Ahh...resolutions...

The inner goal setter in me goes crazy when the new year comes around. And this year it's a new decade no less. A complete blank slate! So much to resolve! So many goals to set!

To prevent myself from committing to a ridiculous scroll of self-improvements, I have to remember something I heard this year. Apparently, the average human learns approximately two life lessons per year - so no point trying to cram in more than that. I try to bear this in mind when I'm attempting to prioritise more than two things at a time and find it difficult. For example, when I'm in the 'going-to-the-gym-zone' it's hard to be also in the 'writing-every-day-zone' as well as the 'win-the-damn-cupcake-competition-zone' at the same time.

I don't have enough bandwidth. I just have to choose two priorities and stick with them.

In 2009 my two overarching life priorities (resolutions if you'd be so kind) were writing and holistic health. I set these in January and decided that every activity I took on should feed into one of these. I'm not talking hour by hour scrutiny here, I'm talking about just thinking through bigger projects and making sure I was spending my time on what I really wanted to be focusing on. Like going to Pilates class (yes!),  writing every morning (yes!), learning to sew (interesting, but no), baking (depends), getting an organic box (yes!), painting (tempting, but no), etc...

Naturally, God, Dan and friends are already set priorities that I don't need to include into my two rotating ones. And I'm not really as militaristic about these priorities as I sound, I just like to whip myself into a frenzy for motivation. In reality they're just always in the back of my head, keeping me in check. If I really was inspired to paint, I'd freaking paint.

So, new year, new priorities...

I think that since we're going to be in New Zealand until June and I can't really think beyond that, I'll stick with 1/2 year resolutions if that's OK.

The first one is easy. I'll keep writing up there. I've had a great run with it this year {thanks to Writing Down the Bones, The Artist's Way and my morning pages} and this period without a job is like a writer's paradise so I can't turn it down really.

The second one is a bit harder, but I think I'm going to have to go with simplicity. Not in an Amish way, but in a taking-each-day-as-it-comes way. Since we don't know exactly what we're doing with our lives after June it's harder than it sounds. So instead of spending all this amazing time we have in paradise planning the next steps, I want to, simply: eat good food, drink good coffee and good wine, read good books, watch good films, go to the beach, write and enjoy any other of life's many simple pleasures rather than complicating things.

So, those are my priorities for the year so far. Feel free to hold me accountable. :) What are your priorities for 2010?

{Photos: Picnic by Ellie, danagraves}