My missions for this year sound deceptively simple. I call them missions because the word ‘resolution’ comes with a whole lot of baggage and an air of something-I-would-like-to-accomplish-but-probably-won’t. These are more like ways I want to live my life. So without further ado:
- Be humble
- Take action
That’s it.
In Christianity, pride is a sin and one that I think forms the foundation for many other sins. But there’s good pride and bad pride. The way I see it manifested in my life is a focus on my appearance. I love clothes and style is the first way I introduce and express myself to the world. But in the new year, I want to focus less on my outward appearance and more on the beauty surrounding me. This mission extends to other aspects of my life. You ever do a spontaneous good deed and then feel the need to tell the first person you see? And I don’t think I’m the only one who knows part of the reason we volunteer is for the good feeling it gives us. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s time for me to acknowledge my pride and work towards humility. It’s time for me to put more of the attention on the communities I serve and less on me, which can be difficult in our individualistic culture. Though I’m pretty lazy when it comes to updating Instagram and other social media, I still feel the need to update and share while experience a #moment. I just put it off 😛
Which brings me to my next mission. Taking action. Procrastination was a huge struggle for me in first year. It’s less of a problem now, but I’ve found it creeping into non-academic areas of my life. The other day I had the realization that I am a thinker not a doer. An ideas-woman. I have aha-moments, then crowd-source opinions about them, maybe even make preliminary plans and then promptly forget about them. Actually, that’s not quite right. I almost never forget them but I’m better at coming up with excuses not to rather than reasons to go ahead. Ideas for start-ups, writing ventures, journeys – all lapse in dusty obscurity in my mind’s corners.
I’ve been wondering a lot about my direction in life and I don’t know what the plan is for me. But I don’t want to be the one holding me back. Being scared of the outcome or the effort required to pursue something is no longer a valid excuse. It never was. Take action doesn’t necessarily mean do something drastic. It means no more putting things off. Following ideas through to fruition. Shrugging off a slacker reputation. Becoming an ideas-woman AND a woman of action.
*lol clearly we’re off to a good start since this was supposed to be a New Year’s post