks just to clean and I hope to keep it that way!

8) SLEEP WOMAN. Maximum 2 nights up after 1 AM a week – including weekend nights.
This has been a bit tough because I care so much about the different relationships in my life, and most of my friends are quite nocturnal creatures. I am, too, but the fact remains that I have to wake up quite early for class and work, so I need to take a cue from my roommate, who has to be up for work at 6 and sleeps by 10 to make sure she is rested enough. My sleep problems have been so ridonkulous (post coming eventually) that this is just as important as exercise for me to better my health.

9) Fruits. Veggies. Minimum one full serving a day.
Preferably a fresh serving, it’d be nice if I could get a serving every meal of each, but realism is key to resolutions this year.

Also, along that vein, I’d like to significantly reduce my meat intake, but I haven’t settled on a practical goal there yet.

10) SPF in the morning, moisturize in the evening.
I need to really be taking care of my face! I’m now really in my 20s and good genes will only get me so far. SPF every day, moisturizer every day. No skipping and no skimping; this is something I should be investing in. I have the stuff to take care of my face, I just really need to stop being lazy about using it. (That means using my cleansers instead of just washing with a towel and calling it a night…)

11) Call my family twice a week.
Once my brother starts college, my family members will be scattered, so I’ll need to put more work into staying in touch with everyone. But I have the technology! Skype, cell phones, even snail mail if I have to.

12) Shut up and listen.
I still hear myself talking about me, myself, and I far too much during conversations. Even I’m getting really tired of it, so I will make a much more conscious effort to shut up and just listen.

13) Drink at least 2L of water a day.
I don’t think I drink enough water, so I’ll try to drink about the 8 cups, 2 liters amount a day. The constant sipping is tricky, but I’ll try my best. I think I’m drinking a lot more water these days than I was this time a few years ago.

14) Appreciate and try hard.
This one is vague but one of the most important resolutions I have this year. I really need to be able to appreciate everything and everyone in my life. And, according to many people, I need to also learn to appreciate myself. That will be super tricky, but I’ll have to try. Also, I have to stop being afraid to try really hard to achieve something. If I fail, at least I didn’t fail to try, right? (… right? That’s what people keep saying anyway…)

Here’s to 2013. Please be better than 2012, because man, I thought 2011 was bad.