January 3, 2012

12 in 2012

Pin It now! Can you believe it's 2012?  It always takes me a month or two for all of it to sink in.  By then though, I'm wishing for the warm spring and before you know it, it's the end of the summer.  Ok, I'm getting way ahead of myself.  This year is going to be wonderful my darlings.  The predicted apocalypse, an election year, summer Olympics, big birthdays and anniversaries, lots of babies and weddings on the way.  I love the way the new year brings hope and excitement.  It also brings expectations and big plans.  Can you hear another big all-year to-do list coming?  Here's mine, in no particular order...
  1. Learn how to use my camera.  That means using the manual settings and not just pointing and shooting.  Quiz me in 6 months and hopefully I'll the difference between aperture and depth of field (or maybe the fact that they're not related at all).
  2. Put together our wedding album, make one for my Mom and make a wedding film.  We still haven't watched our wedding video and even though it just home video, it'll be nice to put something together that comes somewhat close to this or this.
  3. Be healthy.  This is for overall good health, but I also had specific goals - eat more fruit, swim at least ten laps like a champ and not be out of breath, get rid of this persistent shoulder, neck and jaw pain (all stemming from my bad posture at work).
  4. Step it up at work.  Now that I'm not new in my new role, I need to push it up a level and instead of just getting work done, I want to initiate new projects and build stronger relationships with the business unit I support.  I want to be that go-to Compliance officer that they go to, not just the person testing and monitoring bad behavior.
  5. Cook more, bake more, blog more, explore more.  For this blog, you'll start seeing more inspirational posts - design, food, party planning, quotes.  Last year it was all about original content.  I'm keeping that, but I also want to incorporate all the inspirational things I see and find and make it a scrapbook (for lack of a better word). 
  6. Finish the apartment.  Ok, this will probably never happen since decorating, etc. is an ongoing process, but there are a few big projects that need to get done.  Finish the bedroom with a few art pieces. Paint the nook cut-out in the living room (with the same Cathedral Grey as the bedroom).  Last year was all about creating our living space.  This year, I want to live in it.  I saw a post today where Ivanka Trump said "I don't want to work on decorating my apartment.  I just want to enjoy it."  That's exactly how I feel right now.
  7. Dress up more.  I've fallen in the trap of black pants and a different top/blouse/shirt for work again.  Time to step it up in the wardrobe department.  Dresses, suits and lots more accessories.
  8. Be a New Yorker (which may mean sometimes acting like a non-New Yorker).  I watched Tony Bourdain's Layover episode on New York and he visited a few places that I've never been, but should have been places I've gone years ago.  Sad, sad Erica.  I consider myself a New Yorker, but I coming to think I don't really take advantage of what that means.  Right now, it means for me (which really means us) to experience the good, bad and ugly (and expensive and cheap), even the tourist traps - Empire State Building, St. Mark's Bookshop, 11 Madison Park (this might be a stretch), Ippudo, 9/11 Memorial, buying shoes at Barney's, Kin Shop, momofuku (all four of them), Meatpacking District, etc. etc.  I should give myself a little credit since all of last year, I photographed 52 weeks of the city so it's not like I'm sitting around being lazy or haven't been anywhere.  Oh, and in the same vein, explore Williamsburg (and more of Greenpoint, Red Hook, Bushwick, etc.).
  9. Gaining a new perspective and letting go.  I'm not sure how it happened and I didn't realize it until recently when I wasn't feeling like myself.  I was boxing myself in - professionally, personally and mentally.  I've always cared too much about what other people thought which stopped me from moving forward with opinions and actions and made me second guess myself a lot.  I was resting too much of my feelings and actions on what I thought might be other people's reactions.  It's amazing that as an adult, I still hold on the chip on my shoulder that I had as a kid (a kid!) and the persona that I had decades ago.  Even after growing up, getting married, getting promoted, buying an apartment and living the life that we live, I still feel like a kid sometimes and trapped thinking I'll be judged for the things I say or do.  So after realizing that I put myself in a box again and that I really have to just snap out of it, it's time to move on from that chip.  
  10. Volunteer
  11. Take better care of my husband, family and friends...this means being thoughtful and un-selfish, making time for the people in my life, and remembering what it's all about.
  12. Live every day to the fullest.  Ok, that's really cheesy, but it might be the end of the world soon according to the Mayans (or not) so we might as well figure out how to fill each day full.

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