2014, themed

2013 was a funny year for me. I didn't blog much, I didn't write much, I did very little photography or yoga or exercise. It wasn't what I would call a bad year, but it wasn't exactly what I might have wanted if I had been documenting it and paying attention in a daily way.

You might recognise this thing I do... where I make big plans and go on and on about them, but don't follow through with them and then spend some time lamenting (but not regretting... don't even say that word to me) my lack-of-awesomeness in the area of doing life right.

Here is what I did accomplish in 2013:

1. I did lots of spiritual growth - I think I attended church every Sunday save one. That feels kinda big for me. Playing hookey from any responsibility is especially fun for me. I have also read a lot of non-fiction by church leaders, and that has really helped me figure stuff out about life.

2. I studied scripture - not every day, and not always with a purpose, but I studied. This also feels big because I find scripture boring. Yes, I said that. I love learning and I love the gospel, but reading scripture feels like torture. I figured out why it's awesome lately though, and now it's, well... awesome.

3. I was happily married the whole year. For those of you who have been doing marriage happily for a long time, this may not feel like an accomplishment; I've got two marriages behind me, one that ended in divorce, and I've had a bit of fear that I am not really capable of being completely satisfied in a marriage, in a long-term way. So, one year down and I didn't regret any part of it. Happy.

I have a lot more I want out of life, and a lot to do in 2014. My theme for this coming year is development. I have this image in my head of a picture in the process of being developed... actual pictures that required chemicals and patience. The paper starts out blank and through the development process we see images, colours, and details appear. That's how I want 2014 to be for me: I want more of the details of life to be evident. I want to be able to develop myself - spiritually, physically, and intellectually.

So, I love lists. They help me plan out the details; they help me feel accomplished when I can cross items off them. Side note: anyone else out there guilty of adding something to a list just to cross it off? Sexy, isn't it?

I am not going to give you a list this year. Partly to save myself the embarrassment of seeing my inevitable potential failure; partly because I'm saving my list-making for my new fancy pen that records everything I write (also sexy).

I'm never very good at following through with stuff. Several years back my theme was, in fact, follow through. I made a list that year, and every single thing on it is on my not-list this year too. See? Embarrassing.

Whatever. Expect great things from me this year.