Happy New Year! Part Two

The 31st of January was the Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year. People shouldn't call it that, though, because the Chinese aren't the only ones who celebrate it.

Here in S. Korea, it's called Seollal (설날) and it's a pretty big thing. There are traditions galore, and everyone travels to their hometown for the weekend. And for a lot of people who celebrate both the Solar New Year and the Lunar New Year, it's a second chance to evaluate goals and assess how things have been going so far.

So I haven't been very good at keeping with my New Years Resolutions. Maybe I was too ambitious, maybe I didn't care, maybe things got in the way, I don't know. Whatever the reason, stuff just didn't happen. But a few things have happened the last few days that have rekindled my desire for change, and so for the Lunar New Year I'm making a new set of resolutions, and this time, I'm going to do everything in my power to make them stick.

The first one, is to become more healthy. A lot of things are going into this one, from daily, longer runs to eating at the dining facility, from only eating meals and not snacking to drinking more water. I've taken a look at what I look like, and I didn't realize I had gained so much unhealthy pudge around my middle, hips, and thighs. This has to change, not only for my PT test in June and my healthy for the future, but also for my own self-image. I'm already self-deprecating enough that I don't need the added stress of looking and feeling gross.

The second one is to get back on track with writing. I've fixed my reading habits; I read more now than I have in a really long time. But I still need to be writing more. My goal is still to become a published writer some day, whether it's way later in life and only as a side job, or sooner and as a full time job. But in order to be considered a writer, I have to actually be writing, and at the moment, I'm not. I get bogged down in the plotting and trying to fix too many plot holes, that I never move forward with actually writing. I just need to be writing, and it doesn't matter what I'm writing. Blog posts, short stories, novels, whatever. As long as I'm writing and improving my craft every single day.

That's it. Just those two things. If I try to fit anything more in, I know I'm going to struggle, so for this year, 2014, I'm just going to focus on these two things. I can worry about being nicer and cutting internet and spending another time. For now, Health and my Writing are my priorities.

Of course, with these two things, the other things will follow anyway.

Did you know that this Lunar year is the year of the Horse? I was born in the year of the Snake, so last year was my year. How about you? What year are you?

Thanks for reading!