I guess it's that time again

I have started not believing in New Year's Resolutions because I believe you can change whenever you want to change. This just happens to be a time in my life where I want to change (which may be slightly socially induced).

A couple of goals:
Health/Physical:
-Maintain a habit of running
-lose some vanity weight
-work on flexibility
- eat less flour and sugar
-eat more vegetables

Dance:
-Make a semifinal
-be able to do a clean triple spin
-utilize my practice hours better

Academic:
-Get a 4.0 to close the year
-Get involved with a research project
-Get into grad school
-Speak in Spanish more often

Financial:
-Get a job
-Keep track of the money I spend
-Stick to a budget

Personal
-Put myself together more often
-More diligent prayer and scripture study
-Love myself
-Be myself

Social:
-Get out of my comfort zone
-Make a new friend


I should stop before I get carried away.

Basically my motto for this year (with the help of Lauren) is something to the effect of "Buck up!"--meaning take some responsibilty for my life. I get tired of seeing people throw their lives away or listening to people complain or blame every misfortune on some outer working force. Take responsibility for your life! Only YOU can make yourself happy. Only YOU can give yourself validation. I realized it's easy to sink into this state of apathy and fatalism, but it's passe' and pathetic. I'm going to be happy and motivated this year by my own efforts. I believe that God can most ready help us and make us something more when we have this attitude. We are also more able to help others when we get outside of ourselves. Choice-induced depression* and self-pity and self-loathing all create a dangerous vortex leading to egocentrism. We become blinded to everything beautiful around us, and our lives become meaningless and directionless.

And I am personally fed up with it. It's time for change. Happy 2011!

*(I believe there are multiple causes of depression. I thoroughly believe that there are uncontrollable, brain chemical causes, and there is no shame in getting help for that. I also believe that we can cause these same symptoms through poor choices. I will eleaborate on this later, but I didn't want you all to think that I don't believe in the seriousness of mental illness.)