Proactive

It’s my word for 2009. I have a lot of things I haven’t focused on or done in 2008 that I want to do this year. 2008 was a difficult year for me, I lost my father, a large group of friends and my boyfriend. So I am determined to make this year one of personal growth and discovery. I spent a lot of 2008 being introspective, figuring out things about myself and trying to find reason in the bad relationships I’ve entered and how to avoid such things in the future. I spent a lot of last year cleaning out the bad stuff, licking my wounds and picking up the pieces. Now that I have swept almost all the bad things out of my life, I am starting 2009 more organized and determined than ever. I am not the same person I was January 1, 2008, and I’m damn proud of that and how far I’ve come.

Good riddance to 2008 I say!

I have a lot of thoughts and ideas about the direction I want this year to go in and I’m already starting 2009 off on the right foot! I started the Master Cleanse again. The last time I did it over a year ago I lost 13 pounds. I feel like starting 2009 out determined and thinner will be the kick I need to stay motivated. So instead of talking about things I want to do some day it’s time to DO THEM!

I have a lot of ideas, one of which is that every month I am going to pick one thing to focus on that will be personal growth related or will make me step outside of my comfort zone. Things like talking to strangers more, accepting dates from men I don’t deem as “my type”, attend more cultural events in the city (even if it means going alone), learn to eat healthier (less sweets), read more, take classes (writing, photography, cooking), exercise more (actually go to the gym I belong to, buy a bike, walk along the river, get off couch), Learn to speak German (going in June), become financially smarter, update my blog more and well have it be funny and interesting and of course find a new job (which I’ll focus more energy on than once a month).

So this month because it’s freezing out I am focusing on my home (tiny apartment). I spent some time on Friday night at Home Depot, looking at lights, gathering paint swatches, getting plastic to cover my windows and caulking for the bathroom! I already have 1 closet cleaned out and organized and donated three bags of clothes (even though I did that in time for it to count on my taxes). I’m excited about my home projects and even wrote out a big list of projects to accomplish (my very own Honey Do list). Once my apartment is in order I’d like to start having some dinner parties and wine tasting type of events to stay connected to my friends and meet new ones.

I’m hoping 2009 is a year of growth and happiness for me and for all my friends out there in cyberspace!