Resolutions

I was just reading an old archived post on one of my new favorite blogs and it was about new years resolutions. Something about it inspired me to make some resolutions of my own - but screw new years, I'm making them now. I've been feeling so down in the dumps for the past month about my ex and my grandmother and it's really made me do some hard thinking about what it means to be "happy". It's not an easy thing to define. But what I'm hoping is that my Right Now Resolutions will help me take some steps toward a happier place. Here's my list so far:

Reconnect with old friends and try to make some new ones

Strengthen the relationships I have with my family

Write more - writing out my thoughts has always helped me sort through issues

Declutter my apartment - I started on this one a few months ago but everything came to a grinding halt this past month. Time to pick it up again!

(Possibly) Rearrange my living room - My apartment is very limited on wall space, which is nice in that the living room/kitchen/dining room area is very open, but that makes it hard to rearrange furniture in a pleasing way. If I can come up with a new floor plan, this is on the list.

See the bright side in each situation I find myself in and don't get mired down by the few things that may not agree with me

Actively look for topics of conversation to bring up/things to talk about when hanging out with other people - this one might seem a bit strange to you, but it's one of my weaknesses. By nature, I'm a pretty shy person. Always have been. I've gotten much better as the years have gone by, but when I'm in a group situation or when spending time with someone I don't know that well, I find myself clamming up and feeling uncomfortable. I figure some preparation prior to finding myself in these situations may help me be more outspoken.

Don't rush! This past year I was seemingly going at warp speed at all times, trying to find the most efficient way to do everything. This was partially brought on by work because that's the way we're expected to be there, but it spilled into my life outside of work as well. Living like that, aside from being efficient, did nothing but stress me out.

Stop caring as much what other people think of me

That's all for now but I may add more later.