I haven’t collected any resolutions from the other farm members around here yet, but since this morning marks the first few hours of free, alone time I’ve had in 2012, I thought it would be valuable to sit down and write out my own.

I believe that putting aside some time to think about and write down goals is one of the most important steps to getting things done (aka creating the life for yourself that you really want). Writing down goals (in a blog post, in a journal, or on a piece of paper posted above my trailer door so that I am reminded of them every day) helps me to stay motivated and focused. So, without further ramble, here is my list of goals for 2012:

Word for the year: Intentional

I want to be Intentional about:

1.  Reading more books: I used to be an avid reader, then I let the internet suck me in. Now my attention span is shot and I spend way more time than is neccessary online instead of with my head stuck in a book. I need to figure out what method works best to start reading more: paying $5 for a soy latte & a distraction free corner in a coffee shop, setting my alarm an extra hour early for pre-dawn reading sessions, NOT bringing my laptop to bed with me so that I read in bed instead of facebooking myself to sleep… My plan is to reprioritize my time, figure out a system that works and spend quality time reading about gardening, health, veganism, and spirituality, as well as indulging in good ol’ page-turner best sellers.

2.  Creating less waste: I’d like to limit my consumerism overall and when I do buy things, I want to avoid packaging that can’t be reused or recycled. I’m planning on removing my garbage can from my trailer altogether to ensure that I follow this resolution. It might not be possible to avoid creating garbage 100% of the time, but I want to do the best I can to avoid being a contributor of the unneccessary garbage that’s polluting the earth.

3.  Practicing gratitude: I’ve been deeply inspired by my friend Faye over at www.rawlawyer.com. As if her story and journey weren’t inspiring enough, her weekly gratitude practices have motivated me to start doing them as well. There are a lot of things to be thankful for in life, but distractions and negative attitudes can keep us from recognizing and acknowledging them. I’m looking forward to making this a regular practice this year and seeing how it influences my attitude and outlook on life and relationships.

4.  Expanding my homesteading abilities and making money doing it: When I visualize what I want my life to look like in the future, I see myself and my life partner living a thoughtful, eco and animal-conscious lifestyle in a home that reflects those same qualities while making a living that also reflects those qualities. Being outside and working on homesteading-related projects makes me really happy and figuring out how to make a living doing that is something that I really want to pursue. It’s also something that my wonderful boyfriend (a permaculture-inspired, up-and-coming urban farmer in Maple Ridge) wants to do, so we’re combining our eager-entrepreneurial spirits together this year with plans to grow food on both of our properties and sell it at farmers markets when they open in April. I’m so excited about this – growing my own food and selling it at farmers markets is something I’ve daydreamed about for a long time. This is the year to make it a reality and see how it goes. I’m sure it will be a huge, but very fun and rewarding learning curve.

* * *

I plan on documenting my resolution efforts on this blog (numbers 3 & 4 in particular) as the year progresses. This will help hold me accountable to pursuing them and maybe it will encourage you to keep and pursue your own. Thanks for continuing to follow our story everyone. Happy New Year!