It's A New Year

Can I just say that I'm thrilled that 2011 is behind me?  Without moaning about the difficulties the year presented me, I would just like to point out that last year is one that I could have done without.

There's nothing like wiping the slate clean and starting fresh in a New Year.  This is actually one of the first years that I've not outlined resolutions for myself ahead of time to dwell on in the last days of the concluding year.  Would I like to make some changes in my life this year?  Yes.  Have I set a goal for myself to reach by my 30th birthday in September?  Yes.  I do still have some resolutions for 2012, but I'm hoping that I can treat them more like lifestyle changes than a diet.  Here is what I would like to do in 2012:

• Get better sleep/be more well-rested - we just bought a new mattress set this afternoon, and it's being delivered and set up tomorrow evening, so I'm hoping that we're off to a good start on this one.  It's a Sealy memory foam mattress that I am hoping will relieve some of the pressure in my back when I sleep.  The new mattress, combined with an earlier bedtime that is not immediately preceded by watching tv, should do the trick.
• Be a better manager at work - I'm hoping that by having my first year of managing a small group of people and adjusting to being a manager and an employee at the same time under my belt, that I'll be able to make this goal happen.  The challenge I face is not actually wanting to be in the job/position that I'm in but still making the best of it, and doing it to the best of my ability.  Maybe I'll also figure out just what I want to do with my life professionally...
• Be less materialistic - In recent years I have found myself becoming more consumed with possessions and stuff than before.  I want to want less, materialistically speaking.  I want to not only feel content by what I already have, but to actually be grateful for what I have and not feel like it has to be more or better.  This is not a cold-turkey change; it's going to take some time.  It's going to take me focusing my energy on discovering other ways to make me happy outside of buying material possessions that provide only fleeting fulfillment.
• Rediscover my relationship with Jesus- I went to church this morning for the first time in probably two years.  I went by myself and it felt great.  Sure, there were a couple of songs that I'd never heard before, but that meant that I got to just listen to the words of the song and let them really marinate.  There's a lot of good stuff that I've been missing out on in the past couple of years that I don't plan on missing out on anymore.  I promise not to shove my beliefs down your throats, but I'm also making a promise to not act so flippant about my beliefs anymore.  I believe in God.  I am going to Heaven, not Hell.  I am a Christian, and I don't care if you roll your eyes if and when I write/say something that convicts those beliefs.
• Go to Oregon to spend time with my family - My grandfather is 90 years old.  He's got amazing genetics and is super healthy, but you just never know how much time you have left with anybody.  I really want to strengthen my relationships with both of my grandfathers, but particularly my dad's dad because I am not in touch with him outside of occasional updates from my dad when we speak on the phone.  I want to fly to Oregon for at least a week this year so I can spend some quality time with all of my family.  My sister is due with her first baby at the end of June and I want to be able to meet my little niece or nephew.  I want to go back to my roots and visit all of the places in Oregon that mean so much to my past, and share them with my present, Elvis, in the hopes that one day we'll both share them with our future children.

I know I've prattled on long enough, and have even gone off on some tiny tangents, but in summation, I just really want 2012 to be better than 2011 was, so that by this time next year I can look back and say that 2012 was a very good year.