To Resolve or Not To Resolve?!?!

Hello hello and welcome to my blog. I'm CJ, just an ordinary almost thirty-something girl that lives in VA. I named my blog Box of Chocolates, because of two reasons: 1. I like chocolate and 2. You never know what you're gonna get...

Today I am going to talk about New Year's Resolutions. Everyone knows what resolutions are, right? It's a new year, a new time where you can change your life. It's that resolution to go to the gym every day (which stops after day 2), or the going on a diet, getting on the dating site and expect to be married by the end of the year, losing 50 pounds... all things that seem impossible and pretty much set yourself up for failure. According to Dictionary.com the definition of resolution is below.

res·o·lu·tion [rez-uh-loo-shuh n] Show IPA

noun

1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.

2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

3. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.

4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.

5. the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts.

Sooo... for whatever reason, I always feel like resolutions are so negative. It's like if you don't do your resolution, you're like every other person who failed at something. So, I try NOT to have resolutions, I'd rather have GOALS or something that I can look forward to doing not force myself to stop doing!

In the year of 2013, I will turn 30 years old. In honor of being 30, I am going to come up with 30 goals for the year (not to be confused with resolutions).

So, here we go, CJ's 30 Goals for 2013:

1. Start a blog (check) AND write a post at least once per month

2. Visit three or more new places

3. Lose at least 15 pounds (I would love to lose 30, but I want to make a realistic goal)

4. Get back in shape or at least become more active by doing some form of exercise frequently

5. Be specific about doing something kind for someone at least once per month

6. Try six new recipes

7. Make a new friend

8. Watch the sun rise

9. Enjoy a sunset

10. Swim in the ocean

11. Do a charity run or walk

12. Raise money for a charity (Can be combined with number 11)

13. Donate to a new charity

14. Get a facial

15. Take a dancing lesson of some sort (salsa, country line, etc.)

16. Go to more than two Flying Squirrels games

17. Go to at LEAST one Hokie football game

18. Participate in a murder mystery dinner

19. Try to re-finance my house for lower interest and a conventional loan (so I can get rid of that darn PMI. And obviously this goal is only going to be applicable if the rates stay where they are)

20. Pay off my car?!?! Or at least come close

21. Ride my bicycle more than once

22. Read a non-fiction book (I know this might not be a big deal, but I 100% stick to fiction books)

23. Build something

24. Go through my house and get rid of things/clothes/etc that I haven't used in the last year

25. Organize my basement (especially the workroom)

26. Hang the rest of the pictures, art, and shelves that I haven't hung

27. FINISH UNPACKING from when I moved (yup, that's right folks, there are still boxes in my attic)

28. Volunteer for something

29. Spend some serious time in my backyard weeding, killing weeds, and planting pretty things that don't take much effort to keep up

30. Have the BEST 30th Birthday party EVER!!! :) (Especially since Laura is planning it!)

By the way, it's pretty hard to come up with 30 goals, so you should be impressed that I did. Here we are, the beginning of my blogging career. I hope I can be somewhat entertaining!