Climbing mountains...one stone at a time

All this talk of the new year, a fresh start and a time to change doesn't usually have an effect on me, but this year - for some reason - it seems to have sunk in somehow. I don't just want to plod along this year, doing bits and bobs here and there, waiting for the interesting stuff to happen - I want to really LIVE this year. I want to look back on 2011 and know that I have thoroughly made the most of every single minute.

I mean, I already work several days a week, and whenever I am home I'm either doing uni work or blogging. I always make time to see my friends and family, and the boyfriend of course - but could I do more?

I think I could. So I'm starting this new burst of enthusiasm by joining the gym. It's not really a case that I need to lose weight; I'm 4ft 11" and I only weigh 7 1/2 stone - I'm hardly having to roll myself around! But I have noticed that after the last several years of takeaways and boozy nights out, that I'm not looking (or feeling) as healthy as I used to be.

Every summer I have a health drive, and I love it. I go running 2 miles 3 times a week, and do sit ups and weights at home - the whole lot. When the winter rolls round though, I use the "It's too cold" excuse, and the exercise becomes literally a forgotten memory. So, joining the gym will hopefully stop me slacking off, as it certainly won't be cold in there!
I have this real urge to better my life this year - probably due to the hardship of last year - and I told myself that my new years resolution would be to do more nice things for those I care about. Sounds like a right pile of soppy stuff I know, but I realised that most of the drama and strife in my life last year was more to do with me having to watch those I love suffer in some way, than it was about me suffering myself.

So, I'm going to put more effort in with the fella - make his recovery the best it can be and hopefully leave him feeling like the luckiest bloke alive by the end of the year. Don't get me wrong, I do always make time for him and try my best to make him happy, but there's always room for improvements. I'd like to see my best friend Ray be happier than ever this year. To know that she's happy and content within herself would leave me chuffed to bits. And I want to do more for my Mam. She always does so much for my whole family, and we've all been guilty of taking her for granted sometimes, so that has to stop. She's a superwoman, but that doesn't mean she can't have a sidekick to help her out when she needs it.

Finally, I'd really like to push myself to try new things in all different areas of my life. If there's something I want to do, but have never got round to doing it, then this is the year to make it happen. I'm still working out quite what I want from life this year, but when I figure it out I'll be sure to let you know.

Last year I was proud of myself for overcoming all that life had thrown at me - which was nice enough - but this year I want to be proud of myself because of what I have done to change my own life for the better, rather than just having to face up to how it has changed on it's own. Not quite sure if that makes any sense to anyone but me, but the good intentions are there, so I hope you can all read that much from what I'm saying.

I've probably said this at some point every year, but I really have got the drive to be the best I can possibly be from here on out. I just need to make positive decisions, put actions to my words, and see things through. And if I can manage an hour in the gym tomorrow that would be a good enough place to start me thinks!