How I Want 2013 To Be

2012 was the year of adventures and magic.
2013 will be the year of personal growth.

I've never been one to stick to my New Year Resolutions  In 2011 I successfully completed only 1 of many resolutions  though it was a hefty goal of 50 temple trips in 1 year. And my resolutions in 2012 were to have a magical time in Florida, and get into nursing school - both achieved!

This year, I'm focusing on making myself better, and I'm quite excited about it.

Resolution One: Get Moving! I spent all of last semester on my butt. I kid not. Sat for 4 hours in class, sat for 5 hours at work, then sat at my computer for the rest of the evening. Not anymore! It helps that Brianna and I are now in a contest to see who works out most each month (prizes have yet to be determined). So the plan is to fit in gym time as frequently as possible, and once it gets warm outside, I'm gonna try my hand at running. Haha, okay, jogging.

Resolution Two: Get OFF The Computer! I spend too much time on Facebook, Hulu, Pinterest and Etsy. It needs to stop. I hope to replace computer time with exercise and textbook reading, along with letter writing and paper journaling. But don't judge me if you see me logged into Facebook, I'm not going cold turkey here! Just slimming back.

Resolution Three: Be More Grateful! Between re-reading a very interesting book titled Rules of Survival, and seeing Les Miserables with my mom and Leslie yesterday, I've really realized how incredibly lucky I am to lead the life I live. I'm lucky to have the people in my life and the security of peaceful life in America. It's about time I tell the people I love what they mean to me, so look for letters to these people popping up on this blog throughout the year.

Resolution Four: Focus On School! My specific goal is all my grades be either A's or A-'s. And I'm gonna make that happen by reading textbooks, studying smarter and improving my notes taking skills.

Resolution Five: Manage My Money Better! There are days i'm sitting at my computer and I think "I should check my balances online, maybe I have some bills due" but then I'll shrug it off and keep on with whatever I was doing. I have a problem with ignorance is bliss sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I am very, very well off for a 21 year old living entirely on her own dollar. But I hate to watch that end balance go down every day, and I don't keep a register of my purchases. So I've found my password to Mint.com, and I've dredged up my check register. I'm going to set up a daily allowance and start keeping better track of my inflow and outflow.

Resolution Six: Smile More! I still remember the day on the bus in elementary school when I consciously pulled down the corners of my mouth into my first... scowl? Frown? Whatever it was, it wasn't a smile. I guess I thought boys would find the brooding girl more appealing than the overly bubbly crazy-laugh girl I was. If I could go back in time, I'd change that. So now it's time to put a smile on my face! I tend to look serious and unhappy most of the time, especially when walking in large crowds, so I'm working on smiling, or at least turning the corners of my mouth up... not down during the day.

Life is what you make it, and i'm going to make life amazing.
Is it weird to everyone that it's 2013? Or am I the only one stuck on that number?
~Courtney