My 2012 To-Do/Be/Have List

After the last post, I was thinking that maybe I was being to 'anti-detailed-plans'.
Of course different thing works for different people.
It was just a kind reminder that sometimes allowing certain 'blankness' in life means that when things go astray, you won't be stroke as hard.

Let me tell you my goals for 2012 covering personal, relationships and achievements levels.
I love lists, so here it is:

In 2012, I'm Going To: 

1) Be happy, positive and present
I used to say that my boyfriend is shallow when he answers 'Being happy' when I asked what his life goal is.
I was too occupied by my 'perfect and detailed' plans and I didn't let him explain. He has different definitions of happiness and different ways to achieve them.
'Being happy' still sounds superficial now, but on a second thought, isn't it what all our life goals bring us in the end? Happiness?
How people define happiness varies, some more self-interested, some more noble, judging from the worldly standards and from different perspectives.
But really, all of our goals are just different forms of pursuits for happiness.

I wanna stay positive and carry on with my 'love life as hard as I can' attitude.
I want to be genuinely happy and experience pure joy that is not related to fame and wealth, but with people, nature and love.

From weheartit.com

2) Stay curious, keep learning and be inspired.
I cannot imagine a life without curiosity. Or without reading, reflection and deep thoughts.
I still have numerous questions in my mind that I wanna find answers to.
By learning, of course I'm not only thinking about school.
Being clever is not the same with being wise. If I have to choose, I'd pick wisdom.
But who says one can't have both? So I aim for both.
If you don't shoot for the moon, you can't fall on the stars, right? No harm to aim high.

But I still have to be practical too.
For school-related learning, my target is a Master's program that I have been thinking days and nights.
To get into what I'm dying to study, I need a high GPA. So I have to work hard the coming semester.
And I am gonna try out some time management techniques. Hopefully they work.
Good news: just got my GPA! Highest one I've got so far.
I am so happy about the fact that my work (couldn't say hardwork because I enjoyed it) paid off.
Gonna keep it up and do better. And stay humble.

3) Spread love and Inspire
Basically to all. The idea is that maybe I can't do anything big to save our chaotic world, but I could do small things that add occasional sweetness to people's lives, and hopefully to inspire them to do the same.
A small act of kindness and gesture of love don't cost anything. But those are treasures.
And about my relationships, I wanna be a better daughter, sister, girlfriend, friend and student.
I am flawed and I am willing to improve because these people mean a lot to me: my family, boyfriend, friends and teachers.

4) Stay healthy
Weightloss is still something that I hope can happen overnight and like magic.
But unfortunately, people haven't invent such marvelous technology yet.
Instead of weightloss, I am going to try stay as healthy as possible, with the old cliche ways that I'm not gonna repeat.
Also, my rest pattern is pretty chaotic now, have to bring back order and structure before I burn myself out.

5) Have more self-discipline and control
After knowing that none of us are perfectly rational, I kind of become a little bit too laid-back.
In many aspects, I was a bit overtaken by irrationality, emotions, etc.
I missed deadlines. I walked out on a date. I didn't handle relationships properly.
I fell into temptations. I spent too much (luckily I am anti-credit-card and don't own one).
I'm glad no serious damage happen. But none of those should develop further.
Better self-control this year: from time management, money management to generally my quality as a person.
Have to be an adult and more importantly as a better person.

Yes, that's about it, my big pictures/ big life goals
Of course having guidelines help me to achieve them, but once again nothing detailed or very specific.
I found that allowing myself some freedom helps me to achieve my goals better.

And who says goal-setting are only for the start of a year?!
I'll keep changing my smaller goals throughout the year to give myself an exciting and fruitful year.
(and no burnouts in March or the middle of the year)
So I'm now adding just one more:

6) Be Open to Possibilities and Stay Creative
Who knows what life will bring?! But whatever it brings, just smile and greet the future.
Sometimes when life gets hard, keep going and stay strong.
No one can teach you that, only you can teach yourself to be strong.
In bad times or when bored, stay creative and think outside the box.
We all deserve a little more sparkle, a little more fun and a whole lot more laughter in our lives.

Wish you an exciting, fruitful and unforgettable year.

Love,
N

P.S.
Have finished the book Child in the Jungle in one night, it moves me.
I smiled, I cried, I was deeply touched and inspired, and also soothed.
My tropical getaways are just incomparible to what was described in the book.
Then I think of my mother's stories about her childhood adventures, my grandparents' experience in a rubber plantation farm, my dad and my other grandparents' trips to exotic countries.
The book, together with my imagination, became a very satisfying trip for my soul.