2012 NY Resolutions or Judgement Day

This past year I attempted to design my goals around things that really frightened me. Like driving cars in foreign countries, or the fear of failure, or fear of producing bad art, or fear of producing a bad academic paper. I'd say I wasn't terribly successful, but I'll let you decide. I have some on the roll-over list for 2013. Here's the rundown from 2012.  

1. Read 12 Christian books. Solid affirming tenements and bulwarks of the Christian faith and doctrine.

- Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

- Francis Chan, Crazy Love

- James Philip, The Power of God

- Martin Luther, On Christian Liberty

- Brother Lawrence, Practice of the Presence of God

- Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ

- C.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

- Matt Williams, Eden Derailed

- Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality

- N.T. Wright, For All the Saints

- Julian of Norwhich, Revelations of Divine Love
- Life and Diary of David Brainard, ed. Jonathan Edwards (Still reading. So boring.)

Some of these were wonderful. My favorite was Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ.  Then Chesterton. This was hard to do at the end, and I'm still struggling through Brainard even though I began well before Christmas.  Do I know more about God? I'm not sure.  It's the books that make me cry that I find most spiritual, and to that extent, War and Peace was more spiritual than any of these. 

2. Learn to drive a stick shift. 
Unless twenty minutes in a parking lot count, I'm rolling this over to 2013. 

3. Get my UK driver's license. 

They wanted my passport a month before Christmas. No way. Roll-over. But I did pay for my provisional license.  

4. Paint 3 pictures, one using oils, one acrylics, and one waters.
I only did one and that was with oils. I've decided I need to learn how to draw first. 2013 Learn how to Draw.

5. Form successful working habits for my doctorate and become proud of my work. 

Have been alright, but less than successful. A definite roll-over for next year. 

6. Write two short stories.

I wrote one. I even sent it off for publication and it received a favorable review, but I'm too lazy so far to make it work. It needs maturation and kneading. Will need to sit on it for a while.

7. Read 3 works of poetry.

- Elegy Written in a Courtyard and Other Poems

- A Shropshire Lad, A.E. Houseman

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning

8. Develop firmer habits of self-reflection.

Yes and no. I have made great strides, but am still not totally satisfied with myself. Journaling is definitely the best way I find to do this, as well as list making. To improve this for next year, I want to journal often. Perhaps not daily, but to make good friends with it.

9. Languages: better my Latin and begin French. 

I've worked halfway through a Latin book- pathetic! But I have taken a French course and will continue to take another one. Another roll-over to next year, to dedicate an hour each a week, minimum! 

10. Watch all the James Bond films 

A fun, but not v. challenging goal. Easily accomplished!

Favorite film: Thunderball

Close second: Skyfall 

Favorite Bonds in rank: Sean Connerey. Daniel Craig. Pierce Brosnan. Timothy Dalton. George Lazenby. Roger Moore.

Worse film: Octopussy

11. Read 100 books

This has easily been the most challenging thing I've done, and I have loved it. I have loved it and hated it.  I've read classics and works I had meant to read for years, and they have been so rewarding. However, if my puritanical aim to finish, it's been less fun. I assigned for myself too many reading goals-- the 12 spiritual books in addition to 12 books by C.S. Lewis. These I've found constraining and too much, so that I've lost pleasure in it. And, I'm so ridiculous, I cared more about finishing a book to say that I'd read it, rather then doing academic work, where you read one or two essays you need. So I have hindered my PhD work a little. My favorite book was definitely War and Peace. I also learned I simply cannot use a kindle. For all, see here.

12. Climb Arthur's seat every day for a week; and then once a week for a month

I loved doing this. I wrote a post about it, here.  It was one of my favorite things I challenged myself to do. 

13. Form lovely handwriting

Maybe? Jury's still out on this one. 

14. Go to Iceland

Yup, with my siblings. For more, see posts here. 

15. Attend my first conference

I did. I attended two. One on "Medieval Romance" (see here) with all the bigwigs of my field and one on Renaissance Conference.

16. Give an academic paper.

I gave three! One at MEMSA, one at the Renaissance Conference (see here), and one for the Late Summer Lecture Series. 

17. Form habits regarding back care: especially yoga.

This has been sporadic. I'll do yoga consistently for weeks and then stop for weeks. 

18. Dance. Dance classes. 

Yes. But needs improvement. A roll over to next year.   

19. Visit Sanna. Yes! 

20. Watch a bad Christmas Film

- The choice was Bad Santa. And it was bad. It was horrible. It was so depressing. 

21.Read 12 works by C.S. Lewis
- Miracles
- Reflections on the Psalms
- The Pilgrim's Regress
- Of Other Worlds 
- Letters to Children 
- Fern Seed and Elephants
- The Great Divorce
- God in the Dock
- The Abolition of Man
- Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature 
- Surprised by Joy     

I started this in the late winter, having discovered I'd read a book by C.S. Lewis each month so far.  This has been the more challenging one. But towards the end, this was absolutely brutal. I think I won't set myself specific reading goals next year and just let myself choose how and what I want to read.

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I have a whole hoard of 2013 goals, but I'm tired from 2012.  I want a few weeks langour before I set my sights on pursuing new goals. We've been busy planning for a wedding we attend tomorrow, so we're all in a flutter. Hope your 2012 was lovely, and 2013 just as good. xo