Verdict on Resolutions of 2012

I took up quite a few resolutions last year. Here's the net result on all of that.

• A-Z challenge : Trying to read 52 books- 26 titles for every letter of the alphabet and 26 authors, named for every English letter. I scored 48 on 52 in this one. Not bad.
• Books I Read : I was trying to note all the books I've read (other than those for the goal of completing A-Z challenge). Well done on this one, if I might say so myself.
• 365 Day challenge : I decided to write a post everyday on previously decided topics. The topics were taken from a Tumblr challenge. I was trying to inculcate perseverance and develop my articulation skills by this challenge. As far as I can see, I have certainly improved my voice but  struggled pathetically with the habit of posting daily. I was always writing two or more to keep up with the backlog, never got around to comfortably posting daily. Procrastination is a bad habit that I had hoped to shed through this self-imposed task, but did not quite achieve.

Overall, an average year. I did not accomplish any lofty feats but I had fun trying. For this year,I am planning to post at  weekly once at the very least. I've even given this whole blog a makeover to inspire me. Let's see how it goes.

Day 155: Achievement

day 155: what is one achievement you are proud of

That my friends and teachers in college and school still remember me as a principled, hard working friendly girl. Sure, I was a model student and a bright scholar. But I'm proud that even today, four years after college, ten years since I finished school, people recall my character and personality even more than my learning abilities. 

I'm glad that I evoke a trusted image among my peers and professors. That is definitely something that I am unabashedly proud of.

How would you answer this question?

Day 50: Why this challenge

day 50: why you are doing this challenge


I am doing this challenge:
To make sense of my many thoughts
To have the satisfaction of completing a task
To keep writing everyday on this blog and thus, get the thrill of having consistently slogged at a task
To hone my writing skills
Because I am opinionated
Because I believe that I can speak just about anything

Day 18: Top Reasons Why I blog and Am Still at it!

Day 18: why you made your blog, why you still have it
The reasons for blogging are listed in Day 3 of this series. But my top reasons for continuing to blog are as below:

1. Blogging is fun.
2. Writing a post every single day takes patience and teaches consistency and the importance of persevering. 
3. It keeps me result-driven. One post needs to get published every day. I usually find that I lapse during weekends; since those two days fly away with Hubs and all our outings and shopping and Skype chats with our large family back home. However, my challenge dictates that I post an article EVERY day. So, I just write my posts beforehand and then press the publish button on the weekends. It's not exactly cheating according to me. I like to call it 'Delivering what you Promise'. It's a lesson from my days as an engineer in a corporate firm. Nobody cares how you deliver so long as you DO. (Subject to the means being legal and civil.) I used to adopt this technique to flee early and get home sooner on Fridays. I  needed the precious hour since I travelled on Friday- so, I'd work extra on Thursday to keep my work up to date. I always delivered, so nobody cared a hoot. 
4. It's free. That alone is an awesome reason to use it to the fullest.
5. I like playing around with the themes, widgets and am looking at web designing aspects as well. So, I get to indulge in my creative and technical streaks. 
6. My typing has improved loads due to blogging.
7. A lot of the questions are introspective and help me discover more about myself. Self-improvement and introspection has never been so enjoyable.
8. I'm a housewife and blogging is a great way to keep boredom at bay while Hubbyji works for our living.
9. Blogging makes me think.
10. I actually have made friends and learnt so much about people I would have never known were it not for Blogger. This kind of platform opens up new vistas of learning that are enlightening as much as they pleasing.

Day 13- Favorite Quote(s)

Day 13: your favorite quote


Actually I have 3 favorite quotes. 

• B.E. the change you wish to see in the world. 

This is from my engineering days. As Bachelors of Engineering was the graduate recognition we were aiming for, this was funny and profound. Over the years, I've realized its deeper truth though. We can't instill change in anybody but ourselves but we can inspire it in others. So, change yourself, the way you treat others and you start seeing that change in your surroundings too. 

• Little Drops Make an Ocean.

I read this interesting line in my childhood. You can't eat a whole elephant but you can eat it one bite at a time. Back then, I wondered why anybody would would want to eat an elephant and how would they anyway. But now I focus more on the actual meaning. Almost everything can be broken up into small chunks and you can do them one thing at a time. Hate the clutter. Tackle it fifteen minutes at a time. Dislike ironing, do two pieces of clothing every 2 hours during the weekend. You won't accomplish everything but you will make a dent. Afraid of public speaking. Bid people Hello at the mall, restaurant for a month. Say a line or two for the next. Initiate a conversation about the weather in the third and in some time, you actually will enjoy holding audiences spellbound.

• It's not your Aptitude but your Attitude that decides your Altitude.

What can I say? Things look bleak? Decide it can be overcome and it will be. Looks difficult. Think it can be done. It's adjusting your perspective and feeling positive that really helps i every situation.


So, what's your favorite quote?

Day 6- Changing For the Better

Day 6: something you would like to change about yourself


Actually, there are a lot of things I would like to change about myself. 
Procrastinating nature
Lack of organization
Dislike for cleaning
Clueless Culinary skills
Sulkiness
Lip biting habit (my own, as should be obvious)
Disinterest in beauty care
Intense dislike for gym regimes


Reading the above list makes me wonder how I still manage to possess such copious amounts of self-esteem, positive self-worth and continue to feel so cheerfully ecstatic about my own self. But then not everybody has their own Personal Cheerleading Squad cum Mutual Admiration Society, do they? [They comprise of my twin sis and Mom! :) ]


But coming back to the things I would like to change about myself, my procrastinating nature is one major thing that I would like to change about myself. All the others are things that I am working on or have managed to reach an easy compromise on. I tackle clutter and daily tasks one thing at a time, I hit the gym everyday, even if only for twenty minutes; I am experimenting in the kitchen and with my personal care. I even have roped in Hubbyji to bring any lip biting to my conscious notice and try to avoid sulking. 


But postponing things is almost like second nature to me. Either I plan out too much in too many details or I dread things and keep stalling till it is upon me like a bursting volcano. Bad idea. 
And hence, that is the one thing I would like very much to change about myself.

Day 4- On Achieving Dreams

Day 4: how you think your life would change if you achieved your dream



I'm wondering how to respond to this. 
My life would definitely change to being more enriched, fuller, better on accomplishing my dreams. Realizing a resolution or dream would give me the confidence to push myself further and try and achieve tougher goals.
And of course, life would be happier. Since my dreams and goals often revolve around improving my self, so that is one more change in me and thus, my life.
To sum in a word or two, my life would be MORE AWESOME if I made my dreams come true.