Prompt 12 – 12 in 12: Take today to talk about 12 things you would like to accomplish in 2012. These 12 things can be 12 resolutions, 12 changes in your life, 12 wines you’d like to drink, 12 cities you’d like to visit, or 12 monthly goals. The decision is yours. Good luck and have fun!

12 Resolutions for 2012:

• Reintroduce exercise into my life: In 2007, I worked hard to have a strong, healthy body, but lost my drive during strenuous life events between 2009 and 2010 that left me depressed, downtrodden and unmotivated. I want to remember the incredible feeling of being physically healthy and strong, which will only aid in my ability and the clarity needed to achieve other goals I’ve set forth in my life.

• Find the exercise that’s right for me: I’ve ran marathons, I’ve earned my brown belt in Krav Maga, I’ve done Bikram yoga, I’ve tried half of the DVD exercise programs that are out there. While I’ve found each of these things rewarding and enjoyable in their own ways, I want to find an exercise that will be something I adopt permanently to fit my lifestyle. At one time, I thought yoga and Krav were it. Until I found myself not feeling up for sweating my buns off and not wanting to end up with a broken nose courtesy of a black belt. I’m considering dancing as a possibility – who doesn’t love to dance? And to do this for life? Sure! It’s a useful skill, and it’s fun. Now, where to find a dance studio I can get a great workout in 5-7 days a week around Buffalo…

• Read more: I would like to make more time to read. Fiction, non-fiction, it doesn’t matter. Reading expands your mind, enhances your vocabulary, and keeps you sharp.

• Write more: About 3 years ago, I rediscovered my love for writing, but find it very difficult to fit in for recreational purposes. I want to at least start–if not complete–“The Artist’s Way” book and handbook, as well as continue blogging. I would like to keep myself open for opportunities to come my way that will allow me to write for a living. But, above all, I would like to write frequently and regularly in ways that make me feel most expressive.

• Adopt the philosophy of “higher quality, fewer quantity”: There are several areas I can point to in my life where I indulge in too much of something, and not necessarily of a high quality. And for the high quality things I do indulge in frequently (see my “Best Meal” post), I feel as though my appreciation for the finer things diminish when you have too much of a good thing too often. Last summer, I had a small cup–maybe 2 oz.–of homemade, organic salted caramel ice cream from Five Points Bakery in Buffalo. When I treat myself to ice cream, I typically go for a cone of some sort usually with a topping (read: my compulsion to indulge). But that was not an option here – you got what they offered. What I realized was how incredibly rich and delicious and satisfying these 2 oz. of ice cream were that I didn’t need more than what was offered. It occurred to me then that this newfound way of thinking can–and should–be applied to a lot of other areas of my life. Having a higher quality of something diminishes your want of the lesser quality product; having that higher quality product less frequently not only allows you to appreciate what you have more, but makes you realize what a treat it is to have. And even though there’s usually a financial disparity between high quality/low quantity versus low quality/high quantity, if you adopt this philosophy, it should all equal out in the end.

• Spend more time with my family: Life is short and I moved home for a reason. It doesn’t matter how busy I am, I should spend more time with my family, including aunts, uncles and cousins. Once a week to see my immediate family would be ideal, and maybe once a month for my extended family. As for my brother and his family in Rochester, every 2 weeks is what I’d like to aim for. I can’t go 1-2 months without seeing my niece – it’s torturous. Besides, I want to be an active participant in her life.

• Spend more time with my friends: Like I said, life is short – we should spend it with the ones we love. I’d like to go back to Bloomington this year and see some of my friends from college, especially two of my roommates. I’d also like to get back to NYC, Chicago and DC more often, where I have many terrific friends from the times I have spent living and pseudo-living there. And of course, there should (and will) be the occasional trip to places like Denver, potentially San Francisco and some other places around the country–thanks to my business ventures–where I would love to see and reconnect with old friends.

• Meditate: Making time for yourself to clear your mind and get centered is important, be it daily, weekly, monthly or even sporadically. I rarely allow myself the time to be still and quiet my mind, yet I know it would help me immensely when dealing with stress, as well as improve my mood. It’s also scheduled and pointed “me” time, which can never be undervalued. I would love to adopt this practice at least three times a week, if not daily, for 5-10 minutes at a time.

• Know when to say when: Half the battle is knowing your limits. Sometimes saying ‘no’ is the best thing you can do for yourself and for others.

• Travel to at least one place new: I love to travel and there are many places I’ve traveled to, both within the U.S. and abroad. Yet, there are always new places to explore. I want to make it a point to travel to at least one new place every year to keep a healthy dose of fresh discovery and curiosity in my life.

• Give myself enough time to sleep: Ever since I can remember, sleep has always been an important part of my life. I used to be that kid that would sleep for 12 hours at a time, and did this up until my early 20s. For me, 8-9 hours a night is critical, otherwise I cannot function optimally. I know to some, 8 hours of sleep a night is a luxury they can’t afford. But for me, I notice a clear difference in my capabilities both on the job and as a decent member of society. For everyone’s sake, I pledge to try to get those 8-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night so that I may be the best, freshest me each and every day.

• Exercise creativity, regularly and often: I worked in government for 10 years, and rarely was I allowed to be creative. Now that I am self-employed and free to express myself however I deem necessary and appropriate, I’ve realized the importance of being able to have outlets for saying what is on your mind and in your heart. Whether that is through honing some current outlets such as writing, photography, and learning foreign languages (Spanish and Italian for me), or taking up new arts such as painting, sculpting, design, dancing, or any other number of ways to express oneself. I want to fully embrace whatever creative juices I have flowing through my veins, and I want them to have the platforms they feel they deserve to be heard.