Things I should Probably Do this Year

I'm not making any New Year's Resolutions this year. Every year I make somewhere between 12 and 15, and every year I break them all. So this year, instead, I'll just create a general master list of "Things I should probably do this year."

Things I should probably do this year:

Curb my spending: I know, you’re all thinking that I’m the cheapest person you know, how could I possibly curb my spending, unless I stop eating or paying rent or buying a Metropass. But the truth is, I’ve gotten lazy, and lazy means I’m spending more money than I should. I’m cooking less and eating out more. Going to the library less and buying more movies and books. Filling my apartment with all sorts of wonderful things, but running out of places to put them. In this time of recession, when everyone’s cutting back, it’s odd that I’m finally starting to cut loose. Why am I always such a weirdo?

Decide once and for all whether or not to get therapy: Let’s face it, I’m f-ed up. I can either face it head on or ignore it and put it behind me, but it’s time to make a decision.

Learn French: How have I gotten this far in my life knowing so little French? It’s not that I need to know it, or that I regularly feel myself lacking because I don’t know it. It’s just one of those things that I’d feel better about myself if I knew. This will require a serious, concerted effort, something more than just buying French Vogue at the newsstand and turning on the French subtitles while I watch Gossip Girl reruns.

Find a man: This is the year I make my grandmother's dreams come true. Whether I have to go to church, the singles' bar, or finally agree to date that creepy guy from the library, this is the year that I achieve a semi-functional, longer than three months, sort-of adult relationship. I always swore I wouldn't join an online dating service until I was 25. That said, see you on Eharmony on April 13 of this year.

Further my education: Ooh, maybe I should take a French class! Two birds, one stone! More than that, though, I’ve got to find a graduate program and get started on it. I might or might not want a Ph.D, but if I don’t get started on something soon, the opportunity’s going to pass by, and the decision will have been made for me by my own inertia. (Oh my goodness, that could apply to so many areas of my life…. Oh dear, must find therapist with whom to discuss! See resolution 2)

Leave the country: I've not crossed the US border (not even to Canada!) since returning from London 4 years ago. I'm not even sure where my passport is these days. I'm getting antsy... Where shall I venture this year? So many options, so little vacation time!

Blog more!!! My life is actually pretty interesting… at least, it keeps me entertained. Why shouldn’t everyone else think so? Besides, everybody’s got a blog these days. If I can’t keep up with Lindsay Lohan, I’ve got even bigger problems than I realized!