Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Goals, NOT Resolutions for 2013

I don't do resolutions. Personally, resolutions do not work. For me resolution has a negative unattainable
connotation - what will I give up and what will I not do in the new year.  However, I love, love setting
goals and challenges which is a little different from resolution in that it is usually more attainable and involves mapping out ways to accomplish these goals and to adjust those end goals as situations change.

2012 has been an amazing year for me and my family in so many ways. We have been so blessed... I guess it's to compensate for a horrid 2011. As we close out the old year, we enter the new and unknown, filled with endless possibilities. I think the start of the new year for me is a time to open up to the endlessness of untapped potentials.
       
The new year is a time to envision what can be, to open yourself up to the many possibilities of the future that lay ahead ready to be uncovered, to shake off the past and all it's disappointments, and to face a new day where anything can happen. Because so many wonderful things happened to us in 2012 (don't get me wrong, last year was not all sunshine and puppies. We had a lot of difficulties and trial, but in the end, we pulled through as a family and came out stronger) for me and my family, 2013 will be a year of giving, a year where we pledge to give back even more. In 2012, we became active in our local community; giving of ourselves even when it was difficult. This new year we are taking it a step farther to give even more of ourselves, beyond our my local area. To embrace causes we feel strongly in, not just by writing a check, but to lend a hand whenever possible. While there are a lot of organizations that need monetary assistance, there are those that need a human touch and time even more. I challenge readers of this blog post. Look around your local area, there just might be an organization that needs you. Spend an hour or two helping out at the library or at the senior center. Volunteer to teach your craft to kids during school breaks. How can you give back to your community?
       
To start the new year off right, as part of my pledge to give more, in addition to my current volunteer activities (at the library, senior center, and elementary school) I will be choosing individuals at random to gift copies of my patterns. These people will be chosen at random each Tuesday in January (starting Jan 8-29) , then the first Tuesday every month for the rest of the year to coincide with Knit Purl Gurl's Random Act of Pattern-RAP. The recipients will be selected from those who have favorite, queued, or purchased one of my patterns. This will be one of the ways I plan to give back this year. What do you plan to do in the new year to help a fellow man in need?