Q07

How would you like to improve yourself and your life next year? Is there a piece of advice or counsel you received in the past year that could guide you?

My grandma calls every week on Saturday morning and sometimes when I am awake I get the privilege of talking to her. Every single time she is about to hang up the phone she reminds me to take everything with ease, to not get stressed out, and to make good decisions. She says to do well in school, to not fight with the family, and to be healthy. This seems like a lot but it is the same speech every single time. I am not sure if she remembers that she says the same thing each time or if she thinks it is new advice when she tells me. Regardless, those two sentences of advice are what I want to guide me through the upcoming year because if I can emulate them together I will be a stronger happier person than I have ever been.

1. Lose weight (as always) 2. Get a new job, or cut down on your WAB hours by getting a therapy job 16 hours/week 3. At the very least, take a walk every lunch time, to reduce stress and to take advantage of the weather outdoors 4. Get your apartment in order!!! 5. Advice or counsel -- always remember that a shitty job, one at which you have panic attacks, is still better than NO JOB!!

I would like to grow.This will either be simply the last year of my twenties or my last year alive.I have given up so much and the challenge ahead of me is great. The simple advice is to "make your own." You don't fit into their world so make your own.I wish you luck kid.

I would like to be more organized and spend the next year getting rid of the things I don't need and give them to people who can use them.

I am not sure that the perennial struggle to improve oneself is always the way to go. How about accepting where one is at and enjoying the view! There may not be a better one than the current one.

I would like to get a very high paying job and establish a long-term savings account. I'd also like to lose about 30lbs. I'd like to have a closer relationship with my family, and an even better (it's already good) relationship with my husband. I'd also like to be able to get up earlier without it being so painful for me to do so. I can't think of any advice that might help.

Be Positive. Smile. Thoughts create consequences. If you can change the thought pattern, then you can change the consewquences. I want to change my method of thinking from a little pessimistic to more positive. Guidance: Take your time. Figure out a game plan. Set Goals.

I'd like to be less blaze about life in general. I would like to care more about people and be kinder.

Self-esteem/confidence, which may be accessed via meditation. I've toyed with committing to a meditation practice but have been unable to follow through. Also, I may need to explore a year a sobriety to see if that offers any clarity to some of my hurdles.

I would like to find some answers to my health problems and research more about nutritional medicine. I want to continue to workout regularly and include dancing classes as part of that mind body healing regime. I know that I am meant to dance and I keep holding back. The best advice is to eliminate fear and expectation.

I want to move out of home. I really think it will be good for my independence, my adventure, my peace of mind, my stability! I have wanted to move out for an entire year, and made excusses why I shouldn’t. At 24, its time to make these changes! ONE LIFE!

Be happy with who you are and what you have. Materialism and greed is what led to our current economic situation.

"Change your occuring world" This year I would like to continue on my new found road of positivity and allowing others to help me on my way. I would like to be getting things done right away with the knowledge that action happens now and now and now. I want to really grasp that I live in the present. I am the change I need in my life and in the world. My occuring world must be a world full of possibility. Filled with the knowledge that I have the ability to do anything.

In the next year, I would like to be more action-oriented: instead of dreaming about what I want, I will take at least one small step towards actualizing it. I would like to have the faith that keeps me knowing consistently that this moment is perfect just the way it is and that I am exactly where I need to be. That I am never alone because the Presence of God abides in me.

Follow through on the commitment to exercise. Jazzercise, walking and volunteer projects plus summer hikes really work for for me.

I would like to become more settled with the idea of commitment and truly believe that good relationships are actually possible. I would like to stop expecting the worst when it comes to relationships.

I want to be more confident. Less negative. I hope to have a more solid self esteem. The advice I received was that sometimes wisdom comes with age and that a wise person chooses what is worth getting upset over and investing energy on. Also...I want to be super buff and in shape.

I want to lose weight and become one with myself. Yes it sounds as cheesy as it could get but I need to focuse on myself an once im happy, I'll be able to make others happy. I also want o improve my relations with my family. I love family and just want to be closer with them.

oh, the cliche, but in an increasingly digital and real-time world, not sweating the small stuff still resonates. take a deep breath, stop, think. then react. it'll always be better that way.

Stability! Pure and simple! May it be my single loving relationship with my kids of even a loving relationship with a partner and my kids. I'd love the dust to settle from my (potential) divorce. Maybe this won't have happened by the time I read these answers? Either way, more effective communiations with Emma and less friction. I've had the full fatalist debate proving a pretty hard influence this year and maybe by next year I'll be wondering if I was a fool to succome to it. I'm sat here now in the midst of a divorce, having fallen out with the woman that inspired me to eace Emma. Alone and pretty low, by my usual upbeat standards. Hopefully, this time next year I'm happy again. But to b ehonest, I haven;t got a fucking clue how the next 12 months are going to pan out. Fate! Please?

It's hard to know where to start. But -- I would like to disentangle myself from my family, or at least find a way to let go of my hopes and expectations of them, to be in relationship with them without the pain, hurt feelings, resentment and rage I often feel. If there is good advice on how to make this happen, I haven't heard it.

Definitely quit smoking. "Take care of your body. If you don't, where will you live?"

New life motto: fuck it. Stop over-analysing, stop stressing, stop being self-conscious and just fuck it. Start and finish your Graphic Design course, move into a place you can call home, get your paintings out there, start living life for YOU.

Don't lose what you've gained, by gaining what you lost....the best diet quote ever.

I want to continue to work on my self esteem and to take time to take care of myself, body, mind and soul. I have done a lot of soul searching this year and have tried to figure out what I can do to shut off that inner critic - especially in relationships and creatively. Now is the time to practice being good to myself and believing that I deserve all of the wonderful things that the universe is trying to offer me.

I would like to become more independent and self-sufficient next year. I'd like to be able to take more of my life under control and most importantly, to have my own finances. I would like to not receive any money from my parents but to instead have a job that I like that also generates enough income for me without preventing me from continuing my education. I can't really think of any advice, but I'll say this, future Martin: accept help from others but always be in a state where you can live your life well without anyone else's assistance.

I'd like to cultivate relationships with people I really like and feel comfortable with, not with those who could take me or leave me. I'd also like to live more comfortably--larger, nicer apartment. No special advice, but I need to heed my true instincts and feelings more.

Get in shape. Seriously. This has gone on long enough.

I would like to know the meaning of the words: truth, patience and trust. Follow your pain, do not turn or hide from it. It is there to teach you and guide you. Resolve all of your pain, anger and hurt internally. Do not depend on anyone or anything outside of yourself for peace and contentment. Happiness is a choice, sometimes an extremely difficult one, but a choice nonetheless. Learn not to project your feelings onto others and learn to with hold judgment. Find a way to learn something from every situation and every person that comes into your life.

i'd like to be more confident as a person, have better people and communication skills. if i get scared i'd like to not have bolting out of there my first choice. id like to have a clear idea and maybe a plan for after uni, to have good friends that i can count on and that they can count on me. READ THE BOOK WHENEVER YOU FEEL THE NEED. keep trying, you're not alone and don't be afraid to ask for help. it's there if you need it and you kn0w how much good it will do you.

Healthy mind! Healthy Body! Yoga for flexibility, weight loss for ease of movement, better food for my body's ability to run smoothly.

I would like to really work on making friends. I'd say I'm outgoing but I don't always connect with people. I don't think there's specific advice but, I just know the kinds of people I want to hang out with and the kinds of people I don't. I just have to go for it.

I want to stop procrastinating and do all those things I've been talking about doing for ages but just never seemed to find the time for. Take the classes I want to take, do the things I want to do, and see the things I want to see. Be the person I want to be.

In this next year I'd like to be less stressed and happier.

Hold out in front of yourself the person you want to be. Aspire towards that.

I have to re-invent myself. I always thot that by my age (67), I'd be living well off my inheritance, but 9yrs after my mother's death, the estate is still unsettled. For 8 yrs I lived for the Tomorrow that my partner & I would have in our Dream Life in Mexico, but he turned out to be a sociopathic liar who deserted me & then hung himself last year. Now I have to make sense of my OWN life....my OwnSelf.....not what I think is going to be provided for me, but life as I make it. I have to re-develop self-confidence....to get up every morning with goals I have to achieve....to stop dreaming about tomorrow, realizing that what I do today creates my tomorrow. I snoopy-danced most of my life.....the fabled grasshopper, having *fun* fiddling away the Summer Days, not thinking that the Winter would ever come. Well, I'm not giving up or giving in, I just have to make myself get up & going. I have everything I need to do that, I just have to DO IT. I have to find a balance between being content with my life as it as and striving everyday to change it into what I want for the last leg of my life's journey.....to be what I was when I was young, but in a way that recognizes & accepts being old.

Use my internal pleasure-meter to determine whether or not to stick a piece of food in my mouth!!

I need to get healthier -- really need to work on my body (weight) and become stronger (exercise). While I've received lots of advice about this I know that I'm really the only one who can make it happen -- so committing myself would be the best piece of advice to follow (and it came from me!).

In theory, this upcoming year will see a lot of major changes -- leaving the house I've been in for 25 years, my youngest child going to college, possibly even the long term separation from my husband becoming a legal divorce. It's hard to classify any of those things as "improvements" though each one of them will in some way improve my life. But I think of the question more as what can I do myself to improve my life, and there are two things that fit that bill perfectly. One would be to get my eating in hand and lose weight. There have been so many bits of advice -- sought and unsought -- I've received over the years that I couldn't pick out one thing that's been helpful, other than the classic (which I hate) Just do it. No fun, but there you are. I've done it before, and maintained it for a long time so I know it can be done. But as I tell my children, don't start unless you really mean it because otherwise you set up a pattern of failure. So I think I haven't been ready yet. It's entwined with my new relationship, and various other new bad habits, but I'm tired of being like this. So it's getting to be time. I also need to stick with my writing. There's only one good piece of advice in a million that really works for me and that's Write Every Day. I go in and out of that excellent habit, and working on that would be a huge improvement in many ways.

I would like to stop feeling homesick! A few months ago I had a better attitude - that you can't be in two places at one time. You need to put roots down and make the most of where you are. In a way I think you do have to distance yourself a bit to settle in where you are. I've been back to the UK several times this year and a bit unsettled, I need to give Melbourne a better chance and make the most of it.

I want to be more able to handle frustration that comes from disappointing myself. I feel like it would make me a happier person.

I would like to start exercising again which would help me lose the weight I put on this year as well as keep me healthier and feel better. It is the energy of activation that is hard to surmount. I would also like to get more involved in the arts community here in my new community. I am not sure that there is any counsel that I can think of that would be helpful in guiding me. It would be nice, tho. I would also like to move into the mental place of knowing that I have enough and plenty to share- I would like to share more of what I have and de-clutter.

I want to be more patient and loving with my husband. In the rush of full-time jobs, our daughter, housework, etc. it's so easy to lose sight of what a wonderful person he is, and how much I love him. I want to keep that in the forefront, and let all the busyness take a back seat.

Actually, I see this as more improving *myself* literally. My circumstances, gods willing, are not going to change that much in the coming year. Neither Spouse nor I are likely to change jobs, we just bought this house, we're past child-bearing age. Admittedly, any of a thousand things could change this, but none of those are either foreseeable or terribly likely. (I do intend to play the lottery more often.) I would like to change my attitude around. I resent my job. It's below my skill level and I don't get asked to do a lot of special projects, so I just plod along and do the day-to-day tasks. It makes me envious and angry when other people are given different things to do. I rationalize it: it's because they're younger, she's prettier, he's a man. This is pretty caustic for my sense of self. It would be better for me to accept that the job I have is not a spectacular, highly responsible, well-respected position and let that go. I can excel in other places in my life--home, family, friends, community. And I need to put my energy into that instead of into resenting my work for not being shiny enough.

I would like to be out of therapy and off of my anti-depressants. I'm getting there! One day at a time...

Make and keep doctor's appointments. Continue to say 'no' to self-pity, pessimism, self-absorption, resentment - fear, envy and bitterness. I would like to train for the marathon. I would like to have the courage to write by myself - and to put myself as an actor in one of my projects. To not limit myself - and have more hope and faith and belief that things will work out okay - and I don't have all the answers. Be a more considerate wife - and daughter - and sponsor. Have the courage to ask for help. Be more helpful. Advice: help others. You need other people. Self-pity doesn't serve you. Your God is so big = you CAN do it. It is ALWAYS too early to give up hope.

I would like to loose weight and attain a healthier lifestyle. Without health, nothing else matters. Perhaps the best advice is "eat to live, not live to eat".

I have always done what other have told me i should do, Now I want to Do what i love and love what you do !

I would like to learn to be happy with where I am and what I am - forgive myself for not always knowing the right answer or doing the right thing and truly owning my choices. Rapunzel: What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be? Flynn Rider: It will be. Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then? Flynn Rider: Well,that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream. I want to find some new dreams.

Lose weight.

Never seemed to be an issue until my relationship with my now husband (or more specifically, his family), but I'd like to become more patient and learn to deal with those matters I can control and allow the ignorance/stupidity of other to not affect me or my life and happiness.

I'm going to show more physical affection to my husband more - a practice I semi-consciously took on in recent times and which has made us both a lot happier. I'm not talking about sex but about kissing and hugging hello and goodbye. I'm going to carry on running, which has improved my sense of well-being enormously. And if I can, but this might be an ambition for the year after this one when my youngest starts nursery, I'm going to take up the ukelele again. The practical and musical sides of me crave that experience of learning and flow.

I want to be more active - physically, emotionally, socially, at work, in my relationship with Anne, with my responsibilities at home. I want these actions to be done out of enjoyment, not just necessity.

I would like to make personality and emotional changes, and not be so angry, to be more loving and compassionate. I would also like to do well in school, and possibly have my bachelor's not much later than just a few months after the next year. I would also like to make it finally to Scotland. Have received much wise counsel from many, in particular my mate, but not solely.

I want to get in shape and look fabulous. I plan to do a mini triatholon next August and maybe a normal one too. Counsel: don't eat very much. Move a lot. Joining Geauga YMCA this Saturday, can't wait!

Learning how to better dance my dance. To be comfortable not fully knowing myself and enjoy those unlimited possibilities. To draw my own colorful map with a zigzagging path. The most valuable piece of advice I received recently is to imagine what it would be like if I didn't compare; compare myself to others but also compare my current life situation to past chapters or a future imagined utopia. That is freedom.

I absolutely absolutely need to exercise more. I feel better after an active day. I look better. I have more energy and know I am heart healthier. I have the time. But I think of dozens of ways and reasons to avoid it. Today I walked 2 miles using "Exercise tv" (a first) It only took 30 minutes of my day. Previously I'd done the 1 mile walk, not believing I could do 2 miles. Did it! Now I will really try to do 2 miles each day with a goal of moving on to the 3 mile. I bet I can do it. :) When next I look at this answer I hope to be walking 3 miles or more each day.

Listen more. Talk less. Love fully.

I really need to improve my follow through in most areas of my life, whether it is actually getting to the pool to do laps, cleaning the whole kitchen, or finishing an article, I need to stick to the tasks I set for myself, until they are finished, rather than getting bored or distracted in the middle and wandering off.

i want to create time to do things for ME. to find myself again. i want to feel more positive and bring more positivity into my home. i want my family to all eat dinner together at the table.

I want to be more financially independent, so I can spend less time at a paid job and more time doing what will help me live better--gardening, learning new skills, and preparing for an uncertain future. That means reducing my expenses considerably.

continue to use Mussar techniques to improve myself.

I really need to let go of the thing that I have no control over. The biggest, is my son's mental illness and him not actively taking a role in receiving treatment. He is an adult and I try my best..must let go.

Self improvement! Always on the mind! I have this "class clown" tendency of always feeling like I should lighten the mood and make people laugh. Which, if you think about it, how harmful is that? It's not really but I always wonder if I'm being just a tad annoying. In the right circumstances it's a good quality, but in the wrong circumstance can be annoying I'm sure. I don't know. I'd like to think that there are things I can "improve" but not totally be able to "change" because that would be changing who I fundamentally am, and isn't there something I could be losing in the process? Improvement means keeping those positive attributes about yourself and learning to resist those times when it would be inappropriate, negative, not helpful, etc. So I'm taking on a different stance with self improvement. I know where I can be a better student, friend, daughter, etc so I have to work on it and not be too hard on myself when I fall short. It's all a process.

By this time next year I would like to have lost my "baby weight" and be under a BMI of 30 so that when I get pregnant again it will lead to a smoother pregnancy without the need to have a consultant. It will lead to me having less necessary tests and I will feel better and more confident within myself. At the moment I feel sick when I look in the mirror. There are bulges all over and stretch marks over the bulges which are still red raw. I'm almost glad we don't have a full length mirror in the house. The only thing that I will find difficult is finding the time to exercise. And I tend to eat when I get bored sitting around the house a lot, and when I go out with my baby it's usually for coffee/lunch etc which means I can't resist a full fat frappe or chips instead of salad. That will have to stop!

I feel like I am well on my way to refinding my body after my daughter's birth. It has been a long road but I am now seeing results- I hope to continue the progress I have made and get back to where I was before I got pregnant. Even this small advancement has done wonders for my self esteem and confidence- let the progress continue!

I want to grow. Spiritually, emotionally, educationally, etc. I want growth. I'd also like to work on not procrastinating so much. Live life. And just do it (thank you Nike).

I honestly want to be happier. I'm still really bitter about how High school was for me. When the moment arrives where I don't care about it anymore, I'm pretty sure my life will be significantly better.

I would like to yell less overall. I would like to get to know Sarah better.

Ive just been told by a lot of people to stay positive,or happy.I want to stick with that.Im just a very un-happy person a lot of the time. The way i would like to improve myself is being happier

I would like to give back more than I have ever done-- and I have done quite a bit already. Just want to push myself even more. Advise-Never say no to your dreams.

Calm down and breathe. When you feel that you are out of control you probably are and you have to take a breath and step back and listen to whats going on. Taking on so much WILL stress you out.

I'd like to feel a sense of achievement and fulfillment in all areas of my life; not just career. I think I'm on a good path careerwise now, but I would like that achievement to spread throughout my personal life as well. I think one piece of advice that sticks in my mind from the past year is "chill the fuck out".

Sleep more, go to bed earlier. Exercise more. Be more organized. Achieve more goals.

Cultivate confidence that you will find great blessing in the thunderstorms as well as the sunshine. Remember: We are not here for a long time, but for a good time. The [fill in the blank] does not know how old you are. So, get out there & create magic with what God gave you.

-Procrastinate less -Exercise more -Eat better -Study hard (not too hard) -AFROTC -Live life!

I would like to learn to accept that i can't do it all and just relax and enjoy what i have.

I would like to be a more fun person. I would like my attitude to change and be more confident in social situations.

Be gentle with yourself. Work on one big thing at a time. And, remember that who you are does not depend on what others think of you or even what you have been in the past. Decide what and whom you want to be, them act accordingly and become her one deliberate action after another.

I think 'get over it' or 'let go' is good for me. These pieces of advise are from me from past experiences. They don't work from other people :) I know that ;) I just hope to get everything on track, my study and my personal study.

I want to find and learn a new meditation technique. Also, I want to continue with my exercise routine that I have developed for myself to keep myself feeing great. I haven't yet found any advice on the new meditation technique but I have started my search on the internet.

Don't worry about what people will say - do it because it means something to you and will improve your life and improve the world!

It's all between your ears. Make your own reality, because whatever happens externally -- good or bad -- isn't what makes you happy.

Tell A Story. Create A Mythology. The Aftermath is Secondary. Art is the Weapon - now take it and run. Do what you want - be who you want to be; because you alone are in charge of your destiny. Don't hold back, don't be ashamed. Do the things that make you happy, and be completely honest about the person you are - don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not good enough. Don't be violent, don't throw a punch or swear - Sing. Sing about the bad things, sing about the good things - the one thing that'll bum people out, the one thing you can do is Sing about it. And smile...a smile is the best revenge you'll ever get.

"To the extent that you believe that the past determines the future, you will tend to allow yourself to be a passive vessel that does not actively change its course." Stop the addiction

I would like to have more patience. I would like to be living in N.C. by this time next year. I would like to be working in N.C. by this time next year.

I want to treat my brother better. I get on him a lot, and it's not fair. I really do love him and he's awesome, and I need to appreciate that more. I also need to appreciate everything I have more. There's so much sorrow and misery in the world, and my life is a blessing. I need to remember that and complain less.

Id like to learn a new language. There have been several reports, this year, that have emphasized the importance of keeping the mind active to prevent or delay Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Although I am one of those who believes that English should be the national language of the country and that everyone who has been in the United States for at least five years should be able to communicate in English, I, also, know that we deprive ourselves of another point of view by being monolingual.

I would like to continue to work on being a healthier individual. I want to eat a better and more well rounded diet and continue to become more active. And the advice I would give myself is to appreciate every moment of life because they are precious - and to not be so hard on myself all of the time.

I would like to be more open to more things and more people. I've really tried to expand my horizons, but I feel like there's so much I still don't know and you just don't know what you don't know! I had a crush on a kid last year, and his mom told me to always "be confident". He and I aren't even friends anymore, but I try to remember that statement whenever I feel self-conscious. The reason I've tried to expand these horizons is largely because of him, and it truly was for the better. So taking what lessons he taught me--such as acceptance and just being unconditionally nice--I'm going to try and apply them to my life at present and in the future.

I would like to feel happy with myself - my appearance, my position in life, my personality, my goal setting... Instead of "wasting time" I will do what I set out to do!

I would like to be less judgmental, less reactive to situations based on prior conditioning and more accepting of other people. I want to "not sweat the small stuff" and realize that most of what upsets us IS small stuff. I have learned to pause and then chose when faced with a situation in which I would normally have a less than empowering knee-jerk reaction. I have also learned to view a situation or occurrence and ask, "Is this a fact or a story I am telling myself ? " If its a story, what alternate story can I tell which creates more peace and harmony and less conflict.

Be kinder, take things with a grain of salt, don't believe what every one says to me, and just be more laid back and easy going and maybe a little less cynical.

I want to get a job I can enjoy and advance in. I'd say that I've learned that work is fleeting and that if a job is terrible, I need to take steps to find something better.

"My friend, you belong to God! Let this reality color your life"-St. Vincent DePaul. I want to stop letting the events of one day cloud the amazing beauty and blessing that is my life, my friends, my major, my family. I want to DO instead of speak and complain. I want to CHANGE THE WORLD instead of just talking about it.

I would like to be embodied and more at peace with myself. Better health, more yoga, and good progress. The best advice i got is from therapist, to stop living life only from the neck up and to be whole in my body.

I would like to lose a bit more weight and get into better shape with more regular exercise. I'm getting to that age. It might be nice to have a less cynical/more positive outlook, but as I am getting to that age, I don't know if that would be very honest.

Keep working on self-reflection and being thoughtful when it comes to getting overwhelmed. Get off your ass. Do what you love. Go with your gut. Stop waiting, go get it. Smile. Love and appreciate your friends. Talk to them often - they keep you sane. Be a leader.

I'd like to be more confident in my interpersonal relations, to the point where a) I don't use bravado to hide inner angst b) I don't use snark and sarcasm to mask emotion c) I move away from my reputation as a "gwumpypants"

I would like to be more generous to others in need in my community.

I want to do more to focus on improving the lives of others. In the last year so much of my life has been about reaching the next goal in my own life, that I haven't tried to help anyone else achieve theirs.

I would like to concentrate on furthering my degrees and at this time next year I would like to be in my own classroom. Go for your dreams is what I have been told and I am going to do it!

I would like to have more patiences and understanding. I am hoping the re-evaluation of my faith and the effort spent in revitalizing it will be a step in that direction.

I would like to get back to seeing the glass half full. Or overflowing. I want to see the good in everything. To be grateful, appreciative, have a sense of wonder again. I want to be take good care of myself emotionally, spiritually, physically. I want to get back to my creativity and vegetarianism. I want to live according to my real desires, not what fits into my pre-defined role of mother, wife, employee...

"Life isnt measured by the amount of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away" -Anonymous

Take time. Breathe. Stay active. Take risks. Get out of my comfort zone. Do what makes me happy.

What is most important? And what is not?

I'd like to get out of my own way. I'm so good at being the roadblock in my life. I want to just get over myself and DO what I want to do.

I would like to be healthier, to be able to walk without hurting. I can't think of any advice that would make this happen.

I would like to continue to get healthier, the past year has been a start & I would like to continue to hike & enjoy the mountains is I continue to get use to the thinner air. My advice to the world is to enjoy life, stop putting living off....before you know it your life is done.

I learned that I don't need to change myself to get others to like me. Being myself is the best way to get people to genuinely like me. However, compromising with others works wonders.

I would like to be more conscious of how I'm influenced by those around me. When I'm around people who curse more, or spend their time talking badly about others, I find myself doing the same things. I'd like to be more conscious of this and try not to let myself behave badly just because others are doing it.

I would like to become more social with the people I go to school with. I have learned that the key to change is to let go of your fear. Its easier said than done but I know I have to let go of my fear people not liking me and that I wont make friends and just be myself and go for it.

I want to learn how to be a connector. This means making real connections with people on a deeper level, accepting everyone, and continuing these connections (following-up).

I want to live without fear. Live with clear intent and communicate exactly what my needs are from a place of clear direct honesty. That piece of advise would be to do just this. Don't ever hide who I am and what I think. Don't change to present my self to others in a way that I hope they will accept me. This does not matter. I need to be true and honest with myself and others as changing who I am will only hurt myself, not get me what I think I am trying to get.

Probably need to slow down a little. Take more time for myself and wife.

I would like to have more patience for everyone including myself

I would like to stop being called a slut/whore/stripper because even though I know that I'm not any of those things, people still call me the occasionally and it is really hurtful. I would like to improve myself by being nicer to most people. There will always be those people that I hate, but for the most part I want to be nice and friendly to everyone. I have received many good pieces of advise. But one in particular is "Don't be someone who you don't want as a friend." I've never thought of that before until i heard it. But would you want to be friends with yourself? Right now i guess that I would but I wouldn't be very close friends with myself. We would just be friendly. So I am striving to become a better friend.

I would like to learn to be more content with where I am, without worrying and yearning for more. I would like to be more comfortable in being single and independent instead of constantly thinking about the last relationship I was in, missing it, and yearning for a new one.

I want to be more fit. I'm planning on starting an exercise regime that I can do at home. Hopefully I'll actually do it! I also have big knitting plans, mainly involving a few lace shawls and lots of socks. I don't want to give up on knitting. I'm hoping that next year I'll be very studious and do all of my assignments etc, I can't afford not to. Lenny will help me with that but I'll need to do them under my own steam. I'm nervous about it. I think I'll have to draw up a study plan for myself and stick to it.

I want to weigh a solid 160 pounds. Eat, sleep, and push yourself in the weight room.

Listen to to yourself before you listen to others. I need to do what I want. Not what other people want. That is what will make me happiest

I would like to improve myself by not worrying so much about the "small things" in life. I want to be able to look at the big picture and not get caught up in things that are out of my control.

I would like to be kinder and more receptive to others. While I tend to be very positive and respectful, I have been more expressive when I am not pleased with someone. Right now I think the best advice for me is patience and persistence, my own motto. It helps to appreciate the positive in each person.

By this time next year, I want to learn how to enjoy life more. I always tell myself to enjoy what I have because I know that people have it worse than I do but sometimes that is really hard. I want to not be as busy as I am because it is really hard to keep up with friends when I don't have time for them. As a whole, I want to learn to love my life more because as much as it really sucks sometimes, it can be pretty freakin great at others. Sometimes people don't know how good they have it and how something can completely change in an instant. Advice that I was told this year was from a man who has suffered with bipolar disorder and depression. "I'm alive and well. I might not have much, but my life is great and I love it." I want to appreciate the small things that people take for granted.

Take care of yourself. Exercise and eat right (duh), which will help keep the blood sugars on target and maybe (hopefully) help you lose a few more pounds. Manage your expectations about yourself and those around you so that they are more realistic. Be less angry. And take a deep breath.

Don't give up. Create doable goals. If you set them too high, you tend to disappoint yourself. If too low, you make no progress at all. The Tortoise did win the race and probably enjoyed the scenery a lot more. Breathe.

I hope to control my stress and anxiety and not get frustrated so easily. Live more carefree--live is too short to be taken too seriously! DON'T FOLLOW A SET PATH! Follow your heart and ambitions and it will lead you wherever you are supposed to be. DO NOT LIVE LIFE BY THE BOOK

I want more time to be relaxed with my husband. I want to be able to STOP and just BE. I want to enjoy being outside and not always needing to work outside.

I just want to have time.

I would like to become more healthy and stronger. I would like to become more spiritually open as well. I have support groups for both of these endeavors.

I would like to become less stressed about the little things and try to find more positives in life.

"Hold on tightly, let go lightly." I think I'm ready for a change. I'd like to be more thoughtful - I want to be one of those people who always remembers birthdays, and asks how a person is doing. I want to stop putting my foot in my mouth. I want to be as thoughtful as my brother.

I would like to become physically stronger and more fit. A friend suggested that I sign up for a 5K or 1/2 marathon to get me motivated and committed to a specific event to make it happen...

I think of my sister Candace's advice, "Pay your bills on time and don't spend more than you earn." LOL! I think of Rona's advice, "Go for the FUN guy!" I think of Roz's advice, "Just keep swimming!" I think of Hendrika and Mary and Lin and Barbara Bellis and Theresa and my mom and all the wonderful women who have kept me afloat these past two difficult years. How would I like to improve myself and my life next year? By creating a spiritual dimension that is more defined; by getting down to the creative work of writing; by giving back to everyone who has been so lovingly supportive of me. It's time.

I want to learn to enjoy things more during the present, instead of looking at the past and future with more focus like I do now. I want to spend more time doing fun things with Ash, and want to be more creative about everything. She keeps telling me to not worry about things, and I know everything is supposed to" work out", but it's hard to think about that when things are so stressful and you can't help but think about those things that are stressful.

I would like to be appreciate what I have and get more enjoyment out of each day. Have more fun, put off responsibility. Be happy.

I want to be able to love myself without having to starve myself. And believe in myself, no matter what. No matter what you want to do, believe in yourself and love yourself, please.

Well as a young women, I believe that every girl should remember this: - You are beautiful. - You have power. - You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. - You make your own decisions. - You don't let stupid boys rule your world. - You have to remember to have faith in yourself because if you don't, then you'll keep struggling deeper and deeper into that one whole. :)

No lo sé. La verdad es que me acaban de dar una pedradota acerca de ser más abierta con la gente, menos diva, pero sin embargo, hay cosas que son inherentes a mi personalidad, a las cuales no puedo ignorar. Trataré de ser menos prejuiciosa a ver qué tal.

I want to have more money saved. I also would like to have a better design portfolio. I have all these projects and tons of ideas, I just need to actually organize them and organize them nicely. I am really not sure how I want to improve becuase I am still swaying towards a new life abroad or a new life in a new city. I guess I would just like to say I did it. Whichever one I choose. Overall procrastinate less though for sure.

I would like to be less anxious, judgmental and angry with myself and others. Stay in the present and be compassionate and more appreciative and accepting of what I have and others offer to me.

Dump the extra weight by BEING who I need to be. Use the Slight Edge philosophy to always make the choices that take me CLOSER to where I want to be.

I sure do wish I could keep my resolutions about being more active and eating healthier. I guess the best advice I've gotten is to always take baby steps. Make small doable changes that can be sustained, not big changes you'll give up on. That works in a lot of areas, but this one is really hard for me.

I need to stop procrastinating about doing the things I don't want to do. It doesn't get any easier the longer you wait....and in so many ways it gets even harder.

Be the change you wish to see. We can't have outer peace until we have inner peace.

Next year I would like to feel better physically . Getting old is no fun .I need more strength and stamina to keep up with the program. My son the paramedic tells me to drink more water. Everybody tells me I need to lose weight.Believe me , this is not easy when you love to cook and bake. I make something yummy for a potluck dinner , and just have to sample it . Same when I bake cupcakes with cream cheese icing. Everyone tells me to exercise more. I'm trying . I got a bicycle and ride it at least three times a week. I need to get more rest. This is hard when life is so interesting and exciting. But I'm trying.

I want to appreciate what I have and not want everything that I don't.

become more disciplined in everything but especially in maintaining an exercise routine. We are the masters of our own destiny and if we apply or will positively we will achieve positive results.

I am still looking for that simpler life! In the long term, the American way of consumption is not sustainable ecologically. It seems to be increasingly impossible economically, for a growing number of people. In the next year, I hope to maintain a paycheck/health insurance and figure out some positive steps towards sustainability.

I would like to stop being so lazy. One of my friends did my horoscope and told me that I my biggest problem is getting in my own way. I feel like opportunities come to me and then I get scared and don't jump on-board right away, so I'd like to shake that fear and start taking more risks.

All of the slogans in recovery could guide me at any time, especially progress, not perfection. I would like to improve myself by taking it easy on myself and others and forgiving both more. After all, being human is part of the equation.

I'd like to work more and better. I think the best way to get there is by trusting other people more. So I hope (mostly) to be able to listen better to what people want to do, and (a little) to be able to say better where I'd like to go.

To be calmer. To be more at peace. To be more Jewish in my every day life.

I want to be all around happier. I don't want to worry about the little things as much and just focus on being a better me. And most of all, I NEVER want to be in the situation that I was in last year ever again in my life. And that just goes with being happier.

Relax a little more. Sleep a little more. Not try to do too much. Appreciate what is happening around you, slowdown and breath. The world can make it if you take some time for yourself.

Keep pushing. The most important thing is to surround yourself with incredible people who challenge you to be a better person and have incredible experiences. Life's too fucking short to sit around doing nothing. Connect yourself with these people who push you further, and put yourself in a position to always say "yes" to those unique life moments.

I would like to find balance. Clear out the clutter and revalue what's left. Family higher on the list, work demands lower. More value on things that produce happiness in me and in others. But first I'll want to develop the wherewithal to face the journey from here to there.

For the next year I will continue to work VERY hard to be non-judgmental. For too long I've criticized others for their actions, and I've tried really hard this year to let it go...you never know why folks do what they do, but you haven't walked in their shoes. That is my advice, counsel, and improvement for next year.

I want to actually do the things I actually want to do. Have the courage to relax in worthwhile ways, and the willpower to focus enough to take real breaks. Believe in yourself, for a change! Stop letting your self-doubt stop you from trying. You're only going to fail by not trying. Otherwise, even if you fail, it was worth it.

I would like to not stress so much - about work, about friends, about money. I need to focus on the positive instead of the negative.

I want to be more outgoing. Going to college is like a chance to redefine who I am. People won't know me as all the kids in High School do, so I can start from scratch.

A year from now I would like to be more focused, less leveraged, a better husband, have better personal processes and habits at work, and enjoying each God-given day as I do these things. Within the last couple weeks I finished Good to Great, and I've been on a self-improvement kick. Good to Great focuses on developing a Hedgehog Concept and then putting a flywheel in motion. My hope would be that in a year I have a fully developed personal hedgehog concept and my flywheel is firmly in motion.

I would like to continue to nurture patience and unconditional love and understanding. I would like to continue to aspire toward wisdom, and free myself from unhealthy expectations. Next year I would like to live more and love even more.

I would like to allow myself a deeper connection to my positive emotions. I have the ability to feel strong emotion, and somehow I too often let my anxiety run rampant and don't let my joy and pleasure run rampant. I'd like to learn to feel all of my emotions deeply, promoting the positive ones and letting the negative ones flow away.

I'd like to get out into the thick of things more often, exploring the city, the woods, the desert. It always revitalizes me--the escape--but I'm tired of going alone. I will introduce others to my paths and discover theirs, too. Expand horizons. One piece of wisdom came from a colleague's father-in-law. "Communication is to a relationship what blood is to the heart. Cut it off and all is lost."

I want to eat healthier and tone up my body....probably exercise more by walking. I want to earn more money to save more for the future. I want to have good relationships with my daughters. I want to keep going to Shabbat services because they give me a sense of calmness and peace. I want to make sure I don't take anyone or anything for granted and to always be grateful for what I have. I want to make friends.

Forgive yourself when you make mistakes. Enjoy your happy moments and understand the sad. Take things little by little, learn to confide in your loved ones. Don't take on everything by yourself and please, for your sanity, take an hour or two and do nothing but relax and reflect. Possibly with good soothing music. No techno/dubstep and turn off that darn computer and cellphone :p

Do those things I always say I want to do: Be involved in work where the people I interact with regularly pump me full of excitement. Learn, speak, get other there, teach, experiment, improvise in public, make a show of my own passionate curiosity.

I would like to improve my appearance. As for today, i am 63kg. I have decreased weight from 67kg to 60kg, but lately due to lack of discipline, i have increased 3kg. My target weight till end of December 2011 is 55kg still. I wish to stay healthy and inspire the people around me to be healthy. I would like to be more active in outdoor activities like rock climbing, mountain climbing, cruising, photography, swimming and diving and other extreme sports like bungy jumping, fly a plane etc. I would also like to improve my character and personality to be more clean and professional looking, but still kind, humble and with good humor. I would like to further advance my study to masters degree and work in an international company.

Complain less. The piece of advice that I've been sticking by for a while now is trying to put friendships and fun over everything else. Yes, don't be a slacker, but really find the time to have a good time. Lastly, exercise more--you always feel better afterwards!

Take better care of myself... so I live longer. Eat better... sleep more... exercise more... help my family to do the same so we are all together to enjoy this life...

I would like to be able to support myself. I want to see the company I helped start become profitable enough to be my main source of income. I want to be able to afford health insurance and take better care of myself.

Can't think of anything! just stay balanced. Twelve step wisdom is helpful.

Lighten up.

There is always room for improvement. I would like to start working out again so that I can regain my physical condition. I would like to be more active in my spiritual life. I would like to improve my silver smithing. I would like to find a way to integrate my life more fully. I will meet my teachers when I am ready...

I would like to improve my life by focusing on contentment. I am and can be and choose to be 100% content with my life as it is in a BLISSFUL way. Because MY LIFE IS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! SO INCREDIBLY AWESOME!!!! I am so lucky to be me.

Stop trying to keep up with all the news and information that technology allows me to overwhelm myself with.

As obvious as it sounds, I must stay true to my goals to achieve success and, ultimately, happiness. In order to do so, I must become more organized and keep a consistently high level of determination and perseverance for myself.

I want to be consistent in being happy. I want to be a tool so others can see Heavenly Father's amazingness in them. To help them feel good about themselves, especially kids. I want people to catch me saying good things about them.

I would like to be more accepting of myself, and appreciate the things I can do and the things I am skilled at. The biggest piece of counsel I've received so far is that I should not underestimate myself and trust my own abilities. Hopefully I learn to do that.

What comes to mind is my improving my coping abilities with life, in general, by utilizing the soul traits I studied with Rabbi Geller and have been rereading the book to try to absorb these elements and try to maintain equanimity in all areas of my life. The continuing study will be my guide.

Looking back on the past year I have received plenty of advice whether it be to stop procrastinating or that I should just relax to being about whether I should break up or take a chance with someone. But to pick one exact piece of advice from over the course of an entire year is nearly as impossible to me as it is to describe myself in three words. But I do know that this year I need to communicate and open up to my parents more. It's so hard describing how I feel or react to things and so instead of trying I just don't even attempt. That is what I will change about this year.

I would like to be more firm with my OCD thoughts and give into my obsessions less. I would also like to take to live more according to high-level construals (ie, principles), and focus more on the happiness of others than my own happiness.

I want to really obey my favorite peice of scripture,. JOhn 3:something "He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less" i wantt o really.. discover what that means, and act on it.

Hmmm, this is an excellent question and one worth asking as it happens to be my 40th birthday, today! :) I'd like to improve my fitness and my body, for one. I've really let this go and it doesn't suit me. I think there is definitely room for improvement. And, I'd like to have more "rituals" and "routines" in place for my creativity--in order to optimize the flow. (read: Creative Mind Set for operating at my creative/performance potential.) This I just learned about via Jonathan Fields who just released his book titled, "Uncertainty." As far as advice and counsel to guide me goes...I seek it daily and I receive it daily; from many sources. So I can't really zero in a one particular piece of advice that I am using as a guide.

I want to have a strong back that doesn't cause me pain. A piece of advice I should be better about following is not taking on too much and knowing when to say 'no'. I would also like to learn how to be more balanced in my life, and follow a routine that ensures I get most things I need on a daily basis.

I'd like to be more assertive, and less fearful... I'd like to be more confident in myself, and my abilities...I'd like to be a bit less caring about others feelings, and more concerned with my own, without feeling guilty about it...

I want to gossip less. I think that a lot of bad things have happened to me because I was caught spreading a rumor. I know it will be tough but I will try.

i want to be happier with what i have and be more thankful. advise from dan to slow down and be aware. advise from carmen therapist I create drama to avoid real issues!!!

I would like to stop looking back to my past for comfort, strength, and happiness, and instead, find it in myself and those around me who can positively influence my life.

I would like to be happy with myself and who I am more of the time. I know I do a pretty good job of things, really, 80-90% of the time; but, why can I be so hard on myself about the rest? I hope to better at using the perfectionistic tendency only in selective situations, and learn to let go of it when it is working against me. Advice? Maybe more yoga.

Learn about your past and then you will learn about how to behave for the future. Go to counseling.

I want to be more aggressive with my research. I want to be more comfortable with myself and let go of some of the weird, harmful habits to which I still cling. I want to be a better friend and companion to my significant other. I hope I have a decent job. The best advice I've gotten is to let things go, and that's so terribly hard to do still. Hopefully in a year I'll be in a more peaceful place.

I want to be less sarcastic, especially around my children. I always prided myself on my whole family's sense of humor, but I sometimes hear my kids making the same type of snide comments that I do, and it can sound mean. I didn't realize until I heard these things coming from them what it sounded like.

I would like to take time every week (maybe every day) to affirm & nourish my best self. Part of this is practicing withdrawing energy from things/people that do not affirm/nourish me, and redirecting this energy to things /people who do affirm and nourish me.

I would like to not let things get me down so much. I know I say that every year, and every year, I mean it. But I mean it more now than I think I've ever meant it before. I want to have a healthier outlook on life. I've come so far. I know I can do more, be more, achieve more. I'm always getting so close to achieving that. I know that I can. Life is short, and you only get one shot at it. Use it wisely. As Florence Welch sang in "Shake It Out," I'm "looking for heaven, for the devil in me. Well, what the hell, I'm gonna let it happen to me."

I would like to improve myself and my life next year by spending more time making new friends and getting to know people, and spending less time doing things alone. I received advice that I need to be more aggressive in becoming involved and meeting people. I would like to take things less personally.

I am seeking a closer connection to nature and the world around me. Finding quiet amid chaos is my goal.

I want to grow less shy, more confident, more centered. I want to embody the spiritual person that I know that I can be---the best self that I can evolve into. The best advice that I received was from my rabbi, to "trust myself." Less self-doubt, and more going with the flow.

Slow down. You are not rushing to some set point in life. Stop and enjoy the journey.

Being a freshman in college, the world couldn't feel more against me. I'm away from home in a brand new community with no friends. I have recently been going through some hard times, when I was told something by a random individual: "The only constant thing in life is change." This quote has inspired me to be stronger and remember the good times are never too far away. It has given me new hope for the future, something I want to hold on to.

Take care of myself. I'd like to have lost 10 more pounds. I'd like my carpal tunnel to be gone! I'd like to add spirituality to my life. I'd like to have tried joining a choir. I have been dreaming of it, but not doing it!

Don't drink so much! Be good to myself and body.

I would like to be less reactive and more embracing of all that appears to annoy me or make me anger. I would like to be more accepting of my family and learn ways to better connect with and be closer to them.

If every year, the answer to this question is the same as the year before, that is ok. And every year, the answer may be that I would like to be better educated, more engaged, more interested than I was the last. There is no world in which I imagine I will ever feel that I know everything, that I have learned everything, that I am up to speed on everything. If I can read one extra news story, know one more thing today than I knew yesterday, that will be victory. But it will not be completion or complacency.

When you fall, just keep standing up again. I would like to have improved myself spiritually, physically and mentally when I look back.

Be a better wife. Be kinder when speaking to him. Be patient. Don't gossip. Don't judge.

I really want to regroup before grousing. I tend to grumble and I'd rather thank the LORD in the moment...instead of when things have turned around

I would improve myself in the area of dating. I don't seem to have much luck in dating good guys and think that initially, the responsibility is mine to find and not settle or hope to change those that I date.

I want to continue to improve as an employee and to make myself more attractive as an interviewee and generally be better at my job. I also want to move more towards team leading/project management and certainly make that known at my current place of work. Our CTO did an interview and mentioned that he believed mentoring is the way to success, a new Director has started that could be my mentor, but this is a long time off at the moment.

I'd like to be able to accept limitations within myself or in any situation with equanimity and patience. I can get so angry and frustrated when things don't go the way I want them to and I'd like to be a bit more zen about the way things work out. In hindsight everything is always for the best. Getting upset is always counterproductive and a waste of energy and good humor.

I plan to seriously work the 12 steps

I need to learn to appreciate the present more, and look to the future less. As the saying goes: the past is gone, the future is unpredictable, but the present is just that - a gift.

The best piece of advice that I've received this year is 'no day but today.' Next year I want to take advantage of every day, but I don't want to be too busy. I want time to be able to relax and enjoy the adventure that the next year brings.

I would like to have serious, well-defined goals. Just focus and you'll be okay. A good friend that I greatly admire said this at the close of a wonderful day together.

The one thing I really need to remember my whole life is to live my life. Be honest to myself and enjoy the present. Be in the moment and appreciate it, no matter what happens. There is a lot to take. I need to be involved in my life. Moreover, I want to, I have every right to, I am and I will!

By doing what I want to do and not what other people want me to do or what I have to do to earn the money to do what I want to do. Getting out of an office (or at least out of a legal office) is the main aim, but can't really be fulfilled until I've finished paying for the course.

I would love to attain a state of complete relaxation - a more laid-back way, if you will. I know I'm a good person. Full of empathy and compassion and generous to a fault. However, I am plagued by impatience, judgmentalness and pettiness. I want to work to overcome these bad traits. My husband says I'm prettier when I'm showering people with my good traits. That's making me strive to be a better person.

Well, currently I feel that most of my life is stagnant. Not really very happy with that and I hope to make some changes next year. I'd like to get more biking done as well as travel next year.

I think I'm awesome already. I'd love to stay at the same weight and fitness level. I'd say I've learned that fasting occasionally is a good and therapeutic thing. I'd like to stay in such a good relationship with myself. I've learned that your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you'll ever have and you have to approach it with the proper level of humility and warmth.

Be more accepting. Be more forgiving.

I would like to lose some weight and reduce my overeating in the coming year. I heard some advice about the Mussar practice of abstaining from food - when you can choose not to do something, then you have free will.

I would like to continue my journey of becoming a runner. I started running this year and planned to run a half marathon but stopped training when my schedule changed. I would like to run a half marathon in 2012 without walking at all. This will require me to make plans and to stay focused on that goal. The best running advice I ever read was to start running by going so slowly that you can almost walk faster - I started doing this after not having run for a decade and was able to get up to 9 miles in a few months.

I would like to let go the want of feeling comfortable - the tendency of avoiding conflicts, avoiding emotional and physical stress, of having stagnating opinions. I want to instead challenge myself more. To put my psyche under a little more pressure. I am young and this is the time to experience everything, to know more about the world than I think I do.

Visualize referrals.

I'd like to show my worth, especially at a future job. I realized that as a woman, I don't value myself enough, instead giving credit to luck instead of myself. I need to be more proud of myself.

I think I'm pretty terrific just the way I am, actually. I've back on the Weight Watchers program, started walking in training for the 13K in January and am trying to improve my relationship with my middle daughter...on that note, older daughter is always the best one for advice and counsel and she suggested I stay OFF of facebook... which I think is an excellent idea!

Nike says to just do it. I think I would like to incorporate that into my life. It would be wonderful to sink myself into the prevailing current and just go with it.

I want to become a family man and I have waited 34 years. I can say, what I have gleaned from the past is that there is only NOW. Be awake, be conscious, dont think, be.

I would like to achieve better balance. I would like to recapture a sense of purpose. When not at work, I have tended to avoid my at home to do list far too often, leaving me feeling relaxed but also disappointed in myself.

This time next year I'll have turned 30. I hope that there isn't too much that will have changed about me. I'm pretty happy with the person that I am and the person that I've become in my 29.8 years on this planet. But if there were a piece of advice I would say, take some time to breathe every now and again. Don't take yourself too seriously. And work on your Portuguese, because that shit is a little embarrassing for the both of us ;)

I'd like to stop procrastinating by then. So to myself next year, quit procrastinating.

As always, I just want action, instead of procrastination. "There will never be another day like today." Sometimes that's a good thing!

Just being diagnosed with diabetes, I would like improve myself by having a better diet, and losing some weight. I need to be healthy for myself, which is for my kids also. I have to just keep in mind that people live with this everyday, it's not a death sentence, and I can overcome this.

I truly want to be able to be fully comfortable around new people. Unfortunately, all of the advice of "be true to yourself and people will like you!" isn't very helpful when you're not confident that others will like your "true self."

Stay in shape, lose a few more pounds (be at 175), persevere on my business, explore more the cultural, societal, environmental issues, continue to place primary emphasis on spiritual growth.

This past year has been a continual journey of self improvement, from how I behave in my relationships, to how I behave at work, to developing a more positive outlook. I don't know where the next particular focus rests, but I want to keep on keeping on the direction I have because I think it is a good one and I feel positive shifts occurring all around me.

Love you, acept you and be happy always no matter what happen, nothing is forever and this also has to pass...

Best advice this year: "Apprentice yourself to your self" from the poet, David Whyte. I would like to overcome ambivalence and commit to the things I'm passionate about: a healthy long-term relationship and meaningful work top the list.

I would like to stick to a 80% raw food and start integrating the 4 hour body protein diet to lose more weight and gain muscle. I would also like to start kettlebell swinging for strength and definition. I would also like to start saving money even after we move to Iowa so we can have emergency money and money for travel. Eventually, I want to participate in WWOOF or the Peace Corps to know the world better.

I would like to improve myself by becoming stronger mentally. This is because last year some people hurt me so bad emotionally and mentally that I was broken down. I always have to remember, "It'll all be worth it in the end" and "never give up!" or " good things come to those who wait." I feel that this year I need to stand above everyone and prove to them that I am worth it.

The biggest thing that would improve my life is for me to learn to love myself.

LOSE WEIGHT. Short, sweet, to the point.

I want to focus more on being present. I want to learn how to expand the present moment, see what it has to offer and be creative with what is available, be active with what is happening around me. I have had a few tastes of this lately and am learning how. I just need to continue to be aware, to develop this habit.

I would like to improve my health & fitness, taking care of myself and exercising more. I feel this would have a positive effect on my life as a whole, as I would feel more confident and better about myself. I have received lots of health & fitness advice, and have been recommended different things to help - so will be taking all this on board!

I hope to take the advice and counsel and spiritual guidance to be awake to life -- constantly awake and regularly grateful for the bounty and even the pain.

Just a second ago, I told Charles to "nurture yourself." I need to do that, too. I need to learn to be more forgiving of myself in some ways, and also more disciplined in others. I need to be gentle with myself when I hurt and remind myself of the things I should take pride in.

Love people. Stay productive. Spend more time outdoors. Pray more often. Enjoy life. Own less. Minimalism.

To ask myself everyday, what is the root of happiness and remind myself that it is love and compassion. This is the compass and who I want to be.

I'd like to try to keep sticking with the Four Agreements: Don't take anything personal; Be impeccable with your word; Don't make assumptions; Always do your best. Sometimes I forget those when I get overwhelmed.

Yes. I was told 'Love yourself. Do something for you. Open up. You deserve to be happy'. I think about this every day.

Save your money. Words that could move Nations forward. It's unfortunate that it's such a capitalist environment we live in that Money is the focus here. Oh and Keep your kids close and give them enough attention that they grow into an image of greatness and not cast in the shadows of disaster. Greatness not meaning Doctors, Lawyers. Greatness meaning what the dream of doing. As long as they accomplish there dreams then you've succeeded as a parent. That's what I'm living by.

I want to be working at a job I enjoy more and which I feel I have a real chance at building a career with. I want to be moving forward with starting a family. I want to have more time in my non-work life to pursue academic, charitable, political and social interests.

I want to take better care of myself. I am pulled in so many different directions, I tend to think I need to be everything to everyone. It's impossible. I am way too hard on myself and I become my own worst enemy. I need to learn how to prioritize, and let things go. I love my yoga instructor Maryse because she always has words of wisdom at the start of each class. I try to carry them with me, but I need to do a better job of practicing them. I have to learn that I do not need to be perfect, and people will still love me.

I'd like to get better at standing up for myself in professional situations. I try not to be the standard millennial whiner, which often leads to feeling like I don't get what I deserve (which I may only feel because I am a millennial whiner). Also, making more time to do things that 1) aren't for work, and 2) aren't just for fun. I want to challenge myself and create for personal growth reasons.

To be able to recognize my own value, and to realize that what I bring to the table is a commodity that is worth a lot. I would like to be more fearless, specially about rejection and pleasing everyone. And to start, I would like to start on the greatest project that is the life I have always wanted.

I'd like to meet more people and network myself into either finding a complimentary business partner or finding a lucrative business opportunity. More than just about anything, I'd like to become a more disciplined writer and play around with writing poetry as well.

I would like to lose weight and regain my running fitness. I hope to be able to run either 5km in under 30 mins, or complete 10km in under 70 mins. I'm guided by advice received from my therapist, to stop hooking into the negative thoughts, just accept them and then let them go. Also to talk to my mind about procrastination, and then just get on with it.

In a year, a lot can change. I'd like to be happier and lighter. I'd like to figure out the giant question mark that seems to rest between me and having the things I want: love, family, security, strength and peace. I always feel like it's just right there, I can see what I want and yet, it remains just beyond my reach. I don't know about advice or counsel, but I did very much like the line in the movie Stardust, "Why fight to be accepted by poeple you don't actually want to be like?" I think there is a lot of me in that question.

i would like to learn how to study harder and do everything i should do and wanna do everyday

I'd like to change the job to the one I'll be inspired by. My friend Valentin told me once that we have only one life and we should do whatever we want to cause there cannot be a mistake, every experience is unique and useful. It seems to be an objective truth but it was a revelation to me.

I'd like to feel more confident around the mechanics of running a business now I'm a partner in one. Would love to get my head around the techy side of social media - it scares me! My counsel has been to trust...let's see how that pans out.

I would like to be less outwardly-focused and more inwardly-active. For example, I'd like to be involved in fewer groups outside my home and my family and would rather involve my family in being and doing more as a family. Fewer Meetups with interesting friends and strangers and more planting rosebushes with my daughter.

I want to be a more chilled out person because sometimes I think I am too uptight. Best piece of advice I received that could help to get this is to have patience and try to go with the flow because when I least expect things can happen, so I don't have to make them happen on purpose!

I want to be slimmer and more fit. I need to stop eating crap food and exercise more and be more healthy. I honestly think it would make a lot of difference, but I like bad food too much. Piece of advice? Just do it.

I would like to accept myself and even learn to like/love myself. I would like to really understand that there is no such thing as perfection, that there is grace in every-day life, that it all ends for everyone, and that each day is the only opportunity to cherish the moment in time that life is with me. I've had advice and wise counsel from all quarters but have not integrated any of it, or have not accepted it as applicable to me. I would like to embrace what I know is true about the human condition and the human spirit.

In the next year, I would like to achieve more balance in my life. A balance between diet, exercise, meditation, social activities & family activities would make my life so much better. Although I have tried all these things in the past, I think this will be the year they will all come together. I feel optimistic that this balance of activities & quietness will benefit me & those around me in ways that I can't even imagine.

I've tried hard over the past couple of years to be my best true self, and that's the work I'd like to continue.

I would like to improve my overall health. Such as physical, mental, spiritual, and mental! I have received great advice from counselors and friends to complete this goal. You have to love yourself before you love yourself . God says we must takecare of our bodies in Oder to fulfill his plan

I would like to continue to focus on my "journey of receiving," and cultivate a strong and pervasive sense of gratitude for life.

I would like to find a way to be more patient with everyone, but especially with Lara. She is a wonderful kid, and while she drives me crazy at times in some of the ways she's different from me (she's a slob, she putters), that does not mean I should get aggravated with her all the time. I need to accept that she is different, and be patient with both her and myself about these differences.

I'm bipolar and my habit during the inevitable downswings of mood - the depression episodes - is to withdraw completely from people, don't see friends, don't answer the phone, stay inside at home, and just wait for it to pass. I learned this year that I can reach out to friends or family, that they don't mind seeing me "like this", and that being with them or talking to them can help bring me out of the worst of it. I'm 58 and people have been telling me this for years, but this year I actually did manage to call for help a couple of times. This year I'd like to let people in a little more, be less ashamed of my condition, and let people help me when I need help.

Out of this past year I got the importance of hard work. I learned to give 100% for everything i do. I learned to push myself and most importantly inspire and push others. It is a lot of pressure but once you succeed then you will feel the glory of helping yourself and also others.

I want to set aside time every week to review my week, my goals and how I am doing. I do this annually with the cheshbon nefesh, 10Q etc. but that is too infrequent to really guide my behaviour. Setting time each week to assess how I could have improved and what I am proud of from the past week has the potential to enhance my effectiveness and make me more likely to actually keep my resolutions. I also want to improve my financial management. I have been doing okay so far, but more by luck than good judgement. With rising costs and decreasing income I can see a time in the not-to-distant future when my situation could be very different. I want to head that off before it happens.

I would like to improve my conscious contact with Hashem and grow ever-closer to him.

One of the best pieces of advice, given by a long-time friend, was to view my retirement as a "gift." I want to continue enjoying this remarkable time in my life with the friends and activities that this gives me time for.

My biggest challenge is sustaining effort in the things I care most about, day in and day out. I want to exercise, read and write-every day of my life. These are the things I need, professionally and personally, to be the best me I can be. The piece of advice I would be guided by is to consider trying to do less, but do it well.

I would like to be more organised, and more proactively energetic. I want to seize each day, go to bed later, try new things and challenge myself. I would like to be a better guitarist in a year's time. I would also love to have done another piece of regular social action, as well as a sponsored fundraising event that involves a physical challenge. I'd also like to be in better shape!

I would like to be very clear on my purpose and actively follow God's steps to make my dreams come true. No cloudiness, no doubt, no uncertainty. I want to live life with lots of passion and be unapologetic about being my authentic self. I would like to improve my life by having more closer relationships and friendships and having a more social life that includes traveling the world more and creating fun, happy, memories. One quote I read that could guide me to this is by Benjamin Franklin ""Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." The goal for me to do amazing things and then write about it so that people will want to read it and be inspired to do the same.

I want to know myself, the Real self within, that i may truly serve God. tt has urged me, always, - these past 15? years- to look within, but also to look for a guide, someone "who has been there."

I would like to improve myself and my life next year by being less selfish. I'm an only child and have always been spoiled by my mom. Not only does my mom spoil me now but so does my boyfriend. I'm so blessed for everything they both do for me but it also causes me harm because if I don't get my way, I get upset. By this time next year, I want to be able to put other's needs ahead of my own without having a fit.

Put my life and family first. I've been working very hard this year to tackle some debt---70 hour work weeks for the past 7 months. I should reach my financial goal by the end of the year and would like to slow the pace down a bit for 2012. A colleague of mine has been reminding me that family is first---the rest is only there to support what's most important.

I should exercise more. I am very healthy for my age, I take only one pill for thyroid, but I can be better. We always talk about exercising or just walkingand I should do it. i also want to read more non fiction books. I want to be a better sister. I don't think I received any advice, but I hope to be guided by the thought of doing more for the community and myself and my family.

Next year I want to live, not just merely exist. I read this phrase during Rosh Hashanah services, and it embodies the mindset I have taken on with the start of college and for the next year. I want to be bold, be brave, and have fun.

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten was to "let go and let God." I'm such an anxious person that worries about everything - I'd like for that to stop. Even with medication I continue to worry. However, Leanne Lamke once told me that the best way to dissipate anxiety is to start doing whatever it is I'm anxious about. I've found that to be true. I would like to start exercising again. Even just a little bit every day. I know I can do that.

Next year, I want to improve my own sense fiscal responsibility to myself and to my future. I'm 36 years old and have nothing saved and $17,00 of credit card debt. The piece of advice which has resonated with me for the last year or so is this: "You are so amazing, and you sell yourself short." I seek ways to declare my real worth, both monetarily and personally.

I want to learn to listen better to my family, my parents, my wife, my daughters, and my students.

I want to become more organized! I've never been one of those people who are "on the ball" and seem to do it all. I don't want to do it all, but remembering when I have appointments would be nice! I just bought a planner and am going to follow: "if you didn't write it down, it didn't happen." That way, everything I need to know is written down and in one place!

Be more confident. It's okay to be shy, and polite, but there's a fine line between shyness and social anxiety. Be yourself and fuck the consequences. Remember, the idea of "normal" is a social construct, it need not apply to you. Be who you want to be and you'll be a lot happier.

I would like to be less emotional than I am. I am a passionate person who shows their emotions more than I should. I was called a drama queen this year by someone I thought was a friend.

Do the feared things first. All other problems will be small after you have done that. And don't be afraid of changes.

I want to stop wasting time. I want to want to start exercising. I want to stop being afraid of the writing. I guess the best advice is that stupid Nike commercial: Just Do It.

"Resiste a la tentación, insiste en prepararte y confía en que tu influencia irá en aumento."

Speak gently and control my temper. That's the advice, and my objective.

I would like to redevelop the strength that I have lost due to the medical diagnosis. I enjoyed hitting the golf ball and softball a lon g way and would like to get back into that. I will continue to take the meds and look for some long term improvement.

It's been a continual struggle but I would like to live more in the moment. Enjoy what is going on around me and not worry about email, Facebook, web sites, or what I could be doing next. I want to enjoy this precious time while my kids are young and still want to spend every minute with me. I want to give them my undivided attention. And the same goes for my wife.

This year is going to be very different, and hopefully better. I will need a new job, and want to make that something interesting and challenging. That's the big one. I have already started Chantix to stop smoking. Wish me the best, future self! I've been living in a fog for so long. I want to feel like I'm controlling my life, and not just letting circumstance toss me around.

never give up. i would like to be stronger, faster, wiser. not only in running/triathlon but mainly in life, relationships, adventures. keep breaking out of my comfort zone and seeing where it leads!

I would like to be more grounded, more serene, more kind, more compassionate. I would like to be more attentive to the wonders of my daily life, including my husband and my child. I would like to write more, spend more time with friends, squee more, look at the sky more. The piece of advice which is coming to mind for me right now is from a Stanley Kunitz poem: "live in the layers, not in the litter." Live in the multilayered, complicated, beautiful world of emotion and time and change. That's what I'd like to do this year.

I am trying to become a better student and a more proactive person. I think I'm very competent and well-intentioned, but I also think I waste a lot of time and am not quite as on top of things as I'd like to be. I think getting a handle on this would lead to less stress and more sleeping! I'm starting to figure out how to do this law school thing, but I want to do better.

I'd like to spend more time on meaningful things, whether it be a walk with the family, golfing with my sons or playing catch in the yards. To accomplish that, we just need to turn off the Xbox/tv more often.

I would to be more involved with the causes that matter most to me. It feels good to help others. Sometimes it seems like there isn't enough time in the day, but the truth is I always feel more rejuvenated after helping someone else.

i want to not be so dependent on whether people like me or not. i want to appreciate the people that like me for me rather than trying to get people to like me that dont really care about me. i want to be more independent emotionally.

This year I would like to love myself more. I would like to compare myself less to others and I would like to judge others less. This year I have become aware that everything you need to be happy is already inside you, you simply need to realize it. So I'd like to start looking inward more.

I would like to continue to structure my schedule, allow for interruptions, but stay on task instead of getting easily distracted. I would like to exercise more often and eat healthier foods with less carbs. Persevering when things are challenging is another goal; staying focused. I trust G-d's hand to guide me.

BE KINDER! Just be kinder to people. Don't be so hard on people. Everyone is struggling; nothing is ideal. Be more gentle with people. Grow relationships with people. Use counseling skills to enrich relationships. Forgive people. Be kinder to yourself too.....

With a better paying job and more trips (no more staycations). And to work on tightening my stomach ;-)

Relax! Don't take things too seriously! Except do take things seriously!

I have a rare medical conditions (NF1) that causes "subtle" learning disabiliites" I am in my sixties and did not know I had this condition until about 12 years ago. My goal is to even at this late stage in my life figure out what skills i can improve on and waht to acknowledge I cannot do and to accept I cannot do everthing (no one can). I would also like to find a way to tell children who learn they have this condition that is possible to work through learning disabilities. Being constantly remnded by freinds that they do not care about the things i cannot do will guide me.

Stay present. Think about today, this moment. Enjoy it, feel it and go on to the next.

I would like to make quick decisions to change then follow thrugh with them slowly and resolutely so as to affect actual change. I would like to be healthier and save money and reconnect with my Jewish identity throughout the coming year.

I would like to be a happier person. I have been miserable and heartbroken for too long. I am not sure how to obtain this though.

I would like to learn better boundaries. Over the past year, I've had loads of great advice: Don't be afraid to disappoint people, I can't truly take care of other people until I've taken care of myself, etc.

I am listening to my own advice. I would like to plan for how I can make myself happy. I am planning for a career advancement and should that not happen as I wish I will plan for a career change. It's going to be all about making the right decisions for myself. The rest of my familiy will have to make the right decisions for themselves independent of me.

In this last year, one good friend has learned that she has breast cancer, another has Alzheimers. I am learning that my life is finite, and I need to live the now with awareness of the end to come.

I would like to improve my focus on becoming more dedicated to self-employment. I think this would bring me a type of freedom I have been searching for, and I need to figure out how to make time for it. I would also like to become more spiritual, and figure out ways to have the quiet solitude that I have been missing in NYC. I think this includes figuring out ways to relax, and continuing to be more patient with others.

Weight, weight, weight. lose it again, again, again, and maybe even more than last time. Renegotiate whatever relationship that you need to to achieve it, and i mean WHATEVER relationship you have to. Mark, drinking, smoking - whatever. i am so much more comfortable, at ease, sexual - that i simply must find the strategy to achieve-re-achieve it.

I would like to stop being so so hard on myself. I'd like to practice forgiving myself and moving on. And also remembering that most the time - I'm doing the best I can. I'd like to stop worrying so much that I spin myself out of control and into worst case scenarios and fears. So when you feel like it's all your fault and you should be doing everything better or differently, just stop. Take a breath. And say, "you are doing okay. you are not a terrible person. you can trust yourself and your decisions."

In the next year I would like to put more of a focus on finances and home life, try to make the best out of both of them. Once the finances and home life are back on track then a real focus will be finishing up my degree! I believe that the reading I have been doing as well as the working out and therapy will be a good guide for me.

Commit yourself. Commit yourself to the relationship you chose, whether it's with Andrew or somebody else - relationships take hard work and commitment no matter who they're with. Commit yourself to the job you want to do - don't settle for a job you don't feel is helping your career. Commit yourself to yourself - don't let yourself go, don't ignore your health, your finances, your general well-being. Nobody can make you commit yourself to these things but you. So do it. Just do it already.

A year from now, I would like to be in the my sixth year of sobriety. Take one day at a time, as I have heard over and over and over. I would like to be in a position where I could be relied upon to always speak the truth. I would like my family to be able to trust me and mean it. I would like to either be getting ready to take a marvelous vacation or just returning from one..

Appreciate, appreciate,appreciate. Let it flow. Let be and let life unfold. Be the best you can be and when you can't be gentle with yourself.

I'd like to always speak what is on my mind. I would like to try and be myself always no matter what the circumstance. The best advice I can listen to is that: by being my true self and listening to what I desire, the world will be open at my feet. No one can stop me from achieving all that I desire as long as I follow my heart.

I think my biggest desire for self-improvement is to develop equanimity. My life is very much governed by anger and resentment. Although there are injustices in my life, I do not want to be ruled by them any longer. I want to choose my feeling-state and chart my own course. I want to be open to new possibilities despite what are my clear constraints. I do not know how to do this. I have been hearing a lot from people lately, both directly, and indirectly, that my anger is affecting relationships. I don't know how to work that out exactly, how to balance the fact that, yes, I need equanimity; but also that people who really mattered or loved me would understand and be patient with that.

Back to the weight and fitness again. That's the only two lacking categories in my life, and have been for decades. How do I write this and feel hopeful that next year I'll read this response and look back with pride on what I've accomplished? Realistically, I'm not very hopeful.

I would like to live my life in such a way as to promote health and wellbeing. I would like to spend more time working toward goals (exercise, crafting, community service, some writing and self expression). I think a schedule would help. At the same time, I want to be less judgmental. I think that sometimes I DON'T work toward my goals because I judge myself so harshly that I don't want to try and fail. I want to be kinder to myself and others - kinder to Ben and friends. I want to be the kind of person that makes others feel good about themselves -and that needs to start with radical self acceptance, I think.

I would like to lose some weight, get my cholesterol level down and be healthier. Good advice has been take it day by day and don 't beat yourself up if you slip.

Work hard. Blow through doors that open. Keep your head on a swivel. "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Keep exercising and improve my scheduling of my exercise.

I would like to get my weight down just a little bit more and continue learning how to cook healthily. When it comes to weight loss, the best piece of advice is just to count EVERYTHING and be honest. A more lofty goal would be to become a certified Zumba instructor so I can teach occasionally - might as well get paid to do something I already enjoy!

Yes, shape time, don't "spend" it, or worse, "waste" it. Shape it. Do things that make an hour feel like a day, things that when you're done doing them you have forgotten where you are and what time of day it is. Like getting lost in a book or movie, but more active, like writing or conversing about a precious topic, or cuddling with a pet or a lover or a friend. Do things that make releasing the to-do list of life easy, effortless. by this time next year I would like my writing practice to be as natural a part of my day as my yoga practice is. i would like it to be and will do things to make it so.

Yes, of course. The piece of advice was from Jen--that I can control my own story. That I am in charge of the story I tell. And I have more than one story to tell. Also, to "risk my significance." Not be motivated by what others may think or judge me as. Very important.

I would like to get into a better fitness routine. I bicycle regularly in the non-winter months but there is not enough weight bearing and stretching exercises that I am doing currently.

I would like to be more present. Which means that I am always aware of my surroundings, my feelings, my state of mind, and the presence and feel of others. I do things in my life that I know I enjoy and I want to truly feel that, as well as the less enjoyable but still valid parts of my life. This advice stems from advice I got from a counselor more than a year ago and mirrors words I have heard recently from others.

Utilize my talents to help other people tell their stories. By giving of myself and my unique skills, I can help others improve their lives. The best advice I received this year is: Stop chasing after what I think I want. I already have what I want because it already resonates inside me. I should concentrate on expressing more of it through love, truth, service and dedication.

With my new job, I have more structure and support - thus, more free time. I want to explore ways to enjoy that time and not fill it up with 'to-do's' but ta-das!

I want to improve my health and happiness. I think that find a fulfilling job will help me with this. Two days before my mom died this year, my brother asked her if she had advice for her grandchildren and she said, "Just have fun." I'd like to take her up on that.

i was given advice from my brother to live life for myself. to not care what anybody else thinks and to just be upfront and honest with everyone in order to make life less complicated. my brother advised me to reevaluate myself, and that i am strong, but in different ways than i thought. he told me to do things for me, and not to give off a certain perception of myself.

Slow down, smell the roses, be present, see the wonder of the Shechinah all around, every day, every moment. Live as though this was my last day. Don't waste time on worry, planning, waiting. LIVE! LOVE! LAUGH!

Less stress, try not to let things upset me as much as they do, especially if I cannot control them. I would like to feel better and get my medical problems under control so I can do more and enjoy my life more. Don't let the things you cannot control take over. If there is a way to stop things that bother you think it over and come up with a plan to stop whoever or whatever is the cause of your stress and feelings of no control.

I must be willing to make mistakes, otherwise I’ll be paralyzed by perfectionism. I must also be willing to share my work often, otherwise no one will be able to tell me when I go off track.

Do more Feldenkrais lessons to center myself and recover more fully from an injury I sustained almost 2 years ago that is still keeping me from doing all I want to do, physically, mentally and emotionally. As for guidance I received: there's a word in Greek, phusis, that is usually translated as "Nature." I translate it as "What moves me, keeps me here. What keeps me here, moves me." I trust you will find your nature, your phusis.

I would like to be more patient with my step-mother and also focus on being present. Career-wise, I am going to do what needs to be done without asking permission.

I would like to reduce my debt load. So, I am spending money very carefully and pying down everything, will concentrating on wiping one item out at a time.

Be guided by my inner wise-woman. Walk slowly towards the sun.

My heart is crushed right now as it has never been before. I hope in one year things are back on track, althoug I'm aware that every single thing that happens in my life is the perfect thing to live at the time. Wether its "good" or "bad" it really doesn't matter.

A colleague of mine that I look up to very much recently told me, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission." I loved it. In my career, I just need to go and do the things that I think I can do in order to further my professional career.

I would like to be more straightforward and to speak clearly about what I want from a situation, agreement or relationship.

I want to spend more fun/playtime with my 5 year old son and I want to lose 50 pounds. Advice I receive in the past year that could help - life is an adventure.

For me t'shuvah is an ongoing process. The areas that generally need attention are : worrying less, helping more, listening better.

I have complalined about all the extra dog walking I've had to do for the past three months (Harriet's post-surgical limitations). I don't like getting up extra early, but I am extremely grateful for the extra exercise I've gotten as a result. And my heart, my glutes, and my sore knee are all much improved. I've also improved my weight. In the next year, I'd like to keep this level of activity, even though I won't have the dog walk requirement. I would like to walk one or two hours a day - seems like an incredible amount of walking. But so, so good for me. 1-2 hours of walking, three times a week. That is my goal. The plus is that the dog will continue to dote on me.

I would like to regain balance in my life: listen to my inner self more. Pay closer attention to Spirit every day. Listen to what my body needs and not bludgeon it with an overindulgence of food.

Forgive. Don't hold on to the anger and the pain. All that does is give it more power. And that is exactly what it does not need.

Get better & more focused on everything I do.

I want to have a better grasp on my financial life. I've made some small strides this year in improving my financial well-being, but I really want to elevate those efforts this upcoming year.

It is important to do well for myself and only then can I care for others. I am on the right path, taking care of myself and my needs. I should laugh more though.

I would love to stop being so insecure about myself for once, especially since I've been through so much in my life, and I know now that I have friends who really love me for who I really am, family who always has loved me, and a boyfriend who will always love me, no matter what. This boyfriend also has accepted me for who I am so I should learn to do the same.

I want to learn to accept things for what they are. I want to accept our living and financial situation and be grateful for what we have, which is much more than the vast majority of humans on this planet. I want to accept my career path as it is right now, even though it has been slowed by my having a child. I want to accept that I am doing my best at motherhood, along with the myriad issues to deal with on a daily basis, and that my best is THE best for my child. I wish I could cut myself some slack in all of these respects.

I'd like to get myself back into better physical condition, and that would greatly improve my life. My doctor advised me to do something about my sedentary lifestyle.

be more tolerant and patient

I remember one of my friends Mr Milburn who said to me to believe myself and never loose my confidence, no matter what happens. This is the best advice I think which I have received an can help me improve myself. I would like to be more quick in my life and decision.

I'm still not sure about what I want to do with my life (not many people my age are), but I know that I'll never figure it out if I spend my days with my head in the clouds, my nose stuck in a book 24/7, or my eyes glued to a glowing screen. I'm not saying that I want to stop reading or stop watching TV shows or stop staying connected to the internet. I just don't want those escape mechanisms to rule my life and become my reality. One of the best pieces of advice I've received all year came from the keynote speaker who talked to my entire freshman class (all 3,000 of us) on my first day at college. He was talking about how we all have a vision, vague or defined, of what our "best selves" are. The words that stood out to me the most in his presentation were this: "The next time you do anything, ask yourself this: would my best self do this?" I can wish to be better than I am all I want, but I'll never even come close to improving on myself if I never act on those wishes. This year, I want to take the first baby steps to figuring out who I am, what I want to do, and how I can be my best self.

I would like to take better of myself, and just listen to my body. To say "no" to drinking a lot and going absolutely crazy when I have something important to do the next day, and to resist the peer pressure.

Build peace. Build love. Build joy. Within myself. Within my marriage. With those around me. It has to come from within me. No one else is going to do this for me.

I want to finally learn to succeed in growing things! Like lavender, herbs, and tomatoes! I want a green thumb! And I want to have built a body of work that truly reflects who I am at this stage of life and my talents.

I hope to make real headway on conquering some of my fears -- a debilitating fear of big trucks and highway driving; fear of being alone; fear of failure -- all of which have led to a less than ideal quality of life. There is no reason I shouldn't live a completely fulfilling life, especially because materially, I want for almost nothing. What I need, want and hope for is to align my head with my heart and soul so I can move ever closer to unequivocal happiness with the one who makes it all possible -- my husband who is my soul mate and true love.

Exercise more, travel more, eliminate unnecessary activities. reach out to more people more often

I want to exercise more--and take better care of my body in general. Yoga, more aerobic exercise, regular trips to the chiropracter. I'm in a better mood when I do all these things, and I know they have a longterm impact on my health. The best advice is to start slowly and do a little bit each day.

I want to keep focused on myself--what makes me happy, what I'm truly feeling--to guide me through my life. I have many other responsibilities and people who depend upon me. I can't take care of those people unless I'm healthy and happy.

I would like to move forward in training that I have investigated and with plans for a career change. I have recieved encouragement from many people and offers of assistance. In addition, I was pleased to find that I displayed the aptitude to move into the field of interest.

I think the best advice I got this past year was to just keep working and practicing and putting my everything into music. Terry told me that I've got something special and he thinks if I work hard enough, I might be able to make it. So the best thing I can do is to keep loving it and keep wanting to practice and get better every day.

This year has been a really positive one for personal growth, both emotionally and physically. I'm a lot healthier than I was on both counts than I was the year before. So next year I would like to continue this trajectory. That would involve a few more physical exercises to reduce pain and a few more mental exercises to reduce stress even more. Advice to guide me? There is so much wisdom in the world...how to choose. In general I love Taiji Master Jou's four principles: Know yourself, do your best, don't overdo it, make a little progress everyday.

Still to get on further with my writing, and do more for my community.

Funny that this question is asked today. My therapist gave me wonderful advice for me last night. I felt lost and inadequate because I don't seem to finish things I start; I lose interest. I always considered myself a failure since I didn't go to university. What she told me that I picked my life to have as many experiences as I possibly can, making my life full, colourful and interesting. It gave me a wonderful new outlook and changed me from negative to positive thinking.

I'd like to put less pressure on myself to be "perfect" and project perfection. It's ok if I'm not my ideal body size. It's ok if the house isn't always neat. It's ok to have a bad hair day. Not everything needs to look like it's out of a magazine. I want to be less obsessed with shallow, materialistic objects and focus more on what I already have. I want to be less influenced by the media, my friends, Facebook. Let things roll off my back. Not surrender to external (or internal) pressures. Just be humble. Happy. Grateful.

Don't take everything so seriously, let some things roll off your shoulders. Continue to work hard and never lose sight of your dreams but don't worry so much about the small details. Also, stop complaining!

"Don't think about the perfect social worker. Think about what I as a social worker would look like" Focus on what is a best fit for ME. Be honest about myself, my emotions, my thoughts, my values, and find pieces of my life that fit that. Actively search those out. There might be an image of a one-size-fits-all perfect life, but it's an illusion. Nobody else has the power to make life choices for me except me. I can choose what is best for myself. And nobody else knows me better than me. I can define what is best for myself. How can I possibly go wrong?

I will learn to trust that the universe will bring me to what I need when I need it.

More self-discipline. I am going to read a book about Willpower--I need more. I am staying up too late, on the computer and i-pad too much. I need to be more focused in my work and in my home life and cut distractions. Time is too precious to waste.

I would like to spend more time working on myself and spending time with people that I really enjoy spending time with. I have not gotten any particularly great advice, though most advice I've been given by my elders has been good advice, and I will keep it in mind! Life is like dancing; when you clean a dance after you've learned it, you must not only learn from what the choreographer says to change, but also remember to keep that part "clean" when you do it again.

I'd like to continue to being a better Uncle for my nephews. Best advice I received in the past few months was this: "No matter your circumstances remember you have value and have something to offer - so give of yourself."

I want to see my extended family more often. I want to work on my health. I want to exercise more. I want to slow down and breathe.

I want to not only think about what I do/ say but to really think. I want to be able to weigh up the pros and cons and then decide rather than fake a decision.

Similar to my answer in question 6, I'd like to achieve greater contentment with the awesome things I do have, as opposed to be looking for the next thing.

I would like to be more confident in my love life. The best advice I have received in this area has to find a way to be happy just being me. Loving myself, respecting my own individuality and persuing my personal interests will make me a stronger, more desirable person.

I'd like to start college next september. I think that was my answer to this question last year, but I'm pretty sure I can do it this time (with no looming bankruptcy or surgery anymore, I'm much better off). I'd also like to be under 200 lbs by next year (I've already lost a significant amount of weight this year - from 260 to under 240.)

I want to find a balance between internal meditation and reflecting on my external concerns.

I would like to live in the present moment in this place where I need to be next year and be satisfied. I have become addicted to travel and so I tend to live for the next art retreat or trip. I don't have any of that scheduled for the first time in several years and I feel bereft. The money needs to be spent on the house if I am to live here, and I do not want to go deep into debt. You Reading This, Be Ready by William Stafford Starting here, what do you want to remember? How sunlight creeps along a shining floor? What scent of old wood hovers, what softened sound from outside fills the air? Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now? Are you waiting for time to show you some better thoughts? When you turn around, starting here, lift this new glimpse that you found; carry into evening all that you want from this day. This interval you spent reading or hearing this, keep it for life -- What can anyone give you greater than now, starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?

I will continue on my journey of transforming my self and life. I will continue to notice all of the good things I have in my life and be grateful in the moment. Best advice you can create anything you want for your life. Think it, feel it and have it!

Here's my advice to myself: "STOP WASTING TIME!!!!"

Words (I would like) to describe me: Expressive Creative Honest Debt-free (or on my way to being) Interesting Open Loving I am not my disease. To achieve what I want, all I have to do is open my heart to possibilities.

I want to become a better husband, father, and individual. Become slower to anger and quicker to forgive. Give my wife and children more hugs and kisses. Place my wife higher on her pedestal and strive to make our marriage the most important thing in my life. Strive to become more like Christ and live my life Christ like. Favorite advise - Don't sweat the small stuff.......and realize it's all small stuff.

I think I need to be more patient particularly of my mother. I know that I take our relationship for granted and have come to expect the unconditional. I need to consciously invest more time, energy and emotion into being considerate of her needs and to stop sometimes and just say thank you. In circumstances totally different, a friend told me to, 'recognise a positive step forward' that idea of acknowledging a history but being able to move past that and into something new is really sound advice is applicable to so many situations. It has guided me this year and I hope will continue to for a long time.

I want to be in a better financial situation and I want my marriage to grow. I need to listen more and not let my temper get to me first.

I would love to meet someone, someone who makes me feel like I can do anything, achieve anything. Someone who truly loves me for who I am and will support me. I feel as though people use me, maybe without realising it. This doesn't help and I just hope someone sticks around for longer and more than that. Always being myself.

I want to unplug more often. I'm way too dependent upon my phone. I carry it with me to the bathroom in the morning, and sleep with it next to my head at night. NOTHING is that important. I'd like to have whole days where I'm only focusing on the people in the room -- or just on the silence I create. I'd also like to learn how to cook more at home. I pretty much eat all 3 meals outside of my home, and that must stop!

Be happy with my lot on life. Give more to charity. Lose some weight.

Would like to lose 30 pounds healthfully. To be quiet inside Grateful on the outside

I would like to continue becoming a real person. Genuine. Open. Really, being open is really important for me - I'm not that open, naturally, with what I'm really feeling: always thinking, acting, seldom openly, naturally sharing why. Be open! Own it! Keep doing what you want and acting the way you want to be. You're doing it.

I would like to be present, in each moment, grateful for what God has in store for me. Life's an adventure. Rejoice!

I would like to have my constant weight battle and lack of consistent exercise both under control in that my eating habits are consistent and my exercise program is as familiar as my brushing of my teeth. Nike says it best - just do it. Why are these three words so much easier to write than putting in to action?? Makes no sense...

Patience and staying positive. There will be light through dark times. There will be hope after despair. Things can get worse, but they most certainly will get better. Stay focused.

I would like to waste less time on the Internet, and do more things I'm afraid of.

Courage, dear heart.

I would like to learn more Hebrew.

I want to be able to better control my anger. I need to just relax, not take things so personally and go with the flow more. It will bring improvements to many other parts of my life. I also want to be able to go with the flow more. I don't always need to be in control and the environment around me does not need to be going the way I prefer. This too would bring improvements to many other parts of my life, maybe even help me control my anger.

I really want to get myself into decent shape. The biggest deal is to do a little something every day, and not to run from physical activity. I'm a pretty sedentary guy, and have been all my life. I need to change that as I'm entering into my 40's.

Pretty much the same as my last answer. I would like to become more organized both professionally and personally so that I can become a better employee and better wife and mother. There are two books that are good advice. One is the flylady book. One is a coaching book by Talane...I can't remember her name. The advice I've received for the former is also to schedule time for documentation at the end of each appointmen and the advice for the latter is to do some thing the moment you see it. If you open it close it. If empty it fill it..etc.

That's an excellent question. I feel like I was actually in a better place one year ago than today. Last year, everything was optimism. Things were going well, and everyone in my life was superb. I was surrounded by new friends, and I was able to appreciate and find beauty in everything. Now, I've had heartbreak and sorrow, and I've felt abandoned and rejected. I have a much harder time finding joy in regular things, or finding joy in general. I'm busy, and I don't have time for a life. I know I don't like it, and that I don't want it for the future. I want to find a way out of this mindset. I knew my answers--appreciate everything, check expectations, love the current, be a friend, reach out, think about it, start listening... I just can't seem to feel them anymore. Not sure what should happen next...

I want to become more self-confident. I mean really confident, not just in an acting way. It's my goal to not always feel 'aufdringlich'. There is no nice word in English for this. I just want to feel that I'm just as good as any other girl, at least at one point and that I don't have to see everyone as a danger.

I would like to be in a committed relationship. Yes, make a list of what you want and don't give in.

I have spent the last few years really improving my physical well-being. I have made running a part of my life, do a pretty good job at making healthy and wholesome meals for my husband and me, and generally focusing on doing the right thing health-wise. But in focusing on the external, I haven't spent much time at all focused on my internal self. I would like to spend more time emphasizing the spiritual in my life, because without a strong center, what difference does it make if my legs are more toned and I can run for a few hours?

I just want to stay as happy as I am right now. I'd like to take more chances without worrying about how the consequences will affect me. I don't want to slip back into the misery I felt for the past 3 or 4 years of my life. I just want to be able to smile through the bad things and remember all the good.

I need to get more comfortable with the following: Listening to my inner voice and setting boundaries. All of life's problems will be slightly less difficult if I don't waiver from these two things.

I'd like to finally stop care-taking for people before I first take care of myself. I feel like I'm going to get screwed in every relationship I have in my life besides my sis and a few close friends. My boyfriend is competitive (even though he denies it) and my family is helpless, and my pattern is just to give, give, give. I'd like to continue being a giver because that feels good, but I'd like to do so without being taken advantage of or being taken for granted. How can I do that and be an *effective* giver at the same time? Seems like everyone either wants complete altruism or it's not enough. I've been told that that's my own mishegas though and I'd like to follow that counsel as much as I can in the coiming year. I'm not sure how this new way of giving will manifest itself, and that's perhaps the biggest challenge in this endeavor. Will it mean more time behind the piano? Will it mean more big cries to feminist women in my life, followed by a long night of writing really juicy short stories? Will it mean I design a program for my art students that is totally out of this world and kick-ass? Who knows... I'd like to do all 3, and I'd like to do them without any regret.

Delay gratification! I'm terrible about saving money, because I impulse buy. Nothing super expensive, but still, it adds up quickly. And it makes it hard to do super awesome stuff. But I desperately want to have gone to my second Dragon*Con by this time next year, so BE STRONG, self! Save a little! Take a little disappointment now for big pay-0ffs later!

Make room for and take care of your suppressed and vulnerable selves before going out and being "strong"

Just get on with it!

I would like to stop caring what others' perception of me is. I get stressed out if I think people are staring at me ( not in a good way).

In the next year, I will continue with Pilates; toning, strength and overall well-being are top priorities. My wonderful coach pushes me to overcome the my "belief" that others (bosses) determine my future and my security. This is the year I want to OWN my life in a different way; to feel certain I deserve and will find meaningful, fun work.

"Activity is not substitute for achievement". I need to recognize when I've won, or at least succeeded, and enjoy the moment. I need to set goals with definite, clear outcomes that can be assessed. If I can do that I feel that I would find it easy to savor my achievements. So many people tell me I've accomplished " all this" or "that", and I even see it sometimes but I don't usually FEEL it. What I usually feel is the next project on the horizon, the next mission, the next task- and when that's over, I move on. I need to pause- just a for a second and say, "Cool."

I have quit smoking. I have quit drinking. I take my cholesterol medication. In order to achieve sainthood, there's just one more thing I need to do. Get more exercise.

I would like to be more confident of my abilities, particularly at work. I have the know-how, but when it comes to being decisive and expressing my opinion (based on experience and knowledge), I balk. This year, I want to speak up more and believe in myself more. The piece of advice would be something along the lines of 'taking back my awesome'!

I'd like to spend less time focused on myself and more time engaged in activities that benefit someone else.

I'd love to become a more accomplished writer and lose the excess weight I have trouble losing! I'd also like to get a girlfriend.

I would like to improve myself and my life by next year by being at a healthier weight. My goal is 105 pounds or below. This means more organic foods, more exercise, more water and less chocolate, beer and overeating. It is not a huge weight loss, maybe about 5-10 pounds, but it's the permanent changing of lifestyle that would be hardest. I don't want to deprive myself of food and starve myself to lose the weight, then put it all back on again. I need to wean myself off my bad habits, like periodic sweets, and find better ways to reward myself. A piece of advice has simply been from Nathan telling me to drink at least two liters of water a day. I think it will keep me healthy and curb my appetite, which is what I want.

"The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the most important part is not to be afraid." is my quote to live by this coming year. I want to improve in terms of becoming more open and less afraid of trying new things and taking new risks in my life.

I want to become more disciplined and focused on my health and wellness. I have been told many times and have experienced ways in how good health and appropriate sleeping habits can create amazing, positive change for my mind and body. In the coming year, I hope that I create the structure and commitment to meet this goal that will keep it going for the long haul.

I would like to make Torah study a regular part of my life, and also to find a Chevruta partner to help me continue in my Jewish knowledge and journey.

New love.

It's a dumb place to get advice, but there's an Audi commercial where Phil Jackson observes an angry interchange between a chef and a server (most of the exchange is downhill), and he comments "I've learned that anger is the enemy of instruction". I find that I'm really quick to react negatively when one of my computer users does something dumb, and I really want NOT to be that I.T. guy that makes his users feel stupid. I want to learn to side-step that initial reaction altogether-even if I don't show that snarkiness to the user, it carries over into other personal interactions and my general mood for the day. I think I can be more effective if I can take a calmer approach and actually teach them how to either avoid the problem altogether in the future, or fix it themselves where possible.

Try to spend more time one-on-one with friends and relatives. Enjoy the time you have with them so you can keep in direct touch more often. Also, read more books. They're good!

Well I plan to go and begin counseling. I am hoping that this will help me and my relationship with my grand daughter.

I'd like to be me, instead of the person everyone wants me to be. I think that's harder than it sounds, because other people have an interest in keeping me the way I am now, and when I try to be who I really am they say 'that's not who you are!' - but it is, I'm just too fragile to challenge them and I need back-up. Part of this is tied up with God. I have to learn to live with a God that can't be pinned down, and other people around me just hate that. They want to say 'here is God' or to tell me what God does and doesn't like / think / do. This is clearly nonsense - God does not make sense in those terms. But when I can be truthful about God, I can be truthful about me.

less screaming, emulate Gd's slow to anger

My life is too crazy! I can't seem to say "no" and always take on new projects. Last year I felt like I didn't make enough movies or write enough, and this year I've been going non-stop! So, for this next year, I hope to find a better balance of personal life and creative pursuits. I'd like to start on a novel by then too. My dad told me as I embarked on college that balance is probably the most important thing in life. I seem to have failed at that...

I really just want to learn to be more gentle with myself and 'forgive' myself for things that weren't even my fault. :)

I want to be a better person, all around. Less anger and fewer fights, more compassion and warmth.

I would like to lose a little weight, or at least keep my weight stable. I need to regularly follow the advice from AARP that's posted on my fridge about more healthy eating.

I want to develop consistent set-time prayer. Easy Does It.....but DO it!

This question is closely related to Day 2's question; the areas where I missed the mark this past year are those that need improvement going forward. 1) I'd like to exercise regularly and more vigorously, pushing myself for fitness and strength. 2) I'd like to find a more consistent schedule that allows for good health and productivity. I need to strive to wake at 5am every day and go to bed between 9:30-10pm every day, possibly excepting Shabbat. Related to this, I'd like to temper my use of the Internet, which is a "time suck." 3) I'd like to determine how best to systematically approach tzedekah. I'm beginning to work at this, and I hope it will become clear in the coming months. 4) Related to the above, I'd like to improve myself Jewishly, spending more time wrestling with questions of Jewish identity, politics, ethics, and history.

I would like to learn to be much more patient and calm, especially with my daughter and husband (and meeting deadlines) "let it be easy" one of my mentors always says this in her classes and when we would be puzzling over a problem. "Let it be easy" not that this means take the easy way out, but not everything has to be running an ironman or starting from scratch (although sometimes life may allow those things to be easy too). I think when we are allowing ourselves to be in the flow of who we are created to be - it is easy. floating. uplifting.

Regularly painting watercolors. The advise I received from my teacher is go into my house, shut the doors and paint.

I would like to improve my life by helping out other people more and being more athletic/in-shape. I also hope to do more stuff that i want to do and not just stuff i need to do.

I would like to become less volatile and less contemptuous of people who, now, annoy me. It does me no good to feel "superior" and is truly a reflection of my lack of self esteem. As with my brother, for whom I have no respect because of the way he treated our mother, I'd like to be able to just laugh at people's pretentions and then, peacefully, walk away. I also would like to listen less to gossip. I'm aware gossip, no matter how benign, is "lashon hara" and does me harm as well as the subject(s). I'm not aware of advice or counsel that has helped, except for advice and reassurance given me by my husband. I will keep trying to hit the mark.

I intend to keep on with my regular weekly times in the gym, as I began for the sake of my knee rehab this January. I now realize how much I need this for my whole body. Actually, the best advice or counsel regarding this came to me as I sat with ice on my knees following a workout. It dawned on me that I had progressed from rehab feeling like torture, to rehab being my job, to rehab evidencing self-care. This is a powerful transformation for my mind and emotions, as I have avoided strenuous exercise for two decades due to fibromyalgia pain. For the first time in my life, I genuinely feel better after exercising.

I would like to be less quarrelsome, and know when pointing out differences will violate this rule of thumb.

How many times does one need to hear that G-d is always with us, always within us? In the next year, I would like to consistently access that source of calm and wisdom.

This came up in a conversation today--"We can go without food and without water for an extended period of time,but not 30 seconds without hope." Hope is the carrot that keeps us going, but this year, I want to eat the carrot.

I would like to gain more self confidence and learn some new skills. I'd also like to get in a fight or at least be tough enough to take a punch to the face.

I would really like to focus on becoming a better listener and kinder friend. I've been realizing a lot lately that I check out when other people are talking, or interrupt with something completely unrelated. I'm hard on Jeremiah -- REALLY hard, especially when I'm speaking about him to other people. That's not fair, and it's going to wear on our relationship if I keep it up.

I would like to be happier and calmer. Act the way you want to feel, do a little bit everyday and the big yucky tasks will get done.

I need to earn more money. Get a job with a steady paycheck...

I would like to improve my relationship with my body and with working out. The piece of advice I think of relates to the Japanese concept of kaizen...making small, incremental and CONTINUOUS improvements rather than trying to re-create everything in one huge lump.

I want to accept present circumstances and make the most out of every moment. Of course no one can do this 100% of the time, but I want to be present in every moment, instead of wishing I were somewhere else.

More disciplined and slower to anger.

To be able to be happy doing whatever I am doing at that time... a new job? Still traveling? But try to only think about the positives and not the negatives.

I need to do more of what I want, and not all what other people want. I, indeed, recieved some advice about it. It's kind of giving me my time but not inquiring to leave aside others, just to make myself prior to everyone elses problems.

This year marked a shift in the way I respond to the effects of systemic mastocytosis (masto) on my body, mind and soul. I'd like to think that for the decade (plus) since receiving a diagnosis, I had been able relatively successful in distancing myself from the pain, brain-fog and depression brought on by masto to build elements of a productive existence. I tried my hand at creative writing, political action, home farming and a few other pursuits as masto continued its insidious attack. In the past year I surrendered myself to the disease and stopped trying to lead a productive life. In the next year I would like to find a way to introduce some productive efforts into my daily routine. I met with my psychiatrist yesterday for the first time on several years to address my state of mind and the very issue I describe herein. I truly believe that there is no such thing as coincidence. My psychiatrist suggested that I lend my specific talents to The Mastocytosis Society to increase the funding of masto-specific research. This makes so much sense.

I'd like to be better at doing homework early and not procrastinating, I'd like to know more about coding and HTML, I'd like to have my website up and running and beautiful, I'd like to be more financially savvy. Any and all of those are goals for the next year.

Keep active. If you feel like slowing down, keep moving. Be kinder. Remember the rabbis' words before you speak --"is it kind? is it true? is it necessary?"

I would like to create a sufficient savings. I've never been in the position (or thought it important enough) to save. So, this year, I will enjoy my income but also put some away.

I want to be able to just live my life next year. This year has been all about the worry of getting a job, and I'm hoping that by the time the year is out, I won't have that worry anymore and can focus on making my relationships with my family and friends stronger.

I want to keep on studying and I want to lose weight and KEEP IT OFF. Years ago I learned that "practice makes better." Trying to be perfect is a self set up for failure. The other thing that I learned is that you are never too old to learn.

I need to stop letting myself get discouraged. There is comfort in the status quo, but I have to not let myself be so easily dissuaded by opposition that I give up too easily.

I would like to be more assertive in my marriage and not allow my husband to be so brash and angry all the time. I would like to finish the renovation of my house to make it feel more like a home.

I want to get better about staying more focused and being more proactive about the things I want to do, be it at work, home or side projects. I waste a lot of time, procrastinate and wait for for the right time to do things. But the right time is always now. Two pieces of advice would be, "Act as if..." and "You sit down, you write 'Fade in,' and then you write until you're finished." The first is how Conan O'Brian says he avoids getting caught up in the insanity of what he's trying to do. It's from an old rule in improv comedy, "Whatever you're doing act as if it's what you're supposed to be doing." The second was the advice Barry Levinson gave Paul Reiser on how to write a screenplay. It works for anything. Whatever you want to do, begin by figuring out where you need to start, then keep doing it until you're done.

I would like to tap into my creative side more often by doing more art/craft projects. I want to appreciate the beauty of of the life I have been given and to enjoy it more. I spend to much time running from one thing to another that all the beauty and wonder of Life gets lost in the shuffle. Advice to follow: "Slow down. Breathe. Enjoy Life. Be Creative. "

You know what? I'm kind of tired of improving myself. I mean, probably I should be less critical, less exhausted, more present as a parent, more present period, more able to do things with my hands. I should get more exercise. But mostly when I think about improving myself *even more* I just feel tired. I'd like to continue to bring along myself as I try to do good work and make amazing, beautiful things and experiences. I'd like it to be enough.

I'd like to improve my interaction skills, so that i'm more comfortable talking to people my own age :)

We live in Wisconsin and are public employees. Because of a conservative backlash against public employees, we all have taken a 5 - 10% reduction in take home pay. Given that we are in a crushing economy, this has hurt our current and future plans. During the coming year, I would like to find ways to improve our financial position. If I can be successful, I'd like to return to Punta Cana or someplace comparable every year. The guidance/counsel that I have received repeatedly is to diversify income sources and investments. That continues to be great advice.

I would like to produce more and consume less. Consuming overwhelms me. Producing fulfills me.

Take more chance and risks. Stop passing up things to "relax" at home. Try to find a spiritual guide in something or some one. Be happy with what I have and where I am. Decide whether or not to go back to teaching, to stay at Epic, to go to grad school or do something completely different. Do not be afraid of change. It's scary and difficult, but it's the only way to know and get what you want. Stop wasting time on people that don't matter and don't care, and focus more attention on those who are important and care. Admire the simplicity and beauty of life around me. Complain less and do more.

"Dont lead with your right".

I want to finalize the bankruptcy and move forward with a solid and comprehensive family budget.

I think next year I'd like to focus more on myself. I spend much of my time giving my attention, time, counsel, and heart to other people and things. It may be time for me to start accepting those things from myself.

I'd like to be more connected to others. The networking class was particularly effective in teaching some of the basics.

Be totally balanced. Physically , spiritually, mentally, emotionally. Balance home, work, taekwondo. Balance day and night foe activity and rest. So I can function st my best and be productive in all I need to do, and be the most positive influence in the world around me.

I would like to be better at accepting that my "cosmos" brings me what I need, when I need it.... and that even the hurts in life serve a purpose in my soul. Learning to believe that my road is a good one!

I think that if I lose weight it will make everything I want to happen- happen. If I lose weight I'll be happier w/ myself and more confident. If I lose weight I won't be so tired. If I lose weight I won't be so sick all of the time. If I lose weight I'll be able to get pregnant. I really want to put an emphasis on me this year so that I can get back in control.

I would like to eat more consciously--not just what I put into my body, but how I do it. A friend of mine gave me a great piece of advice this year that I believe can help guide me: between each bite of food I take, be sure to stop, pause, and take a deep breath.

I would like to work on communicating differently with different people. I was recently told I'm too blunt, but it's only because certain people are (IMO) too sensitive. I need to figure out how to approach them better to work together more effectively.

John 3:30 "He must become MORE and I must become LESS."

Stop spending foolishly, pay attention to the little things

I want to get fit and healthy in the next year, so that I can better take care of the things that need to taking care of for my family, my friends and my community. My best friend says that he approaches life by following a path until it ends. Then he knows that it's time to move on to a new path. If he experiences any sadness or regret about the path that's ending, it's mitigated by the fact that he knows it was simply its time to end. He then focuses on celebrating the new beginning. He's learned that there's really very little we can control in this world. So he never tries to force his life to happen. I want to be more like him.

Isn't this the question I ask myself always? How can I be better? How can I do better? I don't think I always do it in a positive way. I judge myself, find myself lacking in all kids of ways, and try to think about how I can be better. As a result, there are lots of ways I'd like to improve myself and my life in the next year - I'd like to be more disciplined (work more efficiently, exercise regularly, eat healthy foods, cook nice meals for my family). Maybe, just maybe what I should focus on instead is being at peace with myself and my life and appreciating who I am and what I already have.

I just have to remember Alex Scott's words to me. Not a single phrase or nugget of wisdom, just his perspective to be proactive whenever you feel stagnant, or that you've been wronged. Justice for the soul.

I would like to stop being seen as aggressive. I would like people to think that I'm kind, and gentle and amazing. that I'm the go-to gal. I'm trying to learn how to take my words and soften them for the majority of the audience. It's been a long road- it started when I was five and talking a mile and minute. somewhere after college I stopped working on it, and yet, the work isn't done yet. I need to keep trying.

Next year, same as every year, I need to exercise more. I keep saying I'm gonna do it, and I always just put it off

I would like to participate in a drum circle this year. I would like to connect it to something Jewish. I would like to know how to be more active in my Jewish community here. My favorite Rabbis are a good source of advice. I would like to be better at organizing and dealing with the 'stuff' in our apartment. My husband is so much neater than I am.

I would like to lose 10-12 more pounds. I've made a lot of progress this year and I don't want to lose the momentum. I feel that I've become better at not saying everything that pops in my head and I want to get even better at that. Meditation really helps.

A very wise friend of mine told me that my current lifestyle is "unsustainable". He was completely right about that, I NEED to find a better work/life balance next year, that would make me a lot happier.

I want to de more exercises, swim and do more meditation, to fill stronger.

Live more according to the Cult of Done Manifesto. The best part of advice I got was via Wil Wheaton pointing people to the Cult of Done, especially: Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done. and Laugh at perfection. It's boring and keeps you from being done.

From my previous answers I think it's clear what I'd do to improve my life! A piece of advice? From the side of a bottle of bleach: "Stand upright in a cool place." I think that covers most things.

I want to have a better appreciation for the lifestyle I live. I have two parents, a sister, a house; I am getting good education; I have friends who care about me; I do not have to stress about finances. One of the best pieces of advice is to live each day by being the best version of yourself.

I would like to speak french more.

Share with others things I am committed to doing. When caught up in habitual behavior that doesn't serve me, take a pause, deep breath, and recognize that I have a choice.

I would like to improve my personal health - physical, mental, and emotional. I would also like to have new experiences that continue to challenge me yet are aligned with some end purpose that I can latch on to and push through with such that I can remain inspired and become a more refined, stronger person, just as I do in a challenging workout. This can include experience in a new kind of job or exploring a new hobby and giving it the time of day to become proficient at it if I really do desire to do so. As far as counsel goes, I've received a lot in the last year and cannot currently draw on one point. I know that my education has been a point of tension given all of the uncertainty, frustration, and various spurts of alternative desires outside of school. That being said, many have advised me to be patient, to continue on and grow IN COLLEGE because it's a unique environment to do so. And while I cannot say that this is the ONLY option to the ultimate end goal of growth, it's certainly a solid one, as I'm already doing so now through my junior year in college. I'm challenging myself in new ways and enjoying the thoughtful and wondrous atmosphere of a college campus. I still don't enjoy memorization and going with the grain of a culture I don't sit well with, as well as exams (though I can see the intent of some of them as far as studying habits go), but I'm growing nonetheless into a more mature person, and this is an ultimate end goal I have beyond any one startup or other endeavor.

Every day I think of ways to improve myself and every day I do nothing about it. So for the coming year I would like to act upon my thoughts. Especially in the areas of weight and finance. Both are out of control right now. I once saw a quote from Abraham Lincoln. "Do it now and then it's done."

I want more down time--more time to hike and be in the desert. I work online and a friend suggested I not turn my computer on during the weekend. I'm half way there and I hope, over the next year, that I can say I have 2 full days off to nurture my soul.

I'd like to spend less time staring at screens and more time exploring wherever I happen to be. This applies to both when at home and when traveling. I don't know how realistic this is, but I know I always feel happiest when I've spent time outdoors and/or in the company of friends. I'd also like to cook more meals at home with my husband, but not so much that I am always pining to eat out.

Out of debt, exercise regularly, lose 50 pounds. Healthier, happier!

I think that this past year was one of learning - professionally and personally. I want to deal with my medical and professional issues this year and to utilize the help I've gotten.

Get healthier - lose weight and get fit; get out of debt - stop shopping and start saving. The advise I am most cognizant of is coming from my husband so tells me he just worries about me and that he wants to have a long life with me. He is amazingly fit but who knows, one of us could get hit by a truck tomorrow!

Take action to improve home, self, etc. without waiting for help or the "perfect time". Make the best of things.

I want to be actively exercising and meditating a few times per week. Nothing drastic-- just slowly ease it into my schedule until it becomes part of my daily routine; much in the same way I'm working on my goal of better household organizational skills. It's been slow, I focus on a small part of the process and accomplish it daily. When it becomes a solid habit, I add another task. I've found that deciding that "starting tomorrow, I'm going to accomplish this or that" is self defeating. Tomorrow never seems to come, or I create such an overwhelming goal, I quit before I even try. Ahhh, advice and counsel. I think I have been my own counsel in many respects. Remembering, that if I let it, history will repeat itself. I repeat to myself, "if you want things to be different, you have to do them differently." Learning to let go of negative things that have happened in the past is difficult for me. Again, it's a lot of "self talk" that is getting me through. "The past is over, it's what I am going to do today or tomorrow that matters."

The year ahead of me is insanely packed with major life changes: having a baby, moving across the country, living near family after 12 years of not and my husband is starting medical school. I don't even know how to start answering this question. I think that what I need to continue is to keep things that make me worry off the table until they are actually on it. I've gotten good at that and it's really helped me stay present. I think I need to love my husband better, which is all-encompassing. More patience, better communication, more affection and expressed love. More compassion for his issues and his place in life. Overall, for this year, I'd like to craft a more positive outlook on what these changes will bring.

Just try, you will never know if you dont try first

Have faith in yourself, you are smarter than you have been made to believe. You can do anything you set your mind to.

This year's self-improvement goals are mostly physical - I want to get into an exercise program and establish a better diet so that in a year I will be much healthier and feel better overall. My advice? Just finally give in already, surrender to the schedule & do what I already know works for me! Most of all, get back into a daily yoga practice and add that to the mix because it's good on so many levels.

i'd like to be more accepting and less expecting.

Someone passed on to me Joseph Conrad's advice: "Facing it, always facing it, that's the way to get through. Face it."

Work towards interdependence, to move away from the cult of individuality towards being part of a community. Give back. Pay it forward. Feelings are transitory.

I would like to have my work/school set up such that it is possible for me to take two classes at once while still working (for the most part) full time. Right now I am taking just one class and it is getting difficult, but very rewarding. I think if I am living with my girlfriend it will be easier to spend time with her and build our relationship while still spending enough time studying and doing work.

"Decide what you want, decide what you're willing to exchange for it, establish your priorities, and get to work!" I'm not gonna wake up one morning and magically begin trusting my decisions and believing in myself. It's up to me to make an effort to trust myself and my judgments and to stop second guessing my decisions. It's the only way ill be able to relax, be happy, and enjoy my time. It will not happen if I don't make it happen. Also, to remember this : "peace comes from within, do not seek it without." To imprint this on my mind is key, it's the key to happiness and a better life.

Just yesterday I learned a lot about closed-mindedness. I met a little creature I named Drizzle. I didn't know what he was, I thought a lizard but a lizard is a reptile and a frog is not. When I was looking at him I kept thinking 'gosh, he looks so much like a frog but he's not a frog'. I was so closed minded. I used to think if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, then it must be a duck, right? Wrong. If it walks like a duck and talks like I duck, I now think it's a parrot. Not a cockatoo specifically because that would be to limit myself. Parrots are great mimickers, so it walked and talked like a duck but it is not at all a duck. Drizzle is shaped like a lizard and moves like a lizard but he is a salamander which is an amphibian which is why I kept equating him to a frog but I kept myself in a conforming little box. I reached a dead end at frog because I reverted to the preconception that because it is how it appeared, it must have been a lizard. I was wrong but I learned from it; I learned first hand that when you make assumptions... you really do make yourself look like an ass. From now on, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck... I don't think duck. I don't limit myself. I think parrot and narrow down from that wider point.

I would like to work on my career. I would like to be more respected in my field. And AGAIN my weight. I know that I can do it, I just need to work on willpower and find out what it holding me back.

"Write 200 words a day": the best advice I've not been able to take this year -- but next, that's definitely the goal.

It seems really trivial, but I would like to get neater and more organized in my home life (and maybe office too!!). I always thought when I became "an adult," the organizing/straightening/non-slobby self would suddenly appear...and she hasn't. I think I would feel better about my apartment if it felt more "grown up," and I think keeping it neat has a lot to do with that in my eyes. I did once hire a professional organizer (and might again), and her words that always do guide me when i go on fits of organizing is that: everything has a place. I am sure it is true in life. Now I need it to be true in my cluttered apartment.

Learn to slow down Increase my patience Give people the benefit of the doubt a bit more than I currently do.

I would like to deepen my meditation practice and begin applying it to daily situations I encounter with other people that might otherwise overwhelm me, put me on the defensive, feel conflictual, etc. Two pieces of advice I received are 1) my parents and children just want to be loved even though they are flawed and the same goes with me; 2) If I'd like to request God be compassionate with me, I too need to be compassionate towards others.

I would like to get rid of emotional and physical clutter. I would like to be convinced, in my heart, in my gut, that to get rid of things I no longer need, things that clutter my creative space and energy, is not the same as getting rid of the people who gave them to me, especially, those who have passed on. And I would like to accept that time passes and with it, things I could once do easily.

Be happier with my accomplishments. I set out to make varsity soccer, did just that. Now, I'm extremely angry, frusturated, and close to quitting because I rarely get to play, fairly or unfairly, and because we never win.

I would like to be more active. As a person with RA I have found it difficult, due to pain, to be as active as I would like. However, I feel better when I am active. So I need to just move.

I want to continue to remember that it's never as bad as you think it's going to be. It never ever is. Hardly ever, anyway.

I don't know. I just know that I desperately need to.

Take time with yourself and decisions. If you do not know the answer to a major decision, do not get frantic, be patient. Take things slow and be mindful. Slow down; do not act impulsively, do not act because you are afraid to just be still. Be still and be gentle with life and she will be gentle to you back. It is in the stillness, wisdom flow.

I am more fulfilled and balanced by this time next year, living my greatest truth..... The advice would be an object in motion stays in motion!

I would like to get healthier and more fit. I would like to work on my patience and my spirituality and I would like to include new friends and experiences in our life together. The best advice isstill "just do it" and don't say, do!

I'd like to work at being even more self-confident, and reducing a lot of the social anxieties that I feel. Once I'm in social situations it's always fine and usually fun, but for some reason I still always kind of dread it--it's just a visceral reaction I think I've trained myself into over the years, and I'd like to overcome that.

I want to be a healthier person. I want to exercise more, eat less junk food and more fruits and vegetables, and just generally be more aware of the needs of my body.

I would like to just do it. Just say yes to life and not hold back any longer, no matter the circumstances, to stop sitting around waiting for life to happen to me.

My life is so compartmentalized with work, family, and personal time coming in bits and pieces. I'd like to figure out a way to integrate as much as I can so that I don't feel torn in many different directions. I guess I'd like to find a way to pull the different threads of my life together so that they make a coherent pattern and that one color doesn't dominate.

Procrastinate less-get up and do it!

Engineer a life worth living where I am able to help others in need - across species.

Learning to be more tolerant of others, yet, keeping my own self respect and dignity and not letting others treat me disrespectfully. It would be nice if everyone would talk openly about any misunderstandings or confusion and not just blow up and insult people.

I want to be more active, but I feel like I'll be as active as I am now, which... I'm okay with AS LONG AS I'm happy with graphic design. I don't care if I'm not as in-shape if I love what I'm doing Also, I'd like to call friends more.

Eat better. Do your homework. Better care of the house. Better care of the husband. Do your job better.

I would like to be "accepting"; accepting what is going on now, accepting what is so. Accepting help, accepting people for who they are, accepting what I have and accepting who I am.

Health and wellbeing. Piece of advice: always take your medication and supplements. Always

I'm going to try to do the things that Erica says: * treat myself as an adult, not a wounded child; * assign myself a small but measureable goal for the AM & PM for tasks I'm avoiding, so I can keep moving on them and therefore disappoint myself less (and cause myself less anxiety) (also goes along with not reacting like a wounded child); * recognize when I'm reacting to something from my wounded places and step back; * have higher expectations for myself - which includes not expecting to disasppoint myself. Be proud of myself.

I would like to be more creative. Draw more. Express myself in a more creative way. Just do it it and not feel guilty.

I want to love deeper, have more compassion, and live from a deep place of forgiveness - for myself and everyone around me. The best advice I've heard is to simply embrace fear in all its many manifestations - fear of the unknown, change, rejection, limitations ...etc. I want to be more open to being brand new every day - to approaching the world with child like wonder and delight ...I feel I can only get there with deep love, deeper compassion, and deepest forgiveness.

I'd like to focus and succeed! I feel like sometimes I spread myself a little thin with all that I want to do, and I want to dive in on 2-3 things that compliment each other and give my all to them. A piece of advice I got was to do just this. To put myself into something 100%, and if I fail, I fail, but at least I will know if it was ever going to work or not.

Reward yourself for jobs well done. Also, I'd like to manage my money better. Try to boost your savings account that way when you're tired of paying rent, you can buy a home!

I would like to be able to make at least some money from writing, in addition to consistently moving up the chain in the traditional work mode. The only way to do that is to write, write and write some more, and I think that starting a blog in the Fall this year and committing to at least one new entry a week is a great way to stay sharp- even if nobody is reading it!

read previous question. these are kinda repetitive.

I want to continue to learn and grow and study, developing my thoughts and doing justice to myself in the work I produce. I want to be more whole and less anxious. I want to trust other people and improve my ability to commit myself to things and learn through them rather than holding back in silent fear and sorrow. Last year I cited a comment from a friend that commitment can end up committing one less than a lack thereof. I still think that's really important advice. I want to further improve my discipline in daily habits and in general be more focused.

"Let go and let God." It's really difficult, but I need to work on not trying to control everything and just letting go. Not everything is going to work out in the end, but I can't change that, necessarily, and I can't keep making myself crazy over things I can't do anything about.

I want to be more social - get involved and speak up.

Disciplined writing schedule. No more lies. Balanced work-live-love. Consistency. Embracing my desires and love without hesitation or fear. Tick tock (jm)

be brave take risks do it now and don't put it off don't be impulsive- think things threw but don't wait put out the energy you need to receive- give and you will get

Like many Americans, I need a decent-paying job -- just enough to feel more dignified and autonomous. Also my most recent relationship seemed to end prematurely, which left me sort of stunned. Yet I've learned to be more optimistic, and committed to personal integrity, instead of fatalistic. Nobody gave me that advice; it's just something I realized last year when things were wonderful and it has carried over to this time of loss.

Continue to be patient with my art, but don't be afraid to promote it. Never undersell yourself. Be a good listener. Stay positive.

I tend to have a lot of enthusiasm and make quick decisions. While this has been a part of personality that I value and has led to success, I would also like to find more balance in my actions, choices and general pace in life. I want to explore what it's like to go through life with measured thoughtfulness.

Finding balance in emotional responses. I am very passionate and fiercly loyal, inwardly. And normally I am very relaxed when it comes to handling things. Lately my patience has been feeling very... used and thin and someone recently said to me "You have to remember the big picture. Any single thing that happens that you have a reaction to... Remember to ask yourself: 'Will this matter in 5 years time?'" It has ALREADY made a huge difference for me.

I would really like to relax more this year. Let the chips fall. Walk on. If I cared less about what others thought about me, I imagine I'd be better equipped to deal with what really does matter. I admire a friend of mine who is a great influence on people across the globe through his positive social network. He just does his thing and isn't always checking his personality at the door. I long to be like that.

A piece of advice that I received this year includes "when you say yes to one thing, you say no to something else". I am using that advice wisely to think through decisions to be sure that what I am doing is really what I want and not something that I rushed into.

As I do each year, I hope to shed some self-destructive habits and gain a higher level of patience and serenity. Constantly beating myself up over small stuff is not helpful to my physical or emotional health. Since I know better, I hope to do better as well.

In the next year, I would like to actually make use of my gym membership and become more healthy. I'm tired of feeling weak and tired. I'd also like to continue last year's goal and become less meek. I feel like I've made strides to stand up for myself more, but I would like to feel bold and courageous.

I would like to lose weight and complete a sprint triathlon. I had hoped to do that this year but had underestimated my free time. Next year, I hope I can better juggle training and spending time with my family.

The problem I have with taking advice is that I think people are not right. They only speak from the mindset that has worked for them and not from a sure-fire way. I think in order to improve myself, I need to stop listening to ill-advice and just focus on my goals and achieve them my way.

I would like to be generally nicer to people and accept people more. A few close friends here and there have said I haven't been my warm, compassionate self ever since the passing of my father, but I hope to get back on my feet.

Move forward over the loss of only child. Get on with our lives and adjust. Yes we are getting good advice and counsel from Palliative Care and a pastor. " Remain patient with yourself and nurture yourself as you would a friend. Your grief is unique. " Unique is a key word. One realizes the shortness and mortality of life more. This leads to reevaluation of life and relationship with God and in my case becomes more reinforced that God is in control of our lives.

work on seeing the good and the positive in life. we can always dwell on what is hard, on what is missing, on what didn't happen. What about what did happen!! treat others how you want to be treated...

Help yourself. If you see a problem fix it, but don't hurt yourself. I would also like to be happy with myself and my body.

I want to be more honest. I want to compromise myself less. I want to quit repressing everything, if other people don't like me well they don't have to. I want to live. I'm going on vacation for the first time in years, this winter. And I want to enjoy every minute of it. That was my advice to myself, that it's my vacation and I can damn well enjoy it since it's the only one I'm getting. The best advice I've gotten in the past year was always from myself. If I don't talk, I don't know. If I don't be me, who will.

Stay in the moment! You cannot change the past and you have no control over the future. The only thing you can control is yourself, in this moment. Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone of us.

There is so much I want to change for the better, and the worst part is I know what I have to do, but somehow cannot seem to fit it in. I do not know how to fit music lessons or swimming into my new working mom schedule. I have tried for years to get better at remembering people's birthdays, at calling my family more often, posting pictures so they can know what is going on in my life despite the distance, and so I know what is going on in theirs. To no avail. I hope my friends and family know how much I love them despite that. As for advice, I should just start following my own: 1) If you don 't want to be a loser, stop behaving like one. 2) It's always worth the effort. 3) TV is the enemy.

I'd like to be self-propelled. I want to change things in my life, but not because outside pressure or society's varying "shoulds." I am who I am and my life is mine to live. I've allowed people into my life for far too long who dictate their version of who I should be to me.

Stay focused, do one thing at a time. Make a "to-do" list in the morning, share it with a friend and re-connect at the end of the day to share what you've accomplished.

Next year I will be going off to college and have to start fresh and make all new friends. I'm really nervous, but BBYO has taught me many things that will help me. I'm no longer afraid to go up to a group of strangers and talk to them. I love becoming involved in whatever I do, so hopefully this well help me next year when I embark on my collegiate journey.

Be money-wise. Don't spread yourself too thin on little things. Think of yourself, and don't feel bad about it. And take a chance at life, please. Don't over think your every decision!

I want to continue to improve my communication skills in my relationships and my abilities as a teacher. My guide will be "be honest with yourself".

I would like to be more calm & at peace . The advice that struck a cord was to always be aware that my ego was not part of the problem in any difficult situation

Carpe diem. Seize the day. Nothing will happen unless you make it happen. Go for it. Try new things. You only live once.

Proverbs 3:2-3 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge Him And He will make your paths straight. This is the only thing I can do with my kids, in my marriage, with our level of debt, in the face of 2012 which is to be worse than 2011, prophetically speaking, (John Paul Jackson, Rick Joyner, Chuck Pierce...) There is a shaking going on in the world and I must trust in Him, lean on Him, and acknowledge Him in all I do.

My patience could use a little bit of work and I really need to improve my punctuality. I've gotten a handful of helpful advice this year that I hope to never forget.

I would like to completely raise my confidence and self-esteem, and would like to be living a comfortable lifestyle. I want a job I can be happy in, and I want my relationship to be heading into it's third year. I want to improve my fitness and my appearance and have the definitive goal of possibly two holidays next year to aim towards. I need to become a better all-rounder. The only piece of advice I have is the same I've always used: "It's no use going back to yesterday as I was a different person then"

I would like to react to surprises better than I do now and I would like to be more considerate than I have been. When I make people feel better and not worse, I feel better too.

I'd like to learn to walk again after my surgery, and I want to STOP COMPARING MYSELF to other people at all times. Someone used the phrase "good enough." I'd like to believe I'm good enough, already!

I would like to become a little less self-centered without giving up on my desire for a greater spiritual side to me. I need to lower my chin to be closer to my heart and to speak with a softer voice. I have been told that I am not tuned to others feelings although that may be a reflection of what they are giving to me (the old tit for tat syndrom. The advice that I need to listen to is something that I have been hearing for years - learn to listen to others with my eyes. Look at people when they are trying to communicate. Then I will understand the communication because the mind will nut be cluttered with chatter.

I would like to be living a truly authentic life next year that would be comprised of the 5 elements that have been granted to me in a dream in 4 Oct 2011: 1) Lifestyle characterised by exercise, healthy eating, frequent massage, sleeping enough, expressing the artist within. 2) Spiritual writing starting a newsletter. 3) Photographer - producing photo books and DVDs. 4) Aerobics choreagraphy. 5) In a loving fulfilling relationship.

I must say, the quote from Rev. Andy Nixon, "God gives you, what other people pray for" is very profound with me right now. Since my Mom passed away I want to find a purpose for my life. This is a start.

I want to lose some weight. Being healthy is my goal.

I'd like to improve on how quickly I recognize when I'm seeing someone from a rational perspective versus an emotionally clouded perspective; seeing them for how they are, not how I am.

I would like to get some deeper relationships with people who make me laugh, but who are also serious and have much to offer. I have some excellent relationships now, with my family, but want to expand that just a little...one or two more people would be nice. The piece of counsel is "envy kills"...of course, I stopped being envious a long time ago, so I guess it's not even really relevant...

Don't shy away from things because they're new or different or you've never done them before. The piece of advice from before was "your not alone" and obviously there are a few billion people on this planet so I'm not but more your not the only one going through this. Also hard work pays off. And just try your best, that i think is the biggest, don't do something part way but put your heart into it.

I want to go to therapy to talk about the child abuse I have survived. I am a strong, successful woman. However, I look forward to more freedom from the past. I want to feel more comfortable receiving love and giving it without fear. My mentors and studies have helped me keep this dream alive and believe that although it will be challenging- it will be life-giving.

Stay active. Consistently! I like the Nike campaign that's out right now that says something like "Do it today because yesterday you said: tomorrow." I want to be more consistent on following through on the promises I make to myself.

I want to cherish my health and the health of my family by relishing every day and using my body to its fullest capacity through exercise.

I would like to finally be happy with my weight and have constant friends. A piece of advice from an important advisor told me that I am stronger than I think, and am more determined to achieve better.

The other day, I was rushing out the door in the morning and my Mum said "There's always another bus". I want to step back and not worry so much, about university applications, about exams, about deadlines... Often, when you do miss a bus, the next one that comes is emptier, so you can sit down and have a nicer journey. I think I need to slow down and realise that the most obvious, most immediate opportunity isn't necessarily the best one.

Love yourself first. Then all else follows. It's a simple as the golden rule and probably one of the hardest things to do, especially for women. It is not selfish, it is self empowering. And with that I can do anything.

I would like to be happier, healthier, and to figure out what it is that is holding me back so strongly from that happiness. My advice? Life is too short to not be happy. Jump, dive, take a chance. You deserve it.

I want to be a great wife and have a wonderful marriage :)

I want my confidence and feeling of self-worth to return. So much of my identity has been wrapped up in my identity as a student or in getting the perfect job or career...and now that I'm unemployed...I feel worthless. I think one piece of advice that resonates with me now is something that came up in a conversation with a friend. I was talking about how as a nanny now I will feel guilty when I have to leave to go take another job when I become gainfully employed (which will hopefully be soon). I feel guilty over everything, all of the time...it's my fault I lost the job, that we're poor, that our lives are this way, that I talk too much, think too much, I'm too emotional, I ask for too much...and my friend said: "Sometimes the decisions we make have a negative impact on other people. We try to avoid it, but sometimes it happens, and we do the best we can for ourselves." I have to let go of the blame and the guilt!

i would like to more fully enjoy the feeling of being young, healthy, powerful, able, and alive. i want to love and live fully and fearlessly.

I don't think that I care about others as much as I should. I want to emphasize with their troubles and understand what they're going through, and know exactly the right words to say to make them feel better. I guess this piece of advice is the most overused, but its true: "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you"

This year when I changed jobs I learned that some things i hoped would change changed and some things i hoped would change stayed the same. Sometimes when I want things to be different it is a reflection of truly not having the circumstances be a good fit. Other aspects of dissatisfaction are patterns in me, regardless of circumstances. I don't want to be someone who is always searching for something else. A new opportunity, a new way of life, a new city, new friends. While it is exciting to start fresh in this way, still some dissatisfaction/ challenges/ frustrations/ anxiety follows me. Those sticky feelings of sadness, insecurity, incompleteness, limitations, etc. are what I want to work on. I want to be happy, fulfilled, content and present in the life I am actually living. Not strategize ways to change my circumstances, dream about alternate realities or feel sorry for myself. One way I want to develop this aptitude is to pay closer attention to how I'm actually feeling in the moment and make however that is ok. Try not to be so controlling about avoiding negative/difficult/uncomfortable feelings. Some discomfort can be very helpful. I could also experiment with being slightly less compliant and focused on pleasing others. Another thing is not to have an outcome-oriented view of success and rather to define a good day based on my interior experience of the day.

I'd really like to get to grips with eating more of the "right" foods and less crap. I don't need any advice or counsel - I just need to fucking do it!

I want to lighten up. Waste of time, of life, to feel down and serious when with a little perspective I can see my life is sweet.

I just want to go full tilt in whatever I do--I want to get used up, not used. The best (10) piece(s) of advice I read last year was in "How to Steal Like an Artist" a blog entry by Austin Kleon. Find it, read it, apply it.

To not take things so personally. I work with kids every day and I am working to improve my relationship and I am a mom. All of these things come with moments where all I can think is, "where did I go wrong". I need to learn that it isn't always my fault and that these "criticisms" aren't always mine.

I want to observe my reactions instead of expressing them and also to try to understand and empathize with the person who is eliciting the reactin in me.

I would like to advance my skills and become established in my career, additionally, I am looki forward to getting married and investing more in our relationship.

I can do anything.

I want to lose those last 10 pounds, pay off my credit card debt and officially start my own business.

I would like to watch less TV, have more flexibility in my job, travel with my family, and enjoy life to the fullest. Winning a lottery would help immensely!

i'd like to be a healthier and kinder person. more exercise, less junk food eating. more reaching out to others, less judging. i want to worry less and stress less and appreciate each day and each opportunity.

Find full-time work. Don't be afraid to try something new.

Be more present with my children and husband; practice patient and gentle, aware parenting more consistently.

Dont think. Just try it. There is nothing to lose. and also, fall in love, regularly.(:

Again. Eat better and exercise more. Shop less. Keep being honest - I love that. Keep showing how smart I am. Be truly me.

Next year, I'd like to continue with the changes that I've tried to make this year ... which is to feel calm, have a positive outlook and find happiness in every day.

An ongoing goal for me is to score higher on the ACT. Between tutoring and practicing on my own, I think that I'm on my way. I hope that I'll be able to score at least a 32 by the time that I'm done- that will get me into the University of Michigan for sure. Scoring higher on the ACT is another big step toward being accepted into a great university.

Every year I say I would like to take better care of myself by exercing and I have not yet figured out how to follow through - walking home from work, walking up the stairs not using the elevator all last a bit and then fade. I hear one step at a time figuratively so maybe I will try that literally this year

Laugh more at work; reduce bouts of anger - as an early response; maintain resillience regardless of the obstacles

"Life is hard....so will your readings be in this class....get used to it....embrace it....challenge it....struggle to get through....and master it." - Dr. Offit, Baylor University

I need to exercise a lot more regularly including my stretching/Pilates routine. The advice is simple: "Just do it!"

I would like to be more decisive and have conviction in the decisions that I make. Not going back and doubting my instincts. This will help me to be more concrete in knowing what I want. I would like to push myself to achieve while remaining grounded, patient when needed and not being impulsive - understanding that success can take time. I would like to be more dependable. If I say I will be somewhere at a time then I'm there. Or if I say I will do something, I do it. Its often those closest to me that Im ok in being late for or disappointing, cancelling arrangements. I'd like to have stopped this by this time next year.

I want to be able to make decisions for myself without consulting others. Almost every major decision I've made thus far was based partially on the advice of others. I need to lose the fear of making the wrong choice on my own, and just let myself do the thinking rather than ask others to do it for me.

so i was just at the apple store (remember that week when the computer died, i had my first midterm and i was working on getting all the proposals done?) and the dude who was checking me out was this middle aged fella who'd just completed his masters. when he found out i was taking chemistry with the interest in pursuing medicine he was enthused. as i was leaving he said "remember, during those long nights, when you think you can't go on and you don't understand the point, that one day you'll be a gp doing something amazing" . so that's my encouragement, whether it's for medicine or something else. you'll always have moments where you are at your limit, when you think you can't do it. and if you relax and allow the moment to pass, you'll realize that those are just sign posts along the way, telling you to take a rest and then keep going.

I feel as if I have to keep being the way I am; got to be myself more perfectly.

I would like to demonstrate more serenity and confidence. I would like to complete 1 personal project every month.

Oh, I have a lot of things in mind. First off, I want to improve my artistic skills and work hard enough at it to develop a fantastic portfolio. I want to advance myself in my field of work. I haven't worked on a portfolio since college; it was great then, but 20 years later my skills have become rusty. Another important goal of mine is to be in the best physical shape I've been in my life. I say this to myself every year but now I have real goals that I have set up and want to check off as I go along. I'm already feeling much stronger and healthier than I've been in years. And of course I want to improve my communication with my husband, so we can learn how to love each other even more.

I would like to become more active in the coming year. I have isolated myself too much and nee to find outlets (volunteering, pursuing my genealogy into a business, etc) so I have more contact with people on a regular basis.

I want to implement and improve on the things I've learned this year: on cutting away extraneous obligations; of finding an angle that lets me be excited about the things I've chosen to do, so that in pursuing them I'm always chasing something personally meaningful. The advice, I guess, is to look at what has worked and do that. Write the day's goals on a notecard and check them off as they are accomplished; have tasks that are specific and finite; have something to look forward to every day or so that's not about work. These tricks have served me in the last few weeks the way nothing really has in the last decade. Refine this and keep at it.

Have more adventures in my life. Travel in different circles than the ones now.

I want to be fitter, and have a more positive outlook. I want to exercise for at least an hour a day, keep my gratitude journal going, and pursue altruism.

I'd like to feel more content more often. I don't want to constantly feel like I need to change everything. Things are really good and I don't focus on them enough.

School comes first, then social life. Don't Loren to your parents, try don't love inside your head. They want to do what "best" for ou but they dOnt think of wht ou have to do. I want to have more freedoms and getgood grade and lean how to organize my time better so that I will be able to do all activitie that I want.

Smile. No matter what may be going on- this too shall pass. And appreciate the good times- this too shall pass. Only rainbows after rain, the sun will always come again :)

Go right to the things you want, because you can. Stop doing bad things to yourself,go for it!!!

I would like myself to really understand it's going to be alright your not a looser they don't hate you your wonderful and who gives a $&@-; what they think Guidance ---you give them more power than they deserve the snotty ones are snotty stupid undernearth their behavior is incompetence which is why they act that way they dont want you to see their incompetence

I would like to figure out what I am passionate about and go for it. The work I did in Leadership class at NCJW especially last homework about what I enjoy doing and not pointed me in some direction. I would like to do some writing and need to get back to writing morning papers again.

I would like to be healthier in body (more toned, more energy) and spirit (less emotional, more assertive). In the past year I've realised that not everything lasts forever... and that's ok. All you can do is live in the moment/day/week and deal with small things.

Simplify -- pare down, scale down, dial back, both in 'stuff' and in 'activity'. Become a better Hebrew speaker, and a better citizen of the Jewish & larger world/s.

I would like to get back on my feet financially. I would like to go to temple and be more active in the synagogue. I think these things will help me even out and appreciate what I have instead of what I am suddenly lacking. As my rabbi suggests: "Divert Daily, Withdraw Weekly, Abandon Annually."

This coming year I’d like to really put all of my energy into building strong and healthy relationships with my friends and family. I don’t think I’ve had any one chime in on that with any advice other than to do it and let things be what they are meant to be. Patience and letting go are big challenges for me so I’m trying to keep that in mind.

By taking better care of myself,mind,body and health starting with health,empowering myself more,taking more risks and chances,overcoming all my fears.Listen more,actually hear what the inner me and those around me are saying.Trust my knowing more.

l would like to improve my listening skills. i'd like to be a better listener instead of popping in right away with what Ithink is important.

Whenever I feel afraid, I want to be able to count on my ability to handle the situation. I want to be more confident to better help both me and those around me, by being able to make difficult choices with a measure of certainty.

I'd like to be calmer and more organized and have lots less stress - whether from outside or self-created. I'm constantly reading advice pieces but they only seem to inspire me for a short time after reading them. The trick will be to actually carry all that knowledge forward and actually follow all that great advice.

I want to be better mom. I want to be financially independant. I want to have my own place again-- just me and my daughter. All of this is possible. Done within a year's time? Maybe. I know now it is okay to dream. That YES, everything WILL change - at some point. And YES it is STILL okay to wait a bit longer...

I would like to lose 50lbs and keep it off. I didn't get any advice that could guide me. Just have to find some willpower.

I need better friends. No good advice from them. I can't say what I want, but my life must change. I am deeply unhappy.

Don't get so caught up in YOURSELF! "If you have learned much Torah, do not pride yourself in it, for this is the purpose for which you were created." Remember that people are more important than halacha.

I would like to be more in the moment. To be present. "Wherever you go, there you are."

I would like to learn more about romantic love. I have wonderful relationships with my friends and family, and I'm passionate about my work and hobbies. I feel love everyday. However, I've never really been involved in a lasting relationship with a man. Sometimes it's them, sometimes it's me. The bottom line is that I am always scared, always packing my bags even if they break it off first. I'm often relieved when the end it because it means that feeling deep down in the pit of my stomach will go away. Men scare the shit out of me. There are, though, so many wonderful things happeining in my life and I find myself wanting someone to share it with more and more. Being sassy and single isn't bad, and I don't suffer from Bridget Jones syndrome. Maybe I like it too much and can't imagine giving it up. I'm ready, now, to give it up for at least a little while. The only advice I've been given came through yoga. Open your heart. Open your heart. Open it even if you risk pain. A sterile life, in any area, is a wasted life.

In the year to come I would like to have the ability to think positive most of the time, if not all the time. I think it would really improve my outlook on the world during difficult times, make me happier, help me achieve my goals, and help me to uplift others in the process. A piece of advice that helped me would to take the negative thought I thought, and label it (i.e. worry or bullying) and then discard it and replace it with something that is the opposite (more positive) or something that I would like in it's place. Thoughts become things!

Develop your practice - whatever it is - yoga, meditation, whatever, just do it regularly, a little each day.

my sister showed me this year that i have been expressing my jewish identity sometimes in a negative way that is unaccepting and very hypocritical. it was really hard to accept this as it undermined my beliefs a lot, but i am so glad she said something, as i want to change it about myself a lot! i hope i have made some good changes already.

I had a conversation that made me feel quite emotional with my dad this year. He's always said that I'm quite smart, but I never truly believe him, even when I think I do. I try to convince myself of this, but I don't at all fit my own criteria for what makes a smart person. Since he does fit those criteria, I do take his word for it. My dad is the most amazing person I know, hands down. He had a rough childhood, & I always wondered how he turned out so wonderful despite a hard upbringing & thousands more hardships that I probably don't even know about. I more or less asked him this at lunch one day, & he said that he believes he has a responsibility (as a person who is intelligent) to help other people. I've more or less gleaned this from him in other ways, but that was the first time I ever heard him say it in those terms. I keep thinking of that idea of responsibility & feel ashamed about how materialistic & simple I am with things. I don't work hard at much of anything, much less for others' benefit. I would like to be closer to the kind of person he is, & to accept the terms of this responsilibty he described fully.

I would just like to continue to live in the NOW. I want to enjoy the young month's of my child's life, and I want to savor every moment I have with Jordan. I want to continue to thrive in school, and be happy in my day to day life. I guess I've recieved a whole ton of advice since I've become pregnant, but something that stuck with me is this; Don't lose your friends. Keep people close to you who are there to support and help you. Don't shut them out because you think you have no time since the baby. And I plan on heading this advice.

Always try to get better at whatever I do, but probably most regarding my health and internet use. Constant studying of writers such as Joel Osteen, Wayne Dyer and Mike Dooley have helped so much.

I would like to stop feeling guilty that I am not superwoman. I want to accept that my house is messy, my books pile up, my sewing happens on two levels of the house and that this is OKAY.

HARD WORK: I'd like to remember that you have to WORK hard to get smart. I need to remember that any real accomplishment requires hard work and the nitty gritty. There are no shortcuts and no weaselling out of it. BALANCE: And that the most important thing is to strike a balance. Not to reject people or to become so attached that I can get taken advantage of or hurt. CHOICE: Everything I do is a CHOICE. A choice to succeed or to fail. A choice to do something worthwhile or a choice to fritter away my time.

"Create" is my word for the year...my word for living. I can create with my hands, my heart, my smile. I can create and art project, I can create a clean bathroom, I can create a home I love coming home to. Create is a verb...a doing...

i would really like to be less affected by others and their actions. i am very sensitive to other people and i wish i wasnt.

I believe I have been told that I need to learn patience. I believe I have been told even more often that I need to practice tolerance. I think I often lose site of these as motivational factors and use them as excuses not to get out of the house and get moving on days when I feel lonely, lazy, inconsequential or frightened. I have been working on this for a long time. I wonder what I can do that will actually provide the proper incentive to get going....every single day.

speak my voice, my truth, respect my own feelings and thoughts. allow my self to express my thoughts and feelings. act on my desires positive aggression.

i would like to work on my assertiveness. a guding piece of advice is simply to follow what my heart feels and what interests me and to let that carry me

Well the quote that has kinda been stuck in my head is from Wicked: "Fieryo- I can tell you this, she doesn't give a hoot about what people think about her." "Glinda-Of course she does, she just pretends not to" I don't know why it is stuck in my head and I don't know how it will help me improve myself in any way but you never know what might happen in the future, maybe it will come in handy. :)

Try new things, and know that success owes just as much to random chance as anything else! When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on Earth. So what the hell, leap! -Peter McWilliams

I want to develop deeper relationships with friends. I am such a hermit that I really don't have many friends. I really would like to find and nurture more meaningful relationships with other women.

I really need to stop hating on myself. Morbid self-doubt plagues me even in my reflections on small conversations. I don't have a sense of balance between the necessary form of egoism that would allow me to believe that my actions matter, and the destructive form of egoism that attributes a false sense of importance to my words and deeds. I'm afraid this is genetic. I've heard my son talk about how self-recrimination keeps him awake at night. How can I talk back to the voice of fundamentalist superego left over from childhood? This voice tells me that no matter what I do I'm doomed until I adopt the "Right" set of beliefs and actions. But there's no room for life in the ideology that yells at me from the past. I don't know how to shake it. I tell myself, "I love you," but my self doesn't listen. I guess the piece of advice I'd like to give myself is, go ahead and listen to the superego. Acknowledge her. Then tell her that she's wrong, and refuse to let her voice influence my actions.

I would like to be more open minded. Sometimes I can be a little stubborn and I don't want to miss something because I was too hard headed to consider it. Having an open mind is very important in my opinion.

i would like to come to terms with my self. not myself, but my self. as of right now i'm having identity issues, i feel as if i'm a nameless, blank spirit floating in a sea of self-assured happy spirits. i don't even know my own name anymore. i used to be so comfortable with the concept of myself, who i was/am/will be, but now it feels like i can't find my self.

ANSWER THE CALL TO GREATNESS! I'm knowing that Spirit leads me in the right directions -- and I follow the lead!

I would love to find contentment in all that I do, and beyond that, joy and inspiration. I want to be more active in my relationships (friendships, familial, romantic, all) - keep them alive and interesting. It's hard for me to devote time and energy to this despite how much I value a great connection. I want to regain and maintain a healthy lifestyle - weight, nutriment, and sleep. Most importantly, and unfortunately the one I find most difficult, is to build a relationship wit my mother. Someone (sister, Marco, someone else maybe) told me I will regret not trying...and it's true. I don't want to have any regrets in life, least of all a regret of not trying to have a relationship with my own parent. I would like to be more selfless and open and willing to give to her and to our feeble connection.

I would like to waste less time - I'm writing question 7 on day 8 and Steve Jobs has just died - I've just watched his Stanford commencement address from 2005 and I believe there to be counsel there.

I would like to be more humble and approach life with a deeper perspective on the fleeting nature of this existence. Not take things for granted and not be petty or greedy about this time we have. I would also like to think about what a friend said - that hope is akin to fear. Where do I hold on? Where do I need to let go? I want to be aware of my own short fuse, or over reactive nature sometimes. To think about who I want to be for my children when I have them. I also want to think about how I sometimes get overwhelmed by decisions and pay close attention to what unbalances me and why.

I want to display to other people the confidence I feel in my on abilities. I do beleive that I am a skilled, clever, wise individual. My failing comes when talking to people in a conversational manner. I get tounge tied and embarrassed and I never know why it happens. I particulaly bad in one on one situations where I get nervous and my mind goes blank. I am not sure where this insecurity comes from when I truely like the person that I am. I would like to work on this as a way of improving my life for next year. Also, I would like to maintain the healthy eating and exercise regime I have embarked upon. I cant think of any advice or counsel I have received personally that could guide me however I have a friend who is a pyschologist who talks alot about 'exposure therapy'and I think that it may be useful in this instance. I should put myself in thoses one on one situations more often and see if that helps alleviate the anxiety that leads to my 'word salad' and 'mind blankness'

HAPPINESS. "Enough is enough." "You're beautiful despite what the world thinks. Don't forget that." "Stay strong."

"if you could be anyone in the world, be yourself" i would want to focus on me.

Less distraction. Less time on the Internet doing this kind of crap, on FB, watching movies and TV shows. It will happen by necessity, but I have to get more efficient in my work or I will drown in it.

I always think of the saying that my former mother in law told me and it applies every year to all situations and I am always trying to better work the advice. If you and your spouse get in an argument...consider "sleeping on it" and waiting until you can deal with it in a sane and thoughtful manner. You always hear all the love songs say that they would argue all night about it till it was solved. I realized that is not the best way to handle not just tense moments with a loved one but also great ideas, purchases, and best intentions. When in the moment with that argument, purchase, or idea get some sleep on it, think about the actions you want to take and all the considerations that may affect others and yourself. This piece of advice has made my life a lot less stressful and moments full of quality and love.

I would like to slow down long enough to ascertain whether the direction my life is going is a good one. That takes time. I need to adjust to a new job, new home, new relationship and new lease on life. If I break the newness into pieces, I can see that the job is challenging, but amazing, the house is tiny, but homey, and the relationship offers me so much of what I seek and some concerns about the struggles of the future. I know I'm happy and that's getting me pretty far. Not euphoric, but content. I haven't felt content in a long time.

you don't need to improve anything. just inhabit what you already are and the path on which you proceed.

I would like to pare down my belongings and simplify my life. I often buy books and never get around to reading them. I subscribe to dozens of magazines and barely have time to look through all of them. I want to stop doing that. I have seen those episodes of Hoarders and I don't want to be that!

Clarity, Joy. I need balance. I think this year, I need to carve out my own way of being--of operating--that is independent and resourceful. I actually spoke with my mother today because my soul hurts---she is a great sage--truly--as cooky as she can be, she is the best life advice sounding board. My soul hurt because I did something that was hurtful to myself, to a friend and his girlfriend. And aside from improving my productivity professionally, I want to be a more moral person. To set boundaries and keep them. I think some reflection would be good. I want to be A-type and reflective. Can we do that?

Happiness is the most important thing. Although things get in the way and muddle up your mind, the result should be happiness. A balance between give and take.

The courage to love is what heals us. I think Bernie Siegal said this in one of his books, and it was recently mentioned in another book I'm reading. I want to be courageous in my parenting and my partnering and try to lead with love.

I'd like to be more confident about my career. Trust yourself.

One thing I've been learning a lot about through my job actually is the importance and benefits of being mindful and self-aware. It's something I've been working on for the past few months, and is much more of a struggle than I would have realized. I feel like I'm getting the self-aware as far as my thoughts go part pretty down. Though, when it comes to awareness of my body, I feel like that is still not there. And I guess advice for that--mindfulness is not easy at all, and it takes practice. So, I will keep that in mind and understand that it won't happen overnight, and that it will have to be something I'll continue practicing and working on.

I would like to complete the projects I have started recently to improve myself. The highest level of my self-improvement is to focus and complete projects to the best of my ability. I have often started projects but rarely complete them. Using the different blogs I follow and taking their advice and Incorporated them into my life slowly should help me on my path of improvement.

Become a better rider and a better writer. Give my family, home, and animals the fair attention they deserve...

Need to get in better shape. Why not become a runner. The time is now.

"Live every day like it's your last." In the past I would say 99% hell yes. Now, I am confident in saying 50% hell yes, and being content at other times.

Talk less, Listen more!

I'd like to let go of petty complaints and be at peace with myself and the world around me. Advice from Rumi is: When you lose all sense of self the bonds of a thousand chains will vanish. Lose yourself completely. Return to the root of the root of your own soul.~Rumi

The best advice I have received all my life in so many ways is simply that love has power that no other power can match. I want to be more loving. I dont think any of us loves in every oportunity there is to love. I think I get carried away by being busy or tired and forget to be loving.

I want to get back in the gym and feel more confident about myself. I love me. But I also loved me more when I was healthier. I'm doing this for me. I want to feel better. Of course I want to look better but really it's about feeling better.

I want to be stronger.

Let it go, and stop apologizing. Be who I am. Remember that I am worth being heard and people will listen.

Number one, commit to getting back in shape and active again. Number two, chill the hell out more and let more little unimportant things go in the pursuit of bigger and better things.

Basically the same as question 6.

I want to volunteer more. My youngest will be leaving for college next fall and I need to get involved in the world instead of just my kids.

I want to be better at living presently, at enjoying the space of presence and where my life is instead of always thinking about next year and the next phase. It is hard becuase my partner is always looking ahead and sometimes that changes my focus. It's really true though, like the Ram Dass book, we need to BE HERE NOW. I find this harder and harder as I get older.

I would like to be more conscious and aware. I would like to be more technically adept. I would like to be able to say No more.

I would like to learn to dance

Stop procrastinating. It caused my failure in the past, and I won't let it get the better of me again.

I want to be a better listener. Usually when I talk to others I concentrate more on what I am saying than what the other person is saying. This makes it especially hard to have a meaningful conversation. Some of my friends have told me this and I hope I can follow their advice. It will make me a better person and more respected by others.

I would like to be healthier and get my health under control. I am so tired of being sick all the time and it's the right moment to take action. A good piece of advice was from my mother in law who told me it was time to decide to get better. I never thought I had a choice but the words are empowering when I thought I had no power.

I would like to be more content and grateful in the year ahead. Gratitude is so often just out of my reach. I focus on what is incomplete, unattained, unrealized. But the reality of my life is that i am incredibly lucky, and have so much that is good in my life.

My Sister-by-Heart shared a quote by Abraham Lincoln with me: "If you look for the bad in people, expecting to find it, you surely will." It's so true!! I'm going to do my best to concentrate on the GOOD in people. (I would also love to lose more weight and stop smoking...)

-I would like to become more actively involved in my community. This can be accomplished by increasing the time I volunteer and participating in the political process of local issues. -I would like to start a blog on-line. I have been avoiding taking the risk of expressing myself for too long. -I would like to take a course to help improve my public speaking - -I would like to actively pursue employment - enough of being discouraged and giving up too soon. - I would like to be more engaged in my gardening. -I would like to improve my eating habits - keeping kosher - no shrimp or crab or excessive consumption. -I would like to improve my relationship with my mother - she is 81 now. -I want to play more with Shasta and Beau Jackson - the two cats who allow me to live with them. Spiritually, I would like to find myself, again. One good piece of advice I received this last year was "treat food as a source of energy, not comfort". I would like to be able to be a better listener. "If you know better, you do better" (Unknown).

One of the answers that scrolled by talked about wanting to appreciate "enough" - the fact that the house is clean enough, I am enough... I read a story this year about a family that wished each other enough upon leave taking for what might be the last time - enough love, enough health, enough... I think I'd like to know "enough"...love "enough"...be..."enough"...

I would like to achieve my ideal weight and to settle into an exercise regimen that is satisfying and effective. I have lost 14 lbs over the course of this summer, and would like to see 20-22 more go. I would like a rhythm to my days that works for me, as opposed to one that is imposed by the requirements of an employer or someone else. And I need more routines that serve me well. FlyLady has been a great help this summer, showing me how to keep my stairs and kitchen counters clear. With her inspiration I have been able to devise routines that work for me and feel comfortable. When I try to do this in other areas of my life, though, I chafe at what feels like imposed and confining structures.

I would like to do more exercise - it is time I started taking care of my body. When Eddie Izzard ran a series of marathons almost every day for well over a month, he said he'd learnt that you need to "Use it or lose it." I don't want to lose it. I need to stop making excuses, and just use it.

I've been advised to slow down and not plan as much. I am really working on this and it is quite difficult for me.

I'd like to be more passion filled, for life, love, career and just general vigor and ecstastic intoxication. Two pieces of advice I think particularly struck me are, 1) whenever someone does something it's about them, not you. And 2) "never make predictions, especially about the future." - Casey Stengel. Not to say don't plan or daydream, but I guess know everything is changeable, and that much is out of my control and I just have to be okay with that and be as happy as I can be with what I can control.

There's a lot of self-improvement to be done for myself. I'm very much in the midst of a lot of internal and external turmoil. My health will be an ongoing thing for who knows how long. I'm on somewhat of a road to recovery. In the last year or so my world has really been pretty traumatic. I've been dealing with a lot of loss and a lot of physical things. I can only hope to go up from where I'm at now, in terms of health and well-being. I've received a lot of counsel and advice over this last year. The things that stick with me have to do with living life and trying to enjoy it as much as you can. I'm trying my best to make it through the things I'm dealing with and getting to those things. Sometimes you have to work before you can play though. There's a lot of work to be done on myself. I'll take it all as it comes though and deal with it in kind.

I want to finish my house . I know it takes upkeep, but I want to get it to the point where I am happy to have people over, even if someone shows up unexpected. I want the ease it would provide, and to feel free to pursue other interests and activities without feeling guilty that I had so many chores to do.

I would like to be more consistent about eating well and exercising. Hopefully I will be happier with myself and my body by that point. I'd like to continue endurance running, maybe another marathon, but definitely a half. "If you want something you've never had, then you've got to do something you've never done before." "Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going!" "No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everyone on the couch." "Someone who is busier than you is running right now."

I am desperate to improve my self care, including weight, exercise, diet. I sometimes feel so old in my overweight body and don't want my children to grow up without a mother. I see my parents and in laws and know what I don't want, but I need to make efforts to feel and be what I DO want. I am hoping that the heatlhy co worker I sit next to will help to inspire me to eat better, exercise more and be better and more aware of my health.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Know what matters, and know that what matters is family, laughter, kindness, fun, quiet time, serenity, contentment, hockey, friends, spirituality, books, learning, growing.

Continuing my journey of self education and continuously being open to new ideas and alternative opinions. In the past 3 years I feel like I've learned more about the way the world operates than in the previous 22 combined. Being curious and passionate will take me a long way and I continue to pursue those ideals.

I want to be more confident around people I don't know very well and become better at connecting and becoming friends with them. I feel like I've branched out from my old crew, but honestly, this year isn't turning out like I thought it would socially. By this time next year, I want people to know who I am, because I made a lasting, good impression on them. This is extremely important to me, because I've learned that change on the outside means nothing, even if it's for the best, if one doesn't change for the better on the inside. Right now, I feel forgettable and insignificant. I don't want my life to be like that. There is a famous quote that says, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I want to make that change by being that change, by being unique. I want to put my true self out there without worrying, and be remembered for it.

I would like to improve myself by judging people a lot less than i do. I feel that this trait would improve my outlook on life, would make my life a lot simpler and full of true friends. The main piece of advice that guided me was one i recieve from a good friend of mine, Ben. One day he thought i was being kinda bitchy and hes like, "just be happy, smile, and dont worry about what other people do!" and so i did, and it helped! from then on i truly believe that i could go on living life without judging people.. i just havent gotten myself used to it yet. but i want to , over the next year.

I would like to be more balanced and reduce the amount of stress I have associated with being unfocused. I will use tools to bring myself back to the present regularly and deepen my ability to ground myself and come from my heart/spirit.

I would like to have an easier time letting go of anger - both anger directed at others and at myself. I'm going to tell myself, 'I'm on my side' and breathe and not let other people use my energy.

Stop smoking.

I would like to be better at time management, and I would like to be in love. The past year, I heard a lot, "Just do what you want." I've really taken that to heart in regards to my actions, what I say, and even how I dress. It's actually helped my self esteem a lot, just to think that whatever comes out of you is 100% you, and if people don't like it then it doesn't matter.

Enjoy what I have. Delight in the everyday. Stop thinking that life is such a big fucking deal.

Keep going. Stay motivated. Develop a personal mantra to say every morning. Be fit. Be healthy. Be reliable. Find the fun. Find the change. Be efficient. Think. Laugh. Be brave.

I am trying to grow more spiritually with Jesus. I have a great pastor that has taught me so many things about myself and about Jesus and the way Jesus loves me. There is so much peace knowing that God has your back in good times and in times of crises.

I would like to be calmer with my family -- enjoy them more (especially GG), roll my eyes less (especially Mom). Advice to guide me: "stupid and cheerful."

I want to learn to prioritise, at work and in life itself. I want to be able to have time off and peace of mind. But I would also like to take chances and be bold. Advice: Sometimes you need to learn to say stop and figure out what is important.

I've been learning more about healthy living, & I want to try harder - not just think or talk about trying harder. I want to eat well, move more, feel comfortable in my body. This doesn't mean losing 40 pounds, necessarily (though it does mean not *(gaining* them), but it means treating my body as the gift it is. I won't get another one, so it's time to start being good to the one I've got. I'm abused it for far too long.

I want to learn how to deal with the demands of the big city and the working world, and still nourish and enjoy a good romantic relationship - with myself, with my lover, with the world and the One.

I would like to let go of my "should dos." If I'm only doing something because "I should" and not because "it's right" or "I want to," that activity won't be rewarding. I would like to find compelling reasons for my choices, independent of what others may think. This includes saying no when someone else gives me a "should do" that I'm not interested in, like "It's nice out - you should go sit outside!" It's better to give an honest reason why I don't take a suggestion, instead of doing it and feeling resentful that I didn't make my own choice.

Leonard Cohen line : Maybe the goal isn't to fulfill your mandate but to stand guiltlessly in your circumstance". If I figure out how to balance that with ambition and desires, then I'd be pretty stoked. Live my love. be generous with myself. make people happy with themselves, bc i can

I just want to do things. Not think about them, wish I could do them, wish I was the kind of person who did them, wish I'd done them in the past - but just do them. Action. Dan said something that really resonated with me on this front. He said: Dusty wanted to open a bar, so he opened a bar, and now he's a successful bar owner. Right. Done and done.

The Best is the enemy of the Good. I don't have to look at every.single.option. and compare to find the absolute perfect one for me. Something else will always show up that's better, or even if you pick something that is the best option for you, something else will always have an aspect that you prefer. This will only set me up for being unhappy. I want to be decisive.

By next year I want to have a new set of personal goals clearly defined, in place and fully involved in it. This will include my personal goals for meditation, yoga and readings as well as professional and community activity. The useful advice I received is that I can create the life I want to live starting with the words I speak about my thoughts and actions.

I'd like to work on my work ethic toward uni; I want to stop doing entire essays the day before/the day that they're due, rather, I want to have them done a few days in advance at least, or only be adding finishing touches. I also want to work on accepting my body, and perhaps reducing my caffeine and sugar intake. I'd like to be able to go days/weeks without consuming very much sugar or caffeine, and instead consume healthy meals of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and tofu.

Just sit tight and wait. You can't force life to happen in a given time or space. Give up so much control (or the impression that you have so much control). Allow others to be, and to be... myself.

I would like to be more conscious of being grateful for the small things in life. I think I generally do have a constant awareness of gratitude but sometimes I forget.

Be happier. Exercise releases endorphins that make you happy. Smile. Breathe. It's not the end of the world.

I hope to live my life in such a way that it enables me to be more patient. As is, I have too much stress and too little time for myself. This drains me and doesn't allow me to be my best self when interacting with my mom, my boyfriend and others. I want to enable a life and a schedule for myself that helps me to feel calmer, which will give me the energy to be more open and patient in life. I hope the more I can practice being open and patient the more naturally it will come over time.

I would like to learn how to maintain a balanced life, which I think means an active life. I am doing well so far, but I would like to improve by learning how to tend to the details like mail, calling people like my financial advisor and friends, etc. How do I create a system for that? I also want to maintain my momentum with school and exercise because I feel better when I do it.

I know I've said this for the past two 10Qs, but I would like to finally lose some weight. Real weigh, like 20-30 pounds. Finally get me out of "mildly obese category" and into the "slightly overweight" category.

No longer step over when I'm being lied to, like I did with my wife for so many years. And no longer step over who I am and what I am truly capable of.

I would like to challenge myself to give more (whether it's time, money, food, gifts, words, whatever), to always consider opportunities, to not be afraid of taking risks. You only live in your twenties once, and there is such a small chunk of your life where you're young, married, no kids, working and motivated. Make the most of it. Don't let it pass you by.

I want to be more organized and focused so that I can put my creative talents to use while still getting the essential house and personal work done, start/run a business, continue to work out and improve my body, clear out more and more clutter, and fall (rise) in love.

I would like to continue my weight loss program, hopefully by next year. I would also like to continue completing started projects that never seem to get finished. My goal to improve myself is going on now, with hopes and resolution to complete my goals by next year.

Everyone is always telling me, "Don't be so hard on yourself." I don't really know how to do that without sacrificing my drive to constantly do more, learn more, be more. That's a balance that I hope to find in all areas of life.

BE DISCIPLINED! My biggest lack in moving forward is a lack of discipline. Whether it's not practicing guitar, Japanese or jogging.

If you want to have a friend, be a friend." That includes to myself, I guess.

1. Just do it. There's never a better time than now. Chances are you're not going to want to do it tomorrow anyways. 2. "Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will life its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Albert Einstein 3. And it makes no difference whether he is young in years or youthful in character; the deficit does not depend on time, but on his living. 4. "He must study the present in light of the past for the purposes of the future." - John Maynard Keynes 5. "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." - Steve Jobs 6. "Philosophers are men of speculation whose trade it is not to do anything, but to observe everything." -Adam Smith 7. You are only as happy as you allow yourself to be.

I would like to take better care of my body; eat better, exercise and not fall off the wagon which I feel I do too easily. I would like to have better relationships with everyone who is important to me. My summer program really taught me to be open and honest with everyone in a whole new way and I hope I can bring that openess to all who I love. To not be afraid to say "I'm sorry" and "I love you" frequently and with meaning.

My husband's mother, who I never refer to as mother-in-law because she means so much to me, told me to look in the mirror and SEE how beautiful I am. I do this daily. I hope by next year I'll be able to see the beauty that she sees.

i'd like to improve my life by finding a guy that isn't messed up. i also want to be more sure of what i want

The tattoo I got in my dad's memory says "fearless" in his handwriting - I'd like to be more fearless. Take more chances. Just see what happens. Life is too short to be SAFE all the time.

"On the one hand, the entire universe was created for me. On the other hand, I am nothing but dust and ashes". The Baal Shem Tov

I'd like to keep my sense of entitlement in check. This is kind of an abstract goal, but with success comes a feeling that I deserve certain things, and one thing I've seen is how tenuous all those things truly are. I need to be more humble.

Just write something!

I would like to be studying for an M.Div., acting out of the assured sense people really do see me and that I am worthy.

I want to take time to really be with my children when I am with them - without the distraction of email, phone, etc. I want to try to do more to help others in need - maybe engage in a volunteer experience with my children - it would be a meaningful way to share time as a family.

It's an ongoing piece of advice - run it like a marathon. It's also some self-counsel, I biked from my home in Venice to Bacara, just north of Santa Barbara, a total of 112 miles in one day. My only goal was to get there and, as such, I just rode at a pace that I knew I could manage. I was not in a hurry nor did I dawdle, I'd like to bring that spirit into all that I do.

"Fuck Fear. I rock on purpose all the time." - Amanda Palmer I want to live every day like I have never lived before. Realise my dreams, stop holding back and just go for it.

worker harder! Read more, one book per month is my goal. That's a tall order.

I think I'd like to handle stress better. I often crumbled under it this year and it was like my better self was watching a movie of this present self and wasn't pleased with what she saw. Revisiting old friends also made me revisit parts of my younger self that actually got it better than me, 10 years later. Breathing is probably key. And forgiveness.

Balance, balance, balance.

Becoming a healthier person both physically and mentally has been an organic process. I would like to take this challenge to the next level. I want to become more physically active and channel my energy in a positive way to also get an emotional benefit out of it. Advice: slow and steady my love; that's how we'll get there.

I want to be more open, less automatically critical. I want my default answer to be "yes," not "no."

ROCKSTAR PARKING. Put faith and positive energy into the universe, and the universe will return goodness to you.

I want to get off the damn computer when I'm at home and: Read more. Write more. Go for more walks. Drive up into the mountains more. Be more spontaneous with Luke. Stress less. Spend less. Save more. Go deeper in my friendships. Visit my parents more often. Go deeper with God.

I would like to be in better physical shape. I would like to cook more and eat out less, and would like to not lose my temper with my high school student

Keep on being my strongest self. Take steps one at a time, breathe through them, and turn overwhelm into proudly accomplished!

I would like to become better at what I do. I want things to go smoother in business because of a confidence level I'm gaining. I want the freedom to pick and choose clients I want to work with because I am not constantly chasing the dollar. The best advice I received in the last year was given to myself, just calm down and get out of your own way.

I would like to not cut my hair between now and then. I have cut my hair so much and I miss having it long.

I want to learn to be comfortable with who I am again. I used to be and I was so much happier. I've lost that as well as parts of who I am. I want to get her back.

I would like to go back to being the man I was, before I lost track of my priorities, and became so selfish and self absorbed. I want to be a good man, with a purpose and a knowing of who I am, again. If you realize you are losing your souls, you still have a soul to lose. The easy part is changing, the hard part is convincing everyone that you have changed. Don't lose FAITH. Learn to love yourself, and those around you.

Well, I just decided that I'm going to take on an English minor and Creative Writing concentration. And I might be able to take a grad course in creative non-fiction. And, although I'd never admit it, I think I can write pretty good essays and it's something I might consider trying to have published. So, my advice to myself is stop being such a bitch to yourself because everyone else will do that plenty for you. Have faith in yourself at least a little. Okay? Okay.

To be more creative, and to know more inspiring and creative people. Which goes hand-in-hand with the advice I received this year, "If you want to create, surround yourself with creative people."

I would like to become a better networker. In the careers that I am considering networking is a hugely important skill. Specific points that need improvement: (1) keeping in regular contact with people, (2) getting over my inhibitions and conversing with random people, (3) making myself a better conversationalist. I am intelligent and receiving an excellent education. If I can become a skilled networker, I will be on the path to long-run career success. On a separate, but related note, I would like to procrastinate less. I think I could if I tried, but in true procrastination fashion, I just push it off until later.

I want to improve my spiritual, physical, and mentalwell being next year. Truly, the best advice I have received to this effect was to take time for yourself so that you canberra better fir you and others.

I would like to focus more on brain activity. I am extremely concerned that I am losing more and more short term memory. I want to be able to work and read as long as possible.

I sort of covered this in question four. I took to heart Steve Jobs statement about not getting trapped in someone else's life. This past year, I allowed myself to keep a secret that went against my beliefs, because I followed someone else's gut. I allowed my daughter to get an x ray that was riskier than necessary, because I let the lab tech make the call about coverage. I also allowed a hack doctor to stitch her lips although her wound didn't gape. I even held her down. This year, I am finally over trying to seem decent to anyone outside of my household. The price is too high. I have a wonderful, honest husband who was also affected by my decision to guard my friend's stupid secret. I have brilliant boys who should have been pulled out of school before now, because it does not work with their learning styles. So, this year, I am really focusing on the best life for my family. I don't care if it's weird. Why wouldn't it be? We are all pretty weird to begin with, and it could turn into something brilliant.

I feel like a calmer person every day. But now it's time to take that calm and bring it to the things that matter. The last 3 years of these questions all talk about getting over being embarrassed and improving my relationship with my dad. I'm getting there. Still working on it. And I'm certainly doing better than I was when I first answered these questions.

Next year, I want to focus on doing what I love and working really hard. I have a lot of fears in life and I let them hold me back; I let fear create excuses for not doing something. I'm finished with that. I want the person I want to be and the person I am to be one and the same. I want to focus more effort on volunteering. Charity work is very important to me and I haven't done nearly enough this year. So, work hard, give back, travel, be the Melissa that I thought I'd grow up to be when I was six. Ambitious goals, but I'm game to try. I've received a lot of advice & counsel over the last year and I think I take something away each time. Advice that I received a long time ago still guides me, moreso this past year than ever. "Of course it's hard; if this was easy, everyone would do it." I also think often of a quote I once heard from Gene Kelly, my idol as a dancer, "The day you stop feeling scared is the day you should quit." God I love that man.

My Dad used to say "Don't Borrow Trouble" - I have a tendency to do so. I was always taught to do my best & unfortunately it translates to others too - I expect the same from them. I am a member of a club. We have an event coming up. Every sponsor & every raffle prize with the exception of 2 has been secured by me. I planned for the trophies & picked them up. I am making 5 other awards for this event. I have become extremely resentful of the other Board members who are really not doing anything. I realize that they have homes, families & things to do - but still.... I used to work on the old adage that "if you want something done right, do it yourself". That is good advice only if you want to do everything. I need to let go of this anger, resentment & the desire to make sure everything is perfect.... Trying to remember that "All will be well" or work out like it is supposed to is going to be my motto next year.

I want to be okay with myself - not just with my body but with me. Advice: Stop dwelling on the past. No one thinks and makes fun of the stupid thing you said or did two years ago ... only you do - so fucking let it go!!!!

I think that this year has been about becoming comfortable with myself, putting myself into the world as myself and being okay with that. I think that I'd like to continue to feel that sense of confidence and grow into myself, and into greater self-acceptance.

Worry less, write more.

I would really like to quit smoking, as well as become a vegetarian and eat healthier. I also want to start working out. My dad gave me the advice to "stop being a wuss and just do it." That seems like a great way to look at it. If I give up smoking, I can start working out more and for longer periods of time. If I start eating healthier, I can also start working out more and I know that I'll actually just FEEL better. Processed foods and cigarettes just make me feel really gross most of the time.

Do not sweat the small stuff. EVERY THING IS SMALL STUFF. God is in charge of the small stuff. You just need to do what you've been asked to do to your best ability and move on to the next task. Be the best you can be. Don't be fake, really care, really open up. Let people know what you are experiencing and they will open up to you. Don't be so cautious. Adventure out. Trust yourself. Trust your decisions. Trust your instincts. And when everything goes wrong, don't sweat it. It is small stuff. God is in charge of the small stuff.

I hope I keep a strong sense of who I am and what I deserve. I need to remind myself to not settle for less. That is the best advice I got and need to remember to follow.

I would like to continue on my spiritual path, open myself up to possibilities in all forms. I want to not just be, but to do.

I would like to continue living as I have just begun to learn to live this year, drama free and thinking for myself and only myself. I will not worry about useless pointless idiotic things and only be concerned about improving myself and living for today instead of tomorrow. I will focus on my studies because I know that is the most important thing right now and will be able to get me where I want to be in life and will allow me to attain success. The best piece of advice I received this year can probably be summed up by the Beatles song "Let it Be" I just need to learn to leave well enough alone and focus on the big picture instead of worry about pointless details.

I want to take better care of myself. That means the standard maybe-not-stuffing-myself-with-cookies and maybe-doing-more-yoga sorta thing. But also acting in my best interest, for once. And that means not doing things I don't wanna do. Advice? Megan's dad said to surround yourself with characters. I'd like to do that, and that includes people who care about your well-being and can make you laugh. Being here is immensely helpful for story ideas, too...

Do not be a victim of your circumstances. Everything is a choice.

Things I've been told that have helped me survive, and that I hope can help me thrive in the next year: "You are worth it." "You are a good person. You are good enough. You are beautiful exactly as you are." (I would love to believe this by next year even if I don't right now!) "I'm glad you are in my life. You help me." "You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for." "We are here because we are meant to be." "We are here." "You have a right to your feelings." "It's not your fault." "It's not easy, but it IS worth it!" "You obviously know how to write, and how to read with feeling. You just have to get more confident." Basically I have to keep fighting through and believing in myself!

I'd like to 1)get our house looking better by painting walls that need repairing and by changing the boys' rooms so that they sleep in the same space and then have a play room. 2) I would like to be more disciplined in my daily finances. What advice or counsel have I received? I can't think of any advice or counsel that I've sought. I am about to start reading "Welcome to your child's brain," so maybe I can take counsel from that in how to grow with my children.

When the timing is right you will know. When it's not so much work it will flow. You will find an even better fit over time.....i like this advice for jobs or love etc....the only thing that worries me about that counsel is how it seems it could lead to passivity and a lot of waiting! but i guess the idea is you keep looking, fighting, working for what you want and when it's right it will come as you are focusing your energy towards your desires.

I think my life is pretty good right now, but I guess I want to smooth it out a bit. I want to still keep in good contact with people from high school I really care about. I guess advice I received that I should keep in mind is to really shoot for what I want. If I don't try my hardest at new experiences and go for new things, then I am wasting my time, and not discovering things that could make me really happy.

I would like to worry less about what other people think of me or how I might affect other people in situations where I may only have to think about myself.

My laziness is something that I'd like to continue to work at. I have been getting better at it, but I'm not where I'd like to be at. Also that people aren't puzzles. They're not here to solve or play with they are just as they are. I should not experiment on them, or see what I can do to them or how I can do to them and see what happens. For that I have puzzles to work with.

Keep checking in with myself. I am the best teacher for me when I listen.

set your intentions to cultivate tranquility for i believe that from tranquility come self-knowledge, understanding of others, wisdom, compassion, and love. and to me, that's what life is all about. i would like to set my intention to see the possibilities, and to focus less on what i am lacking.

Get up and do it. I have problems motivating myself. Ironically, my lack of motivation is keeping me from attaining this goal.

I would like to focus on self care. Self care is foundational to intimacy.

I would like to exercise everyday, eat clean everyday and not beat myself up if I don't do it

I would like to lose weight. Also would like to increase my knowledge on several subjects, including my own profession HR.

Whether You think you can or you think you can't you are probably right-Adidas Shirt I always tell the girls; never take it seriously, if you never take it seriously you always have fun, if you always have fun you never get hurt, and if you are ever lonely go to the music store and visit some friends-Julia Hurwitz Smile. Happy looks good on you. You say you have enemies? Good that means you have stood up for something, sometime in your life. Its better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.

I would like to love myself by next year. I was never at that point, and I feel as if that would make me feel 10x better about myself.

become more confident, bitchy? More active would be good, NOT!

There is more to balance than not falling over.

Make. -threadless...work on projects, build out ideas - just keep making. Find your native genius -TedXBoulder...do what you love in order to be happy in all realms of life. Be true & do what I love. Everything else will fall into place as needed. Follow your personal journey - THE ALCHEMIST

I would like to take better care of myself. Feeding my body and soul, taking time for silence and calm, exercising, filling my world with positive and supportive friends--all of these things will help me take better care of the body I have (and the only one I get!).

Following question 6 is a good start. And also more yoga and hiking. Probably important to realize and focus my talents and energies.

I want to be more considerate of peoples feelings and how my words and actions affect them.

Let go of your obsession about money, about not having enough.

The most important advice I got during the last year was to live in the now and to dig where I am - not to think of the past, or of the future too much - and not not to search my luck somewhere ... I want to write at least three pages a day to finish my book. I will go on to loose weight with the10in2 method which I started three and a half month ago and to exercise in order to get healthy again. I will learn more foreign languages.

Wow, I think I would like to be able to not worry so much about what people think about me and just live my life.

First, I want to learn to play a musical instrument. It doesn't matter which one. Secondly, I'd like to rid myself of the awkwardness I have while dealing with people. People are scary.

I've really made a lot of progress in the past year -- carved out a workable home office, lost 17 lbs., bought a new car, and taken several carloads of reusable but unwanted stuff to Goodwill. I feel like I'm preparing the stage for a major shift in my life. "Your strength is greater than you thought. Now you know that." I can do anything I want; that doesn't mean that I have to do everything. I want to spend more of my time expressing my creativity -- drawing, writing, sculpting, playing with color, building a new vision of what can be.

From Joy With Love. I want that to be my mantra, all the time. There is no reason for me not to be joyful and there is no reason for me if I am joyful not to act like everything I do is a gift, with love. I am so tired of acting out of fear or wanting to be the best, or being scared that I'm the worst or worrying about consequences, or wishing I had more of this and less of that.

In this next year, I want to improve myself and my life by doing more - more writing, more moving, more dancing, more making, more laughing. I want to improve myself and my life by allowing myself to be bigger, believe bigger, and love bigger, no matter how silly my inner critic thinks I am. The one piece of advice? Life's too damned short.

Yes, I recently received some good advice about writing--specifically about journaling---how it's all notes for the future, a way to capture images so we can call upon them again for something. I want to be very proactive about writing this year. Practicing by writing every day. And that goes for music and physical activity as well. I just want to be able to truly tap myself for potential as opposed to waiting around for others to tap me. I believe if I can maintain a trifecta of writing, music and physiccal activity (running, yoga, dance); I can keep a very healthy body/mind relationship.

I hope that I am more together. I seem to be all over the place this year. I've made so many changes it's been a little hard for me to keep up. The best advice I've heard is you can't do everything. Pick those things that are most important to you and concentrate on those. The rest probably won't matter anyway.

I'd like to think more about other people, and less about myself. Id like to exercise way more. And the advice i got this year, was not spoken but inspired, by training with Lisa. Persevere, keep exploring paths and ways. Keep seeking mentors and experts. Learn from others. Slowly piece by piece, stone by stone, thread by thread God will weave it all together. Thats your unique print on the masterpiece of this world

I am dedicating myself to healing from internalized oppression around my size and what that means for my health. I am going to accept myself as beautiful and healthy.

I would like to think less and do more -- I don't want to be impulsive per se, but I would like to feel less inhibited by my own inexplicable or irrational fears. I am always striving to push myself outside of my comfort zone, and when I do it, it feels so great. It is a piece of advice I've heard for many years of my life, and every year I know I could be doing a better job of achieving it.

Recently, I was worrying about and over-analyzing a problem that in the scheme of things was no big deal whatsoever, and could be solved very easily. Yet I continue to let myself get worked up if things don't go as planned, or if I encounter various hiccups. My parents always say I need to "go with the flow more" and don't let myself freak out when problems come up. It seems like a simple piece of advice, but it's proven to be very difficult for me to remember. So I would like to improve myself and my life by trying not to "sweat the small stuff," and realize that life's little problems can be easily solved if I just calm down and put things in perspective.

I would like to spend more time on things that matter and less time of things that are frivolous. Of course, this distinction is all in how you value things. However, I'd like to spend less time sitting around, looking at stupid internet sites, more time exercising, spending time with friends, connecting to the incredible beauty that surrounds us here in San Diego.

I want to trust. Trust myself, trust my husband, trust my baby.

" let yourself feel it." This year, i want to feel every emotion that comes my way. Sometimes I chose to ignore feelings or feel them later because i feel as though they are not important or are too painful to feel. This year, i want to fully feel emotions and not fear them.

When telling a co-worker about me wanting to stick through this academic year with work – she told me that while that would be easier for my supervisor and the office, I need to look out for myself. Duke isn’t looking out for me or the 50+ hours a week I put in there. I need to be in charge of my career and my future. I have to put myself first. So.. I would like to search for career/professional development opportunities and not be afraid to look more into them.

Hablando con mas personas en todas partes. Haciendo ejercicio todos los dias. Constancia.

I want to speak less, listen more deeply, and be truly attentive to the people most important in my life.

My English teacher, Mrs. Dixon, said to me last year "Realize there is brilliance in your memories." Now, whenever I'm horribly sad or lonely, I tell myself that one day I will look back on this moment and see that it was a moment of brilliance because, for that second, I was truly alive. When you feel saddest, and angriest, and miserable-est, you need to realize that those moments will come to define you.

I would like to let go of insecurities and self-doubt. I am fabulous! Though I do sometimes remember that truth, it often escapes me and I get caught up in negativity and fear. I need to own that feeling of simple self-confidence more often. Trust yourself, believe in yourself.

Stay strong, be strong, don't do anything that goes against what you believe in, if you make mistakes they will be forgotten in a matter of time, crying is okay, people will chase after you if you're not always the chaser.

Find better balance with physical fitness and relaxation, as opposed to letting my job drive my every waking moment.

I want to get healthier-more exercise, more sleep, fewer carbs I want to spend more time in nature I want to rush less

I want to be a happier, kinder person. I want to do the things I enjoy, learn more about things that interest me, and stop letting myself be lazy because it's comfortable. I want to do well at my first year of being a wife, and make sure that my husband is happy, because that will make me happy.

I'd like to be thinner, happier and wealthier next year (starting this year of course). The one piece of advice I've gotten this year that can assist with this improvement is "believe in yourself."

I would like to be more patient and less insecure. This is related to my goal to think more before I speak. I would like to snap less at my children and my husband, to not always speak in meetings at work but to learn the power of true listening and carefully chosen moments, to not be so anxious to prove myself (whatever the situation). I have always valued truthful and honest expression, almost above anything else. But I have recently been advised not to always say what I think--that it may have unintended consequences or be exploited in ways I hadn't intended. I'm trying to have a bigger picture view of any given room or conversation. Also, my mother always said, "Sleep is the best medicine." I want to be better rested this year--that not only has obvious health benefits, but I think would enhance both my patience and sense of inner confidence and peace.

I want to learn to complain less and deal with things myself. I think that this will help me by having a more enjoyable personality. "Complain to yourself so no one else hears" Is advice I have heard and I want to try to live by.

To be less reactive to others, and instead just be myself, discovering and pursuing what I want. Get past the shoulds and the anger, and look at what you feel down deep: let that guide you.

I'd like to get more organized. I'd like to do some spring cleaning and really shed a lot of the crap I have been holding on to. I never want to do any such thing with my free time, however, so it piles up. I need of mindless distractions when I come home from work and don't have the energy to begin a project like that. Then when I get a good amount of free time off I'm anxious to get out and explore/experience my world. It's a hard project to begin but I am sure I will benefit greatly from it if I ever do. Perhaps when I am just teaching and not teaching and going to school as well I will find some time for such projects. (If there ever is a time when I am JUST teaching!)

I want to take things a little less seriously. After some therapy discussion and even reading an article about Highly Senstive People, I feel like asking myself to " chill out" is unrealistic and it isn't me! BUT I do think I can learn to manage my reactions to my anxiety/stress better, and I want to work on how to do that. I also would like to gossip less -- talking about others is something I find hard not to do, but it's not productive or considerate. I always admire people who stay away from gossiping and want to acquire the trait of staying positive -- recently I feel as though I've been moving in the opposite direction. I also want to make sure I spend time with my grandmothers. I don't know how much longer they'll be around (mentally and/or physically) and they are two awesome ladies.

I would like to have a better work-life balance. I need to be more focused. When at work, I should be completely focused on work. I think I could get so much done that way. I also need to find ways to make work be more fulfilling or interesting. When not at work, then I need to focus on other things. I hope to improve my creative side. At the same time, I hope to be more appreciative of the simple things in life and to learn to just be.

Get a good job Go to school Get out of debt (for the most part) Write That Novel Just fucking do it already! Do it, do it, do it.

I want to focus on my physical well-being, especially in the area of exercise and getting in shape and building muscle. My physical body has been through a lot in the past few years and it's taken its toll. Not sure of any counsel I remember receiving but I'm always open to whatever people say that is positive and constructive.

understand who/why/when i can be vulnerable balance of openness and self protection breathe recovery healing understanding fear and embracing it

i hope i can accept life as it comes and not take it so hard when something occurs.. i've learnt that life is going to go on..you either accept things happily and continue or just mop around and not do anything with yourself

I want to continue the first serious relationship I've ever had, because she truly is the girl of my dreams. As my friend once told me while he was drunk, "You just gotta find a girl and then grab her by the horns." I'm not exactly sure where her horns are, but I figure it's time for me to grow up and be the man she needs me to be.

For this year, I was just want to enjoy myself and "live in the moment". It's a quote that my grandpa used to tell me all the time. Dont worry about the past, don't worry about the future, just worry about what you are doing right now. It's something that I hope to live by this year since it is my last year in high school. It should be a really great year and I want to enjoy every second of it while I still can. Looking too far into the future at will just ruin the experience I think. After all, I only get to experience this year one time. Might as well make the best of it right?

As always I would like to improve my health and quality of life by losing weight. I need to lose one hundred plus pounds, but perhaps somehow I can do that five pounds at a time. My feet, knees, lungs need help.

I would like to like myself better. I would like to get out of the self defeating traps that I've been caught in for years and look at myself and not be ashamed. WRITE IT OUT. I want to journal, create, move, do. I want to write like everyone keeps telling me to do.

I want to have more moments of pure fun next year. As a freshman in college last year, I got bogged down with the party and drinking scene, which was somewhat fun but didn't produce the memories I remember so fondly from high school. I want to laugh out loud more with friends this year, and have more evenings where, when I rest my head on my pillow, I have a grin from ear to ear and cannot help but be thankful for my friends and life itself.

Acceptance and self-forgiveness. Be open to life as it is, rather than as I want, hope, expect, wish. Start with forgiving myself for the countless ways I've fallen short, and new and old ways I'll continue to fall short. Both improvements -- acceptance and self-forgiveness -- are far easier said than done.

Many, many ways, but in the end they come down to one notion: Focus. The past few years I've been way too scattered and need to focus in a few key places: - Health and fitness. I started that this past year and will continue in a deliberate fashion. - Work. Acquire new clients and refocus my practice. Drop clients that are no longer a good fit. - Personal/Relationships. Actually work on some relationships outside of family, because truth be told it's high time I had one again. - Family. Refresh and maintain relationships with the small number of relatives I have. - Hobbies. Pick a small number and stick with them. Don't get distracted by other things. Some are obvious (skiing, photography), and need to continue with a focus on things that fit two categories: the "adrenaline" activities and the "art/brainy" ones. I need both. I don't need dozens of both.

I have two main things I need to work on: 1) I want to become less jealous. I don't know where my jealousy came from. I have a beautiful life, but I do find myself secretly comparing myself to others. 2) I need to learn to LET GO. I hold onto words people say, things I need to get done, and mistakes I've made. I need to be able to let go, to forgive. My life will be better if I can learn to do these two things.

I am ever changing and I love that about myself. I would like to look at myself in the mirror and be just as happy with my physical self as I am now with my mental and emotional health. This goes hand in hand with being able to have my own place, as well as being more well traveled. Just remember Zephaniah!! And LET GO. Beginners mind is the best place to be, even if I haven't reached any of my goals, I pray to always keep a beginners' mind.

In the next year, I want to push myself to be even more successful in my academic life. Although I feel like I am learning a wealth of new information in college, I hope to become a double major/minor in another subject to broaden my knowledge. Albert Einstein once said that, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid". When I heard this quote, it made me feel a sense of relief. Just because I don't understand something, doesn't mean I have to. It's okay for me to only specialize my knowledge in a few things, and that's what I hope to do in the next 12 months. To my future self: Did you stay with business?

Um, no. I have not received any great pearls of wisdom. The generosity I have received has been non-linguistic, as has my generosity going out: showing up has been my theme. I believe it is Woody Allen who said, "90% of life is showing up." I think he is right. So, again, I would like to rekindle delight, simplicity and joy in my life, through meditation and music and good connections with good friends and family. I look forward to seeing my brother again, free inside and out.

I hope to be physically comfortable with myself. I hope to get the motivation to make myself the best I can be!

I want to learn more about AD, SQL clusters, networking, and really all things related to my job. Currently they believe my skill set is acceptable, but expect me to learn more and get better at my job, I want to learn as much as I need, plus enough to feel confident and as though I am pulling my own weight. If I manage to have any extra time I do also want to start picking up some Linux for my own development. Because my memory is so poor I am not sure there is anything in the past year I have had suggested to me that I remember and could use. I have found over the past year that my friends are amazingly supportive in whatever ways that they can be, and offer up excellent advice, I should seek assistance more often.

I want to get to a point where I feel like I deserve it - deserve the good life, deserve the accolades and appreciation, deserve true commitment. I feel like I know I'm a great person with a lot to give, but I hold myself back, somehow wondering why I should deserve to have the life of my dreams.

So many. Kate, my good friend and housemate is full of optimism, advice and wisdom. I just need to be more positive in general! A little positivity could improve anybody's life!

Hopefully I can lose some weight a couple of kg, I have a great family who are behind me a hundred percent. I still want to get into my acting and doing my paintings and drawings.

Be less "right", be more loving.

The best piece of advice I've recieved recently is to be true to myself, and be a bit more selfish. Try to do things because it's what I want and stop trying to do what I think people expect of me. Also, by being less judgemental of others it will make me more confident and content in myself.

I want to finally be me. When i move to Aarhus, i want to get out of the closet, hopefully find love, and be myself, shed all the acting, even if it means cutting ties with my outer family.

I would like to improve my self image. I hate the way I look. I hate my body. I hate my face. I hate my weight. I hate the way I feel when I look at myself in a mirror. I want to love myself, I just can't right now. So I want to work hard to get in better shape, get rid of my achene, get to a better place where I can love myself. I don't want to change because other people want me to change, I want to change for me.

I would like to spend more time doing meditation, yoga & other relaxation techniques. I am starting to see life's problems as stones that I carry around in a backpack and I would like my load to be as light as it possibly can. I want to teach my daughter how to let go of the things that are not necessary to worry about and how to work on the ones that are. I would like my partner to feel loved and appreciated and to be able to spend time with both of our families. I want my heart to guide me and to trust that often if I have to stop and ask if something is ok or not to trust my own instinct that it may not be. I hope to be able to help others and to be the kind of person that people want to have as a friend.

I need to become more social and outgoing. I'm still too reserved and it's starting to annoy me. This is something I'm going to work on when I'm out of my comfort zone in Spain. I always find it easier to be social outside the US. I have no idea why.

Theme: getting in control. Time, eating. Read and go the gym more. Real friends more. Facebook, computer games less.

i am going to stay true to myself, refuse to compromise on important issues and always put myself first.

I talk with my classes about "inserting a pause" in their life and ways of doing so. In most parts of my life I'm very good at this, but that's not true with Bek, who pushes my buttons more (unintentionally). Pause.

1) Don't ask the world what it needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and do it, because what the world needs are people who have come alive. 2) Live deliberately

While my father was dying in the hospital he told me how proud he was to see me repeatedly set out to to something and make it happen and how I have grown to be a strong independent woman. It didn't sink in until later that day my mother started micromanaging and my father said "Leslie can do whatever she wants... whatever she wants". The fact he believed in me finally sunk in. I would hope I can start to believe in myself the way he believed in me.

The most important improvements are to put my spiritual practice ahead of work, to put my family ahead of work, and to put my well being ahead of work.

I would like to feel less insecure and realize that I am capable or more than I give myself credit.

I would like to improve myself by actualizing my kicking processed sugars (we'll see how well that goes when i reread these in 2012!) I would also like to be on a regular exercise regimen and be connected to it in both body and mind. Not just the body doing the work alone and looking forward to the results. A long time ago I was told by another artist, "The best piece of advice I can give you is don't become cynical." In hindsight, I spose it was good advice, but the cynicism I've inevitably developed despite the advice has acted as a shield, a wall of humor and a small escape in times when I feel like I just don't have anything else strong enough to stand on. Being a cynic does seem like an extreme in many ways, but ultimately what I gleaned from his advice had more to do with not losing my creativity to doubt and anxiety, which was probably the whole point to begin with.

I would like to be me more organized in the next year. My apartment, my personal papers, my work life: everything is in shambles. I desperately need to get organized and stay organized!

Let go of the past. Find joy in the simple, everyday, and cherish those you love.

I'd like to get some reading done. I've fallen so far behind!

I guess I want to keep practicing yoga. Right now I am so anxious about the future, that my new mantra of the moment is "Do your practice and all will follow" -Pattabhi Jois. So I just want to keep practicing and hope that the pieces fall in the right places.

Million dollar question of every single year -- 1. quit smoking 2. lose weight 3. make more money Always. Maybe this year I'll actually make progress on these.

I'd like to get to another level with my writing, doing more pieces that give me personal satisfaction rather than the small pieces that I currently do and with which I feel dissatisfied. I have 168 hours in the week and technically only 15 hours are alotted to my main freelance job, so I should have way more time to focus on writing personal essays, my novel, etc. I think reading Laura Vanderkam's 168 Hours was really useful advice on the whole and I hope I can continue taking that book's advice to heart.

Continue to connect. Allow the interaction of others to energize me and spur me to show up in social situations more often.

I've learned this year especially that there is always room for personal growth. I cannot congratulate myself everytime I do something well and ignore my faults. I have to face them. This year, I'd like to improve my time management skills. I need to stop showing up to places 10+ minutes late. Although I am reaching the end of my academic career (at least for now), I need to step up and finish strong. I need to be less impulsive and think more when it comes to certain things, and stop overthinking in other areas. I need to stop being so selfish when it comes to food. Most importantly, I need to stop being so judgemental and guard my tongue when I feel someone has acted in an offensive or inappropriate manner. This attitude, combined with thinking I was above such poor behavior, is what got me into trouble most this year. I cannot judge the worst in others based on the best in myself. As far as advice, there is alot of it out there. I just need to cling to the good advice I've already received and the good advice that comes my way and remind myself of it when I need it most.

I want to have learned how to show myself and others compassion, in all its aspects. This quote keeps coming back to me: If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. --The Dalai Lama

I have been learning about the power of reasoning when it comes to combating anxiety, in particular. I would like to work more with reasoning as I continue living in my third phase of life (60 +++++ years).

I'd like to continue to work out regularly and eat healthily. I need to do more things that interest me, not just the things where I feel like I'll meet a man. I want to smile more.

I would like to put into practice some of the things I am learning in my study. I would like to remember that I need to take time for myself outside of work and study and family commitments - that I need to take charge of my own life, and stop just reacting to things around me.

I hope I can continue to be a more outgoing person. Im starting to come out of that shell I had been in and I would really like to be more of a friendly girl! I want to do something. Just typing that I want to change wont let me change. I need to find the ability to make changes in my life. Complain Less; nothing is ever perfect, but id like to think what im doing is close enough. believe in yourself! Find the meanings to my life. I always feel very existentialist in the way I view things. I always wonder "why does it matter" and although people spend their lives doing things like this, trying to find themselves and whatnot- id like to be able to say "it matter so me because…." Get Healthier (skinner). Its so important to me. I just want to feel beautiful.

I want to let go of anger & resentment, especially toward my ex-best friend and the man who broke my heart (not with her). It is holding me back. They are no longer in my life. My feelings are hurting only myself. Prayer has helped. Time has helped. Making new friends & reconnecting with old ones has helped. Talking with a good, nonjudgmental friend has helped. Not sure what else I can do, honestly, except maybe journal more about it.

Stop being so self-conscious. Stop procrastinating. Just go outside and do what I want to do and be what I want to be.

*continue to follow the motto "no missed opportunities" to keep me fresh and full of unique experiences *be more generous, when people are deserving of my efforts *do more service in the community *make sure my parents know that I appreciate them

I would like to contribute more to others I care about, like my wife, friends and family and to contribute more to healing the world. I want to make sure my wife knows on a deeper level, that I love her and would do anything to make her happy. I'd like to expand our common interests and communicate at a more meaningful level. I want to be more positive and a bit less judgemental and sarcastic, which seems to turn some people off. I want people close to me to feel that I am looking out for them more. I want to continue to improve my physical fitness level and lose weight and get off of the blood pressure meds. I want to work to re-elect Obama and to work and contribute to environmental and other causes I believe in.

Stop procrastinating and putting what I will enjoy doing off in favor of what needs to be done. Have weekends that are really weekends. Don't take thing so personally and don't be so hard on myself.

I would like to tweak so many things. I would like to love better - to care more and do more. I would like to believe in myself in the workplace more - to be confident of my intelligence and know that I have something to bring to the table. I would like (as I have for so many years) to judge people less on the things that don't matter, their clothes and accents and experiences, and more on their qualities and values.

A half-life is not worth living. The teacher at the vipassana retreat said that to me in August. My friends are continually giving me lessons on how to live life to the fullest. This is the best advice I can get. Do more, be yourself don't be scared to expand.

I want to continue to work on maintaining a positive frame. So many times I find myself pull off course by little annoyances or worries that don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I want to be better at finding the joy in my life and even more so embracing contentment. Life doesn't always have to be filled with highs and lows - balance, enoughness, and the simple present can be ok too.

Be more patient ... more zen-like .... let the small stuff 'go' .... stop sweating the small stuff, and being wise enough to know the difference.

I want to get rid of my procrastination. I think it is hurting me more than anything else. I know I'm smart and I know I can do the work, but the preparation and time it takes to actually buckle down and do it just doesn't appeal to me. My friend told me that if I had a super villain name, I would be The Procrastinator "I'll take over the world, EVENTUALLY!" All joking aside, I do think this will become a problem with my AP courses if I want to get credit for taking the tests in college. My 2nd grade teacher actually predicted my procrastination even then by saying that I "don't use my time wisely" and that I "focus on insignificant details without looking at the bigger picture." I didn't know about these notes until my mom showed them to me years later. She was my favorite teacher too! I guess I will try to use my time wisely and put away my quasi-Epicureanism for a while.

Career-wise, I'd like to develop my skills even further so that I'm closer to a management role - if I haven't already been promoted in a year's time! In general, I'd like to become a more patient person and try to refrain from snapping at my husband when I'm stressed, which I probably do a little too often. Planning to start a family in 2013, I also aim to finalise holiday plans to the U.S.A. and perhaps get the house more in order and cleaned! Can't think of any advice or counsel I've received in particular - but maybe just enjoy life before kiddies come along and don't take a single day for granted.

I would like to improve myself by undertaking a couple of projects such as getting a blog going, doing some more volunteering. At the interpersonal level - stop using swear words, be calmer with my oldest daughter, believe a little more in humanity's goodness.

I need to improve my financial management skills. I need to improve my academic and job-related skills so I can become more financially stable. In the last year, I have made a few very big decisions that have directly affected my financial standing, but I think they will pay-off in the end. I need to work hard to continue with my objectives, so that I can reach my goals.

Finish my book. Ensure I have enough money to survive.

The best advice I know is from Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan: "Don't be afraid to let yourself fall, because it's all about the falling." If we don't take risks, in love, in life, in friendships, in school, we can never accomplish anything groundbreaking or truly remarkable. We have to move past the fear of inevitably falling, stop thinking of everything bad that can happen and start thinking of everything good than can happen.

I want to be healthier and happier. I want to live every day like there's no tomorrow. I want to not regret the choices I made, the actions I take.

I want to be a better person. And be able to be more social. Like, I feel socially awkward, even though people don't see it. I can't do small talk, it's very hard for me. I also want to be happier, I think that was my answer for last year, but it still applies. I had a real fight with depression at the beginning of the year and I was just miserable and didn't want to do anything, but I fought through it. The words of advice I got were "Hang in There. It gets better." and I truly think that applies to everything in my life. I just have to keep hanging in there.

I built up walls to protect myself from society's advances. I'm a very good fortress builder. But the laws of power say isolation is dangerous. So now that I've had the time to find my center and set my boundaries, I would like to rebuild a social network (in real-life) of worthy people. Makes you think about the nature of reality. So I want to smile at strangers more. Start conversations more often. Practice, practice, practice. And practice, practice Dharma more deeply. Meditate and better the practice. Possibly do Yoga. And learn Ikido. These are things I want to do for the spirit. My spirit. And the body. My body.

Try to be more in the moment, by enjoying what is happening right now, and not worry so much about the future.

SPeak up for yourself dont take shit from people be confident and decisive work hard SLEEP try in everything (even maths) dont lose your friends along the way

get rid of all negative energy

I want to quit smoking. Hopefully when I read this, my lungs will be healing themselves from the damage I have done. It's a horrible addiction and I hate being dependent on a substance like this. It's expensive and is taking years away from me.

Go for it! As the song says: "If you never try, you'll never know - just what you're worth." That was a special gift. The best advice I can give myself is just to do all I can, do my best, and to dare and dare and dare again, as Danton said. Jack Layton said 'Optimism!' and a special friend said: 'Love, Hope, and Freedom!' Both of these are good advice as watchwords.

I want to stop procrastinating. I want to do better in school because I know I can. I want to get more involved in the church. I want to let myself be happy when I know I am. I want to branch out a little without forgetting who I am and what is important to me.

I would like to learn to remember Pat with joy and not sadness. I would like to rediscover who I am without him. I would like to become a stronger me, and find a new kind of happiness as I don't believe I will ever be as happy as I was with Pat. I have absolutely no idea how to do that! Someone has told me to "keep on keeping on" until life becomes bearable again.

Improve my health and diet. Follow my mom's advice: "What's the point of a sharp mind if there's no body to move it?" A lot of counsel from my friends on being an honest person, unafraid to share their feelings. I'm still going through the hurdle of accepting me, of accepting that my feelings are valid and are allowable to be expressed. I want to look in a mirror and see myself in perfect clarity.

My mother has Parkinsons's. A reminder of how time passes, and what is most important. I want more time for my family: to do things for my children and parents. Connecting with people, and just spending time together is a focus for my next years. For me, the connections between us are what it is all about.

I am continuing to work on my physical fitness. I am in the beginning of a 60-day challenge with friends to increase our daily activity. We are to do something active every day for 60 days...it can be as aggressive as a half marathon, or as simple as walking the dog for 20 minutes. I want to achieve this challenge, and have done well for my first week. Seven more to go! I am also going to try going to a gym near work during the winter months to help me to keep my momentum going. Here's hoping that by this time next year, a fitter me will be answering these questions.

"When you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, and only to the extent that you are clear." -- "The Passion Test" I want to be clear-headed and decisive. Fixed and fluid at the same time. Spontaneous and fearsome. I don't know how to do any of this. I'm still working out how to live.

"be kind to yourself" and "close the blinds and play with the baby". Two pieces of advice I'd like to take more often. A perfect house won't make me happier, in the end it's the moments spent doing and being with others that count most in my book.

I would like to improve my fitness level and lower my blood pressure. I need to stop worrying about things - I seem to be continually anxious without any real reason to be and I want to change this. I have found Scott Peck's"The Road Less Travelled" to be a useful tool in gaining perspective and changing my attitudes and expectations of life.

Many people have been telling me that I should promote myself more. I should be doing the things that I really love. This would be my internet business and my art. First I would like to begin to promote myself as a Teacher Trainer in Greece by using the resources that I have via my website and school list. I have the experience, I just have to believe in myself more again. I used to have this self-confidence more when I was working for an International Publishing company...so, really there is no reason I should not feel as much and even more confident now. Secondly, I want to spend more time painting in my free time. I have three blank canvases, that have been sitting in my living room for 6 months! I really need to get my living environment sorted out and prepare a work space and then...just work!!! So easy! Finally, I must practice what I have been preaching to others...'Action Speak Louder than Words!!!" I need to just DO IT!

Over the course of the next year I want to settle into a healthy lifestyle. I want to be able to walk by a mirror and love the person looking back at me in it, not think about how fat she is or how she shouldn't have eaten that red velvet cupcake. I want to be strong and healthy and have a body that shows it. I want to wear bikinis at the pool and have enough confidence to not cover up. I want to think that I am pretty and that's something I've never really felt before. Even though it's not related...one of the best quotes I've heard this year came from Blake's mom, Dee. She was talking about this whole boy situation I'm in and told Blake, "If you were swinging on vines through the jungle, It would be very scary to let go of one that holds your weight for an unknown one." At the time...this meant letting go of Harrison. Now I see it as so much more. I need to take chances and trust that the vine I'm reaching for will hold me or that if I do happen to fall, that I will get back up and try again.

Improve? Hmmm.....my life is terrific-except of course for the fact that I still don't have the time I feel that I want/need. So the best piece of advice I think is the advice from Patti Digh-you say you want to be a writer, so sit the hell down and write. You say you want more time, take it!

Take responsibility for my reactions rather than guilt for others actions.

I want to appreciate the fact that I'm not perfect, but no one is, so it's okay.

I want to lose weight. I just turned thirty four this summer but the weight I am carrying makes me feel decades older. I want to fall in love. I feel like no one can see the good in me because all they see is the weight. At first I was holding out for someone who would love me for who I am. I need to figure out how to love ME more first. I want to be stronger and have a bit more of an ego so that I don't get hurt as much. It is good to be nice, but not so nice that people think they can have their way with you.

I want to be less anxious about health but the friends and family around me who seem to constantly fall ill are making that difficult. All I can do is think like a Yogi and try try try to live in the moment more and appreciate the days here, healthy and happy ones.....

I hope I will open up more. I´m still a closed person. I would like to speak, when I have to.. And have fun! I don´t want to be a quiet person.. I want to be a person who´s happy and people love to see that!Also I want to be more confident about myself.

I'd like to be more disciplined - right now I'm pissing away my free time by watching TV. I haven't received any advice or counsel in the past year that could guide me - this is something I need to take care of myself.

I'd like to learn to feed the demon of colitis. I feel like this will free me up to live most fully. I have been advised to "let go," and these seem like to good little guiding words.

The most important thing that I need to realize over and over again is that I am enough, on my own. Love will find me, not the other way around. I have a wonderful life, and wonderful friends and family, and I am totally fulfilled. Love can only add to that; lack of romantic love does not detract from my life.

Next year the whole church will be studying the Book of Mormon for the Sunday School curriculum. By the time September has rolled round i want to have finished reading the whole thing. if only I can get past 1 Nephi!

I want to bring balance and healing to my daily life, my body and my business.

The one thing I would like to improve is how I act towards other people at times. I can come off as down-putting and arrogant and I really hate it. I have to think before I speak, and chose my words carefully. I'd hate to think about losing or hurting someone close to me because I didn't phrase my words carefully enough, used a superior tone, or just said something completely stupid. "It's not what you say, but what you do" isn't always true. Words can very easily hurt people.

1. Stay focused on one thing only. 2. Understand that people aren't ready for what you have to say, if they won't hear it. They may never be ready. 3. Learn from those who have been where you are and have what you want. 4. Continue to study the LOA and keep applying it.

I would like to have built a more active social life for myself. I don't have many opportunities to meet new people, and that would be a good thing for me to work on.

I want to learn Torah more. A great man once told me just to find five minutes every day, and I will try and uphold that.

I go along with the sample answer: Just do it! If you want to walk, walk, if you want to write, write. Don't talk or even think about it. Just do it!

I would like to be healthier, maybe get a boyfriend. Actually, i would like to connect with someone at school, it doesn't have to be in a physical way, as much as a mental connection. Advice? Honestly, i just live by "Live, Laugh, Love" Life is way to short to be unhappy and angry.

I would like my husband and I to try and get healthier, loosing weight, being a better couple.

Get physically in better shape; lose weight, stop smoking, get up and do something. The best advice is Steve Jobs' "don't live somebody else's life"

I'd like to try to keep myself both less stressed and more organized in the next year. A friend once told me, "Chill out." As I enter the most important year of my life (and the most pressuring one), I need to remember the important things in life and keep my priorities in order.

I want to get my shit together. I know this is cheesy but with all this new year business and steve jobs quotes but this year I just want to stop being afraid of my future and stop waiting for things to happen to me and make them happen. I'm going to take control of my NYC Judaism. I'm taking a class in intro to Judaism. I'd like to start exploring an adult bat mitzvah class. I want to kick ass at my job. I am going to apply to grad school and I will be impressed by my own work. I am going to do long distance and make this boy fall for me. I am going to make it work. I am going to be proud of my performance. This is my life and I have to start living it and working towards the results I want.

Phillipians 4 really spoke to me at church today: 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. In sum: I want to improve my prayer life.

Be more patient, supportive and understanding with others. Less anger. More consciousness and presence of mind. Increased confidence. Advice: "People grow. They are never difficult, they are just different. Everyone comes with their own baggage."

I want to become more comfortable with myself. I want other people's opinions-or at least my perception of their opinions-not affect me as much. I want to feel like I am free to be myself 100% of the time. "You only live once."

just live life. there will be and have been people who have come into my life, made a difference, and have left, and there are people who are here to stay. i just need to recognize that is act upon it. i can't keep getting attached so easily. i just have to live life, live free, live for me.

I want to be more "in the moment". To not let my dreams and drives for personal improvement run me mad. I just want to enjoy life without always comparing it to the past or future. I want to be so much more without it making me miserable, I guess. I want to focus more on doing the things I love, and loving what I do rather than trying to plan or force it out. Just remember: Everything I could ever want is right here, it's all waiting for me and yet here at the same time. The excitement and meaning I crave can be found anywhere. THE PROCESS IS THE PRODUCT

I would like to be financially independent. I'm 26 and am planning on going back to school, but I would like to do it on my own. I would like to take this year to save up money, pay off some of my student debts, and get my life on track.

I would like to de-clutter my physical life and improve my physical health. I think that this would free up more time for joy and meaning in my life.

I think I get into ruts in both my work and my social life/connection with Kevin. I know these are not going to go away, and they are definitely part of life, but I want to get better at taking initiative and pulling myself/ourselves out of the ruts!

I would like to be have a healthy lifestyle and meditation be a way of life for me -- something that I'm compelled to do because I want to, because I enjoy it and I can't imagine live without it. The advice I've gotten to trust and have confidence in myself, and remember that to be good at something you have to continue to practice, make mistakes, then try again. There is something to be learned in every experience. Live in the present. Live in the now. Connect to the everything -- we're all connected.

Steve Jobs died but his 2005 graduation speech rings true...look after yourself and follow your gut

Less gossip, more fun, new friends, more good works especially in the area of the environment and hunger, not being such a light brow, more writing, better progress notes, some good professional education, continue with exercise, etc. etc. and so forth.

I'm heading there. Feeling good about who I am, what i've learned and where I've been and begin to dive into learning new things and living life as fully as possible. Be a good person. Give more.

I would like to be at my ideal weight of 125 lbs and be strong, fit and energetic.

I would like to stop being worried and stressed and controlling. Just relax and go with the flow. I'd like to become healthier, and prettier, and believe in myself a whole lot more. I'd like to take my life into my own hands and achieve what I want to.

Be nice to yourself Find a mate/ share partner. Have organization Share my apt. with someone I love

I want to improve my stress levels and outlook on life. I want to protect my body and treat it nicely by not using as many chemicals. Also I want to live life to the fullest and really take advantage of each moment I have on Earth. Life is so short that its not worth being upset or angry, essentially there is only room for positiveness. In my Rabbis sermon for Rosh Hashanah he said "you can not add years to your life but you can add meaning to your days". This is a quote I will try to live by.

I want to exercise to improve my life. I want to start swimming.

Over the next year my goal is stand up and take accountability for my research. I know I will make mistakes, but it is time for me to take the reins and steer. "Grow the fuck up" "if I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?"

GO FOR IT! Don't let what anyone make you doubt yourself or prevent you from doing what you want to do. If you want to go skydiving, DO IT. If you want to go storm chasing again, DO IT. Make YOURSELF happy before it's too late.

As it is the time of Yom Kippur, I have recently learned that true teshuva is experienced through understanding yourself and to not try improve your whole self, but actually fix little things at a time.. Between my short temper, or being my commitment-phobic, even indecisive.. I know that the little creaks in my machinery really impact the flow of progress and growth let alone maintenance.. I hope the more in tune I am with who I am, where I am, how I am, the more I will be able to focus in on creating balance and oiling up the weaknesses when need be... Most most most of all, there seems to be a magical key to life, that is perception, if I can maintain positivity, a great mental attitude I will surely be unstoppable!

I'd like to be able to reflect on what I want to achieve or pursue. I feel like I've done really well with the invisible hands guiding me, but if you were to ask me, what's your dream job, or what would you most like to be doing, professionally, I don't think I'd have a good answer. I'd like to be more articulate in that department this time next year. Not more ambitious, just clearer.

Lately, I've been extremely short-tempered, and falling into a small bout of depression. I don't want that anymore. I want to wake up in the morning and be excited for life, not lie in bed and think about all the things I could have, should have done differently. My happiness depends on what I do, not whether someone texts me first, or says that my priorities are all wrong. I know what I'm doing.

Rediscover things I loved. Speak/study other languages on a regular basis. Exercise on a regular basis. Read on a regular basis. Volunteer on a regular basis. Cook on a regular basis. Love on regular basis. The most important advice came from Stephen Colbert at commencement: Just because you don't achieve your dream doesn't mean you failed and just because you achieved it doesn't mean you succeeded. Reevaluate as you go along and don't be afraid to make adjustments as necessary. If the plan is flawed, don't stay the course 'just because.'

Carpe Diem. It doesn't matter how many times I tell myself I have to seize the day, I tend to think of the future and stop living the now. And because of the predicitions about the end of the day, I've been freaking out about it. Enjoy the present!!! forget the future which still isn't.. and live the present which IS now!!!

Slower to anger, quicker to love.

i'm also improved..... but i learned it was senseless to be stressed all the time..... but how can you get rid of it????? Anyway the best thing to do: save money.

The best advice I have gotten is to not parent out of guilt. I don't know any feeling worse than guilt, and I can see how a parent would do anything to lessen that angst. However, I can't gloss over my "shortcomings" by spoiling her. I would like to be more patient and forgiving with myself and learn to make peace with what is. I'd also like to celebrate the good things that we have in our life. Letting go of some of that guilt could go a long way to improving my life.

I want to be healthier and more organized. I want to learn it is okay to have time for myself and that I count too. I have learned there are things you can change and things you can't and how to travel life through letting some things go.

Work hard. Or at least harder. Be disciplined. Don't take on too much. Stay fit. Stay in love.

"Go for it! The only way you can find out is by trying. What have you got to lose? Don't wait too long; or else, it might be too late."

I would like to improve my relationship with my wife. She seems anxious, stressed out, and unhappy. I'm doing my best to make things better, but I also feel like I am spending my time avoiding conflict instead of creating joy. I have been mis-attribute her actions as a lack of love. I know that is not true, and in the next year I would like her to be happy and her and I to be back to the solid team that we can be.

Momma always says, live more in the moment. Instead of focusing on the calendar and what's coming up, focus on what's happening right now. Also, don't sweat the small stuff - try to be less rigid - learn to tackle my anger in a healthy way.

I've said this before and I think I need to remind myself again and again. I am divine by design and I want to continue to embrace who I am and what that means to world around me. I have a strong voice that can be used to help and inspire others. I am unique in spirit and need not worry about the opinions of others unless I choose to. I will step inside my power and celebrate all that I was created to be.

The big theme this year seems to be letting go. My grandmother used to say, "I don't like to look at stuff, I like to look at people." It was her way of saying that while things are nice, it's the people you surround yourself with and the relationships you form that should always deem the most value. I have been working on letting go of the useless possessions in my life because what good are they if they are just sitting around collecting dust. Through purging these things, I feel I can finally make room for new experiences AND I can finally work on a workable organization method =)

I would like to learn patience. I need resolution - good or bad - in order to feel safe. My need for resolution has made my husband finally decide to contemplate leaving me. I think I did that. I have been told my whole life to be patient - but I feel so insecure while waiting.

I would like to take more advantage of what is out there and stop being so scared of new things. I'd like to go back to school and really try and get my Rachel's Rarities off the ground. I'd like to really train to run a race. I really want to stop selling myself short.

Think before you speak - let others finish speaking before you start replying - take time to enjoy life - whatever that involves.

I want to just be me.

I am hoping I continue to get better at being productive. It feels so much better than spinning my wheels!

Go to bed earlier (he writes at 23:53 on a Tuesday night)! I'd like to be able to wake up in the mornings and get out of bed on the first alarm - much as I like (or need) snoozing until the latest possible moment before I have to get up. I think I'd function better at work with more sleep. I may referee better and I might get more stuff done early in the day rather than doing it late at night, which is when I seem to get my second wind at the moment. The last time I told my doctor about my sleeping habits he told me off and said I'd be at risk of losing my job if I let it continue.

"This life is not for wasting, it is for reaching to the wonderlands of your own consciousness" (Yogi Bhajan). Be present when you feel bored, down, overwhelmed. Breathe and everything changes -- reconnect and move on, life's too short, and you're worth it:)

I want to make more money. I want to work on being on time and not rushing, speeding or being unprepared. I want to improve my classroom management skills. I want to not be needy. I want to share what I have.

I would like to breathe in the air of "possible" and "do" this year. I want to write again, want to find my love of work again, want to feel the joy of connecting with someone else, and want to focus my energies and build something new.

To continue to step out of my comfort zone. To let my walls down. To put myself out there completely and experience the world to the fullest. You only have one life to live. You don't regret the things you try, you regret the opportunities you miss.

SLOW DOWN. In the moments of the days and hours I'm happy moving fast and never stopping but the looking back I don't love the impact. I think to do this I need to prioritize routines that get me exercising and outdoors AND UNPLUG me from technology - from facebook from messing around online so that I do more art and listen to more music and READ more. Oy it's so hard.

Breathe deeply. It's not me ... I am OK.

I'd like to be able to integrate all the parts of my life into a happier, more secure and productive life. I need to be able to utilize all the parts of my self to push forward. The best advice? "It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique... your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound reinvention" -Conan O'Brien Also, I hope that my list of mantras will come in handy here: -The best way out is always through -Remember sugar in your pocket -Get rid of everything that doesn't look like a duck -Focus and simplicity -An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure -Seek anagnorisis -Life is the sum of all your choices -All great truths begin as blasphemies -Teach, don't tell

Probably the best piece of advice I received in the last year was reading the book "The Art of Non-Conformity" by Chris Guillebeau. It really opened my eyes to the fact that there are other ways to live that are feasible. Especially since some of his examples included people with spouses and children.

I'd like to accept my situation, whatever it is. For example, I'd like to stop wishing I could afford to stay home with Lila instead of go to a paying job. I'd like to just accept it for what it is and make the most of it. The counsel I've received is probably no different than what most women with kids get - you can have it all, just not at the same time.

I want to learn to cherish and love the person who has been with me throughout the last arduous 20 years, Tanya my wife. We've drifted apart through our daily labours and it is time to get our love back!

I want to learn to be more content. I manufacture so much stress and worry for myself by fretting over things I cannot change, jobs which are too big to do in one go, items I cannot afford, places I cannot go, etc. My life is not so bad, and it's time I stopped treating it like it is.

HAVE FAITH! The universe works in mysterious ways and you cannot predict it. You may think you know what you want but you will get what you need. Really, remember the faith you learned in 2011 - life can be rough but it is always for the better. And you can wait for love. No rush!

Show up, slow down, listen, connect. Try, fail. Acknowledge my shortcomings, learn from them. Show up, slow down, listen, connect.

I would like to focus more on the now. The present, remembering the past and looking forward but living in the present. The events of the past year have been pretty constant reminders or even signs telling me to live for now. Again RENT provides some great life advice, which, considering his untimely death, was rather fortuitous and apt. "Forget regret or life is yours to miss." "No day but today" Also, Billie Joe Armstrong Tweeted something brilliant on April 23 2011. "Enjoy every second. Feel every second. Cry every second. Laugh every second. Destroy every second. Give every second." These quotes I hold dear to my heart and I will carry them with me forever. They mean so much and they remind me to live. It's kind of pathetic, but it is how it is.

I'd like to let go of my anger against RC. I'd like to get myself in better physical condition by losing a minimum of 20 lbs. I'd really like to go through the 'stuff' that's been packed away and get rid of or use it. And I'd like to make our home more comfortable and attractive!

I want to be more positive and relaxed. Worry seems to be my best friend. In fact, I'm obsessing about the construction project next door right now. Find the moment, the absolute beauty and joy in life and celebrate and savor it! That's what I want.

Understand that you will be taken care of. You always think that there's a chance it might fall apart, that you won't have enough money, enough support, enough friendship, but it ends up working out. Always. So have confidence in your choices, be bold, only do things that move you, that you love. Be brave about love. This year you haven't been incredibly brave, only partly, and every time you've been a little brave, it's gotten you closer to where you want to be.

I want to be a better student and learn to say no when I know I have other priorities that need to take precedent.

In the following year, I hope that I may keep on track with not sweating the small stuff. I used to get so worked up about everything, but these days it seems so much easier to focus on what's important and ignore the distractions, and I hope to not lose sight of that in the future.

My finances are out of control at the moment. I would like to be in a more financially secure position and be on the way to having savings for what will be the first time in my life.

I'm very open to the others. I think it's not so good. I'll try to be more "closed" :). To become more pationate- number I mission! Then, to get rid of most "grablies" in my life.

I would like to build into the rest of my life the type of attention and focus I bring to the High Holidays. I would like to make more regular time for meditation, reflection, shabbat. I would like to turn down the dial on the mishigas, the daily distractions, escapes, and stimulations, so that I can turn up the dial on what is happening in my heart, and strengthen the attention I have for the people that I love and the parts of life that really matter.

I'd like to complete the getting-a-raise process, and ask for other perks. The advice that my friend gave me is "if you're worth it, then claim it" (and I am worth it - I'm a very good employee, not just a lazy sack who does the bare minimum).

I'd like to come closer to Hashem, learn more Torah and have a more spiritual life style. I want to be strengthened in my yiddishkeit.

As I reflect on the upcoming year, I really want to make a permanent change in my diet and exercise habits in order to maintain long-term health. I have begun the change by working out regularly and starting to eat more healthfully, but I haven't seen it reflected in my weight or size. I know that I have to really commit in ways that are not enjoyable, and lean into that discomfort in order to make a real change. I also want to potentially start running to make this happen -- and eventually (though it seems impossible now!) run a half-marathon. In terms of advice, "Just do it!" seems appropriate, albeit cliché. What's stopping me?

Don't sweat the small stuff. I need to stop worrying about every little thing. I need to not be afraid to lose my possessions, they're not that important. I should take care of myself and the people I love.

I would like to make sure my son is taken care of and have a better relationship with my children overall. The best advise, " Steve Jobs asking if it was the last day you would live would you do what you're doing right now"

I would like to be healthier. Due to a couple illnesses, I have gained quite a bit of weight -- 70 pounds. But now that one ailment is under control and the other has been nipped in the bud, I need to take the reins and start catering to this body. I would like to lose at least 30 pounds by this time next year by exercising regularly and gaining control of what I eat. This may be hindered by what I think may be a food addiction, but I will need to overcome that as well. My body is more important.

I want the discipline of remembering what I want. I want to increase my ability to tolerate small discomforts when that's in my best interest. In other words, I want to use time better. I don't necessarily have a huge amount of it left, almost certainly less than I've used thus far.

I want to become more active; I want to follow my dreams; I want to help others; I want to raise my self esteem and stop caring about what other people think. Thinking about how other people see you stops you from doing what you want to do.. it is a waste of time.

I want to be more thoughtful when I listen and especially when I talk. I want to try to get through the year without hurting anyone's feelings or pissing anyone off! Probably not possible, but I'd like to try. Advice: Just as you should measure twice and cut once, I'd like to think twice before I say yes or no. Remember "maybe" is a great answer.

Don't procrastinate so much. Get off your ass and do things right away, or else it wont get done.

self confidence is key to a romantic relationship, if you don't believe you deserve to be loved it is very hard to allow someone to love you

Practice MINDFULNESS, really do it!!! even if I have to join a group SLOW DOWN....DO LESS......BE FOCUSSED DO VOLUNTEER WORK.....AND CREATIVE WORK BE REALLY REALLY NICE TO MEL SAY NO TO PROTECT MY TIME STOP OBSESSING ....WHINING, OR EVEN THINKING ABOUT PETTY GRIEVANCES RE OTHERS STAY IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY REV UP MY SENSE OF HUMOR.....DANCE, LAUGH, SING, BE SILLY, BE A LITTLE NUTS.... REMEMBER ZORBA THE GREEK

I would like to "be present." This is the best advice I was given by a friend was to read "The Power of Now." Yes, I want to achieve future goals but I also want to appreciate where I am now.

I'd like to be more punctual. My continued lateness is a continual struggle in all aspects of my life (personal, professional and religious).

I'm sure we all say this, and say it every year, but I'd like to be at a healthy weight. I had hoped to do so before having a child, but am not sure that is going to happen. Regardless, it's motivation to get healthy and I think it's time I do something about it.

I would like to continue to be happy. Acceptance is the keyest of key things. Several times last year I thought, well, that's not going to happen. That has passed you by. And it hurt like hell. And then it passed! I would like to remember THAT TOO HAS PASSED. And now please give a warm Chotzinoff welcome to _____. I would like to remain grateful for happiness, the kind that comes with acceptance. I am 53. I am having a good time.

continue finding companions... who want to live and play full out... not victims determined by their fear. as frances said, allies will emerge. like alan watts on my mp3 player... what a joy to have found a companion i can feel fully engaged with... not distracted by the myriad external and internal illusory infinities of life while i am with him. aahhh. what relief this is. to live, act, hear, see feel fully present. to care for and stretch and strengthen my physical body in fun and connecting ways... gymnastics, horses, yoga... to KNOW time is not a straight line.... and the relief and opportunity of that knowing. to be hear now... as a co-creator, a co-liver, a co-llaborator in a co-munity.

I'd like to be more driven and confident. I've come quite a long way since last year but I feel there's still work that needs to be done. Maybe just get a job and it will all come with it.

I would like to be bolder. Take more risks. Follow Adrianne, my improv teacher's sage advice, "Go before you're ready."

I want to be more of the person I see myself as. Carefree yet passionate, and still intelligent. I also have to learn that I'm worth losing weight and having an opinion. Professors of mine have had a huge impact on the direction I'll go. One in particular - he's spent hours talking to me individually about where I'll go and what I'll do, and more importantly the reasons behind my choices. His lectures themselves were enough to inspire anyone. And I can't forget the first man who led me to future classes, thank you for being our companion and introducing us to the game.

As my shrink says, 'You need to learn to let other take care of you for a change, instead of you taking care of everyone else.' That's definitely my goal. I have been a caretaker since I was a young girl, and it's difficult for me to let the wall down and let others care and worry about me. I want that, but I don't know how to take off a lifetime of armor I've built around myself and let others in. But I will learn.

I'd like to force myself to be more outgoing, to put myself out there in situations I may not think I'll like or be comfortable in. It's the only way I'm going to meet new people, learn new things and become a better person.

"Everything happens for a reason." Such a simple and traditional piece of advice, but a very necessary thing to keep in mind. Similarly, there is a quote from Malcolm X -- "Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient." I need to remember these two phrases, but also not use them as an excuse to not take control of my own life. I need to find a balance of accepting and defining my own fate.

Life is what you make of it. I found this out many years ago, but this year I saw a photo with the same quote. I really want to be more positive.

I would like to overcome my malaise and realize that I need to exert effort (at first) to become the person I need to be. Once I add exercise, eating right and getting up and groomed to my regular day, it won't be "work" anymore, it'll just be how I do things. It'll just be me. Right now, my appearance is a whole lot of not caring. I'd like to look better--and hopefully feel better--with a new routine.

I want to be able to appreciate my worth to others. This impacts my ongoing job search and my relationship with friends who are no longer close by. I need to be able to understand that even if someone does not put effort into keeping in touch with me, it doesn't mean that they wouldn't appreciate or even love a call.

I have to start learning to believe in my self, and remember that cooler heads prevails.

"Stand up for yourself." I want to be more confident in myself and have more self worth. I want to be able to stand up for myself, not just for the people I care about. I want people to look at and say "Wow, she's self confident" but I also want to be able to see that in myself.

I want to continue my journey of spending more time with family. It's really only this year that I've taken the time to get together with my kids, and even do things with my wife, on our own without other people around. I think that time is the best thing we can give someone else, and it is something that I have more of, and at the same time, have less of now that I am getting older. It's kind of odd that I have three kids in their 20's who no longer live at home and have their own lives. That's why I think it's important to connect with them, so they don't end up having a relationship like I do with my parents. So, far, I'm doing pretty good on this. I want to continue along this path.

To accept being "Good enough"!

My counsel to myself: Have enough faith in myself to trust that I'll make the right decisions given the information available at the time. That's really all I can control. What's been frustrating about the past few years is that so much of how my life goes is determined by other people and their decisions, from people I meet singing karaoke to gazillionaire bank executives. I frequently find myself thinking of Bonnie Gillespie's advice about auditioning: Book the room. Be someone other people want to work with, so I come to mind when a project comes up. That's how I ended up as a regular in this sketch show: I did a favor for a friend of a friend, and he wanted to keep working with me. But it's also how I try to approach situations with uncertain outcomes: Be a decent person, and trust myself. Sometimes it even kind of works.

Less introspection, more action.

Yes! I have learned that my thyroid is not happy and that I need to detoxify. Which I will do. I will water fast and allow my body to heal itself. I've started playing tennis again and I'm lovin' it.

I want to keep swimming. I want to trust my instincts. I want to listen. I want to tell the truth. I want to be present. I want to live free of self-judgment. I want to continue making choices out of love, not fear. I still hold by the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, which reminds us: "Now is the right time."

I'd like to work harder at school work, and not get bogged down in petty social things. I'd like to really explore my spirituality, and not feel embarrassed about talking about it with other people.

I am prone to get distracted and waste time significantly. All I could take are the words of Steve Jobs: "You don't have enough time".

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?" Keep doing new and different things.

These are all quotes (separated by the periods)That i live by today, all pieces of advice you can take your own way. If you can dream you can do it. Family isn't about whose blood you have but who you care about. If you got other people on your side you can accomplish even the unthinkable. nothing is a mission impossible but yet a dream waiting to become reality. Its the experience you make out of it. The hardest test of all LIFE....Life.

I want to appreciate being spontaneous. This year I embraced it and bought a car, found a new apartment, went on vacations, and went in an air plane for the first time all because I decided to live my life and not stress about time and money. This year I want to continue to live my life with some randomness, make balloon animals for fun, try new hobbies, call up old friends... Just have fun (while still being responsible).

I need to take the time to breathe. Chill out, find something that keeps me relaxed or that I can de-stress with. I waste so much energy on stressing out, that I forget about the great things I have around me!

- Be better at holding my own hand (not needing so much validation from V) and be better at positive self-talk. - Replenish and nourish my circle of friends. - ALSO would like to get my weight back down into the 120 range. My friend A.R. told me that when she was depressed back in college, she looked at herself in the mirror each morning and said, "I'm so fucking hot." (Actually, that was what someone else told her that he said to himself.) Maybe I need a mantra -- one that is clever and inspiring and feisty. (Whatever it is that I'm trying to bring out in myself, make it that. Definitely confident.)

I would like to be a more spiritual person. Less worldly and more of an activist. I would also like to work on personal projects and interests more and pick up old hobbies again.

Wellness! Must lose 75 lbs! Want to learn to prepare healthy meals for me and my son!! Exercise is a requirement for my own mental health as well!!! Yoga would be supurb!!! Work life balance!!! Financial responsibility is essential for my family!!! Closer relationship with mom and Sis!!

"That is no longer your life, your life is the moment that you are breathing in...as soon as you exhale that moment is gone...so saver the sweetness and let it go. I hope to truly feel the strength of my body, the depth of my spirit, and the wisdom of my mind

I would like a NEW JOB that engages me and my creativity and enables me to participate fully with integrity, enthusiasm, energy and passion! I want to LOVE what I do and BELIEVE in what I do, knowing that I am doing something POSITIVE that makes a difference in people's lives on an individual, community and/or global level. And I would like the transition to be EASY!

I would like to get better at not taking life, and myself, so seriously. I think it would help me relax, have more fun, be more present, see the humor in things easier. Some advice I came across that I can use to guide me is the Fuck It philosophy. I came across this book on Amazon, though didn't feel I needed to read it because the gist was clear enough and really resonated: Fuck it! I.e. Who cares, it doesn't matter, there's nothing new under the sun, don't worry be happy, they'll get over it, you'll get over it, nobody thinks about you as much as you do, etc. Fuck it.

Stay sober. Keep coming back. It works if you work it.

I want to have a better attitude towards everything. I need to get past this depression stuck in my life. Hopefully, I will exercise more, and begin to lose my physical baggage.

My body needs attention - my teeth, the skin on my back, my core and infrastructure (left hip). I also need a good check up including blood work and prostate and heaven knows what else...

I continue to receive guidance and counsel on a regular basis from my therapist, which is invaluable. I feel that I am in a very special place of transition and that my goal of revisiting "fun" and "play" will really help to balance out my personality and increase the warmth and love I wish to bring to the lives of those with whom i interact.

A few pieces of advice from my therapist and a friend that I want to make sure I carry with me: - Feelings are fluid. (They will change!) - Look for your truth. Be honest with yourself. It may take a little while to come to this truth-honesty, and that's okay. - Breathing, meditation, writing, yoga, running, time to myself for myself. These are things I need to be well. Oh, and sleep. I need to sleep more regularly.

I need to be more active. I would like to strengthen my core and thus fee stronger physically, and emotionally. I want to have more confidence in my physical abilities and use an afternoon workout to shake out the day's work.

- Find positivity as much as possible - Focus and avoid procrastination - Be assertive and decisive - Eat well, exercise, and make space for myself to grow.

I would like to find happiness and balance. To improve myself, I like this new idea that I heard, perhaps at shul, I forget, if I work on something new for a little bit everyday (guitar, drawing, yoga, trapeze, writing!) in a year from now my life will be deepened my new endeavor. I need to pick the thing I will do for 15 min a day for the next year. Is it writing? guitar? Drawing? Trapeze? • A little bit a day • Realistic expectations • Don't beat yourself up • Don't quit How about I finally commit to my journal. One line a day, that's it. At minimum, a tweet to myself everyday. This is my year of healing, there's as much change going on as there was when I was in college (maybe not as much, but still a lot). I'm not as angry as I was, as raw as I was, and not as drained as I was, so now is the time. To really measure my healing process for this year will be the biggest gift I can give to myself. Next year I can help Free the Slaves. Re-reading the question, I'm not sure if "journaling" counts as "improving oneself" but anything that will help me heal my heart & head this year is an improvement in my book.