Oh Fine. I'll Do it.

I HATE New Year's resolutions.

resolution noun

• The act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure.

I always feel like I'm just setting myself up for failure. And I always fail. Because I seem to have a problem with...resolve.

resolve noun

• Firmness of purpose or intent; determination.

Yeah. I'm not so firm.

But maybe I could try setting a goal.

goal noun

• The end toward which effort is directed.

I can handle directing my efforts toward an end.

So, here are my goals for 2012.

Acting-

• I would like to work toward booking an actual acting job. Not just commercials. A television show. It can be done.

• I will try to take all of my commercial auditions seriously. Really make an effort to dress/coif/makeup appropriately for each job. And not complain if the audition is too far away, or right at the time I need to pick Jude up at school.

Writing-

• I am determined to get back together with my sometime writing partner, Brian, rework one of the screenplays we have sitting on a shelf (3 movies, 2 short films) and start submitting it around again. We will NOT get sidetracked and end up working on 12 things at the same time, never finishing anything.
• I would like to write that play that I've been thinking about writing for about 10 years.
• I would like to write that novel I have started, but have so far only managed to write 3 pages.

Family-

• Jimmy and I need to go on a date night every month. I don't think this is too much to ask for. Now that Jude's old enough for sleepovers, I think I can manage to pawn him off on somebody so we don't have to pay for a babysitter. A movie? Dinner? Maybe just drinks somewhere? We can do this.

Personal -

• I am going to make an effort to be a more thoughtful friend. I am lousy with thank you notes, and really making an effort to help someone who's sick or in trouble. I mean, I kind of do a little, but not really. I'm terrible about asking after people. People will ask me "How's Jimmy? What's Jude up to?" and I will proceed to tell them, without remembering to ask about their family. I do it all the time, and it's lousy. I get too caught up in my little world to look beyond my nose.
• I would like to keep this quote from the Dalai Lama present in my mind - "Even more important than the warmth and affection we receive, is the warmth and affection we give. It is by giving warmth and affection, by having a genuine sense of concern for others, in other words through compassion, that we gain the conditions for genuine happiness. More important than being loved, therefore, is to love."

Alright, that's it. Goals. NOT resolutions.

We'll see how well I do.

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Inspired by...

Prompt #5 - What are your New Year's Resolutions for 2012 and/or how did 2011's resolutions turn out?

Comments

[Sprite's Keeper]

I like the goals you've set. I have no goals set other than to try to complete as many projects around my house as the budget will let me.
(The budget does not let me do much...)

[Elizabeth]

These are all terrific and admirable. I'm worried about the insanely ambitious writing ones, though. A screenplay, a play, AND a novel! Let me know how you manage to pull this off because I imagine you can...

[Aimee]

"...I will proceed to tell them, without remembering to ask about their family. I do it all the time, and it's lousy..."

This TOTALLY resonates with me. I didn't realize for years that I do this, but I always have. I had some weird subconscious thought since I was a little girl that talking about myself would make it easier for people to relate to me, so they would feel at ease and talk about themselves. I realize now (FINALLY, duh) that it doesn't come across that way at ALL, but as a selfish me-me-me kind of personality. I understand why my parents called me "princess" as a child. It's not how I feel on the inside at ALL -- I want to hear from everyone about their lives. I've just been going about it the wrong way. I'm making more of an effort to ask people about themselves now, too.

[VandyJ]

I went with promises to myself rather than resolutions. I don't follow through on resolutions, but promises seem a bit less absolute.
Good luck with your goals. They seem like doable goals.

[Michele]

I like this idea far more than resolutions. 1st goal: make a list of goals and try to attain them.

[thekitchenwitch]

I love that you want to act! How cool is that? I hate resolutions, too, but it's just because I know I'm weak and can't follow through. Best wishes to you with the acting!