2013: My New Year’s Resolutions

My phrase for the year 2013 is ‘Peace in Fulfillment’.

I will:

  • Go to church and take my children to church.
  • Get ‘serious’ about food. Really serious.
  • Continue to build on the great things we’ve accomplished as a family on eating balanced diets.
  • Read.
  • Write.
  • Go to bed early.
  • Be comfortable with spontaneity.
  • Continue to trust myself.
  • Remain passionate about people. Well and truly.
  • Fight for a cause. Any cause for good, for meaning, for life.

 —–00000—–

I love New Year’s Resolutions. In them, I distill some of the things that I seriously desire to accomplish. It brings me focus, aim and believe it or not, motivation. Motivation in the encouraging, not disparaging and competitive sense.

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Cityscape watercolours, by Moi

In 2012, I wrote 12 Resolutions for 2012. Here’s how I did with them all, in traffic lights:

  1. Partly accomplished, to be continued in 2013: Treat myself with true & honest kindness – including the occasional manicure and pedicure. And also continue to swim, run, sleep and most of all eat right. Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth has shown me why this is important.
  2. Partly accomplished (2 trips to New York, 1 trip within Nigeria, to be continued in 2013): Travel. See Nigeria and Africa (Gabon. Cameroun, Sierra Leone and The Gambia are top on my list) and if possible add a trip to New York. It’s also part of #1.
  3. Partly accomplished, to be continued in 2013, outlines for both books written: Write two books. One book on Nigerian cuisine which I would love to be crowd-sourced from the ‘Cook Naija’ monthly get together I’ll ‘launch’ soon. The other book is a toss between a cookbook and a photo book of Africa. Time will tell which.
  4. Not accomplished: Create a portfolio/start an image gallery for my photographs (if you know how to go about this with some ease, please let me know!)
  5. Partly accomplished, to be continued in 2013: Be more respectful of people, especially my children. Half of the world’s problems as I see it are based on a fundamental lack of human respect. I will not knowingly contribute to this.
  6. Partly accomplished, to be continued in 2013, began sewing a ladybug suit for my son. Only the eyes left to complete: Sew.
  7. Accomplished: Paint. In watercolours.
  8. Accomplished: Make a gingerbread house. In February. Or at Easter. Whatever happens, before Christmas 2012!
  9. Accomplished: Finish my writing course….which I began in 2010…..
  10. Partly accomplished, to be continued in 2013: Read. Everything that catches my fancy. Road signs, patterned toilet paper. News. The Real Simple Magazine. Books. African authors. You.
  11. Partly accomplished, to be continued in 2013: Do something for less-fortunate women. Have a bake sale. Organise an event. But do something. To help women somewhere.
  12. Partly accomplished, to be continued in 2013: Embrace the unexpected, be married to amazement and take it easy

I am thrilled at my progress.

Of course some of these are really long-term goals that I wanted to focus on and focus I did.

I went to New York twice this year. I now have a diploma in freelance journalism. I mentor women and never pass on an opportunity to make the voice of the less-fortunate heard. I embraced spontaneity – I got myself a life coach who is WONDERFUL beyond belief.

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Love & Kisses

Are you making any resolutions this year? I wish you all the best for 2013, regardless of whether or not you write it out and call it a resolution.[wpurp-searchable-recipe]2013: My New Year’s Resolutions – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

24 Comments

  1. I came across Yemis Aribisala’s food blog while surfing the net the other day and realised that I knew her from Ife. Fancy that…small world and all that…
    She lives in Calabar and blogs about the local food and culture in the bid to put Nigerian food on the world map. You should collaborate with her…. I sent her a mail saying that you are on a quest to document the anthropology (??) of Nigerian cuisine and catalogue the Nigerian seasonal food calendar. Here’s a link to her blog:
    http://www.longthroatmemoirs.com/longthroat_memoirs/Welcome.html

  2. I’ve never been one for resolutions so I’m totally impressed by people who make and accomplish them. You have done so much in the past year and you are definitely going to achieve so much more this year. I can just tell, you amazing lady you!

  3. Continue to trust myself – I think that is my favorite resolution of yours, and one that I embrace most heartily this year. 🙂 Thank you for giving words to what I was feeling. XO

    • It is a test in Trust Krista – everyday I am confronted with opportunities to doubt myself. I keep trusting, believing and most importantly, remembering where I’m coming from. I’m glad these words help and bring some comfort to you and I.

    • Oh Sarah, there’s still so much I don’t know that I need to about food – from food safety, to classic dishes….stuff that I want to know too! So, we’ll see, I’m reading more as well.

  4. you are both cute and ambitious… I have to say I love your’ continue to trust in myself” I need to continue that too:)
    YOu are wonderful and transparent… I loved your paining.. very impressionistic.

    • Thanks Lara – Trusting ourselves is so key and for years I didn’t do it. It is what will give us confidence to seize opportunities when they come, to take a chance, and to embrace new things. So trusting ourselves is the way to go. Lots of love.

  5. Oh brave soul, I commend you for posting such a wondrous list! Your spirit of kindness and joy shines in every word! I look forward to sharing 2013 with you.

  6. Sometimes I think that you undersell yourself. Serious about food? Seriously? I’ve always admired how serious you were and often think I need to be more like you. Is there anything that you can’t do? Painting also!

    I do understand the go to bed earlier…it’s so hard when you have so much going on. Often the only alone time is after everyone else has retired.

    There are gallery plug-ins that you can use as a page addition to your blog, or a Flickr gallery.

    It’s so important to set goals for ourselves, in this is the way we improve and enrich ourselves.

    • Thanks for the voe of confidence sweetie, thank you. And thanks for the link to the image gallery!

      And the painting – that’s work in progress….I’m light years away from being the next big thing but I love trying :-). Best wishes for the year, Rhonda – very best wishes.

  7. What an absolutely fabulous list…You did indeed accomplish a lot. I chuckle”Get serious with food, Real serious…You are totally serious about food. You can check that as accomplished (smile).

    I often joke that I have to plan to be spontaneous. I am learning to say yes far more often than I say no. This helps me embrace new experiences and engage in less planning.

    Helping other women…What a beautiful thing to do. It is he best thing we can do for ourselves. Cheers to you.

    Travel, read, write, embrace the unknown and enjoy life.

    Velva

  8. That is a good list again. You make so beautiful pictures for the blog, it shouldn’t be so difficult to create a portfolio, I hope you find a way.
    I am still struggling to find my word for the year.
    All the best for you and your loved ones for 2013
    Many greetings, Frieda

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