Resolutions (sort of)

There is a very lovely person that I know through the Lush Family/various online health and fitness support groups we both participate in/Twitter (but her account is private, so I can't really link to it here), who does not do resolutions. Instead, she picks a single word in January, to be her 'word to live by' for the coming year. Resolutions are made to be broken, but a guiding principle? Well that just seems more manageable. It's a good idea, right?

I, in fact, thought it was such a good idea that I totally stole it for myself.

So, what is my word for 2012, you ask?

(Ok, I know you didn't really ask, because nobody cares all that much about someone else's NY resolutions, but just humor me here, if you don't mind...)

Well, after much internal debate, I landed on 'purpose'.

See, I have this problem...I am very much a reactionary person. Things just kind of happen around me, and I take it as it comes. I only applied to the college I ended up attending because I wanted to see if I could get in. Then, when I did, I figured I might as well go. I picked my major on the very last day I could declare a specialty, strictly through the process of elimination. I knew I was going to be a business major, but I didn't feel creative enough for marketing, accounting was most definitely not my strong suit, and I don't even remember what the other choice was (I think it was something IT related...and as Steve would tell you, no. Just...no). So, finance it was.

My husband planned our wedding because he had an office in which to make phone calls, and I didn't really have a grand plan for how the whole affair should look. I mean, I handled most of the little things, like the final decisions on colors/flowers/cake/invitations, but even that all just kind of got decided without too much trouble on my side.

(I would very much like to get married again, though, just so I could Pinterest the event. My sister has a board for her March wedding going right now, and I am JEALOUS. Maybe I will Pinterest a make-believe wedding, just for the fun of it?)

I kind of stumbled into jobs at both of the companies I've worked for. I had two requirements when we were house hunting in Atlanta, and that was it. And we ended up ignoring both of those requirements, anyway. I never know what I want for dinner or what I want to do for the weekend or where we should go when we're on vacation. The list goes on and on (and drives my husband more and more insane).

And the thing is, it's never been a problem. Notre Dame was the absolute, most perfect place for me. I could not have asked for a better experience, a better education, or a better group of friends than I got there. My analytical mind could not be better suited for finance, and I really have a (somewhat disturbing) love for spreadsheets that makes my current job a pretty good fit for me.

My wedding was gorgeous, my house is lovely, I haven't missed a dinner, yet.

Things just seem to work out. But still, I'm kind of tired of just waiting for things to work out, I guess.

I'll be 32 in February (that's February 18th, if you want to add it to your calendar, so you can remember to tell me that I don't look a day over 25 when I'm lamenting my graying hair and wrinkles...), and I guess it just seems like it's way past time to grow up, to take some responsibility for things. So I am.

Purpose.

2012, I will own you.

As part of my year of purpose, I have taken a page from Jennie's book, and made a list of things I want to do this year. Nothing earth-shattering, mind you, but it's always nice to have a plan...and now my plan is listed in the sidebar for all to see. So I HAVE to stick with it, don't I?