Random End of Year Rambling

This post brought to you by the Year 2009 and Gala Darling!

Gala posted a wonderful post the other day to help us all prepare ourselves for the upcoming New Year. Her first words of advice were to reflect on 2008, either by doing a silly meme (Oy! I already did!) or just by meditating on the past year and thinking of what you did and all the lessons you learned and how much you grew, which is what I've done for the past few years, that I call my Blessings and Accomplishments.

Before I get more into that, I will answer a few questions from a different survey that are more important I think than the ones I did before.

What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? I sold my art and made enough to make it through the summer without working. It wasn't easy but we did it. I started my Master's Program. Algebra was first, and it's horrid! >.< I take my final on Friday 4pm!

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn't make any real resolutions last year. I posted a bunch of hopes, but they weren't anything I was really working hard for. I am glad that some of them became reality if not all...

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Fiscal solvency. I feel like this is something I often wish for, resolve to figure out, whatever, but the one thing that year after year, since I first was on my own, I feel like I've never had.

So, what were my Blessings and Accomplishments for 2008? My blessings I've chronicled here for all to read. Over & over again, my partner, Jacqueline, the kids, and my cat, are on the list. Having a job, being healthy enough to go to work, the car still being running, having a place to live and plenty of food, and all the little things that make me happy... All are important blessings to me.

However, my accomplishments feel a little more nebulous. There were no graduations, no new jobs, no major milestones reached... *But* I *sold* my art, *I* sold *my* art, my *art* - and not just to a friend, or acquaintance - total strangers saw my art and liked it enough to buy it! And I made enough to scrape us through the summer... Of course, I couldn't have done it without Jacqueline & the kids' help, but we did it. And it was one of many things on my Life To-Do List! So YAY!

I also started my Master's program; I am far from done, but half the battle is getting started, eh?

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

So now that I've reflected on 2008, particularly the blessings I've received and accomplishments I've made - and yes, I have made mistakes, no life is complete without them - Gala says it's time to set some goals for 2009! So back in 2004, I went and found out the difference between resolutions and goals. According to Dictionary.com, they are defined as follows:

res•o•lu•tion (rez-a-loo-shan) n.

1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.
2. A resolving to do something.
3. A course of action determined or decided on.

goal (gōl) n.

1. The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective.

Therefore, resolutions are the actions that lead to goals. And I think most people would agree that you need have your goals Specific, Measurable, and Timed. ("I want to lose 25 pounds by May 31, 2009," instead of "I want to wear a bikini.") You also want to make your goals Reasonable or Realistic (If you are over 400 pounds, it's unlikely you are going to want to wear a bikini this year.) and Action-oriented. (What specifically are you going to do to get there?) This is known as the SMART method of setting goals.

There are some other things to remember when setting your goals using this method. You want them to be motivating, engaging, relevant, and highly valued to you. If you are deciding to lose weight because your boyfriend or mother says you should, not because you really want to, then you won't be very motivated to achieve the goal.

Also, you want to make sure your goals have room for correction and that you allow mistakes and move on from there. Don't give up, don't dwell on them, just say, well that didn't work, and move on. I don't know who said it (and the internet has it attributed to several different people) or exactly how it goes, but this is a good thing to keep in mind: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." If you find yourself slipping off course, set yourself back *on* course again, and keep going! No beating yourself up! People make mistakes; it's the ones who keep going that really succeed!

Finally, those who believe in the Law of Attraction may want to use or include the SAFE method when setting their goals. I hadn't heard of this until researching the SMART method this evening, but it makes sense to me, who believes in the Power of Intent; it closely resembles the magical rituals we do as pagans. With the SAFE method, you See your goal, Accept it, Feel it with emotion, and Express it. (You can get more information on this method here.)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

But what, you may be asking, are *your* resolutions and goals, Bunny? Well I'll tell ya...

I DON'T KNOW!

I started researching this and writing this hoping that I would figure it out by the time I got here. Well before midnight on December 31st. But know what? It's far later than I had planned, and I still don't know. Not long ago I overhauled the little schedule and routine checklist I had for myself, but with my father's illness taking so much of my energy (yes, even not knowing and worrying takes my energy), I've let things slide off a lot more than I had planned. Even my Master's studies have slipped and I'm scheduled to take the final on Friday! Eeep!

So, here it is, less than 3 hours to the New Year, and I am still grasping. I could go back to my 43things list, but probably won't. I could look at the previous years' goals & resolutions, but will they still be relevant? I don't think so... I think, at this point, I am in no position to try to make resolutions or goals. Everything is up in the air until my father decides what he's going to do, and until that happens, I feel like my life is on hold. Obviously I need to continue working on my master's, keep working every day they call me, keep looking for a permanent position, and keep making art! But to work towards any other goals at this point, when the goals may suddenly become unattainable or irrelevant seems foolish and a waste of time & energy.

What do you think?

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires
and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had forget your home address!

In simple words...

May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!