Well, Christmas is over, and you know what that means!

No, it doesn’t mean “EAT ALL THE CANDY!!!” Jonathan, I’m looking at you, with the giant box of See’s chocolates on your lap.

It’s New Year’s resolution time! The time of year when we make lists of goals or dreams we want to accomplish in the coming year, but end up not doing because they’re either too vague, too unrealistic, or we just plain forget about them. For me it’s usually the latter, since I have terrible memory. Some people *coughMomcough* says it’s selective memory loss, but…well, crap, she’s right.

In the past I was guilty of arbitrarily putting things on my list in the hopes of them becoming self-fulfilling prophecy; they’re on the list, so they’re just going to happen. However, that’s not how it works. You actually have to work at achieving these goals you have set, and that’s probably why my resolutions in the past years have not been very successful. This year, I’m going to keep it simple: easily attainable goals that will help me become a better person.

So, without further ado: Alyssa’s List of Betterment!

1. Be nicer to people/Be more patient. I like to think I’m generally a nice person. Heck, it’s part of my job description! Customer service…basically, be nice to the customer. Not that tough. Wheaton’s Law sums it up perfectly: “Don’t be a dick.” My problem is that I get annoyed very easily. Jonathan can attest to this. It’s typically not a big thing that annoys me; it’s more of a series of small, inane things that pile on top of each other unto my brain goes all green and Hulk-like and yells “IDIOT SMASH!!!!” Of course, I try to keep my outward appearance calm and collected, but sometimes I slip and get a bit snarkier than I need to be. I don’t want to be like that anymore. I will make an effort to not be annoyed by stupid little things, and though it may be difficult, it will be good for me in the long run.

2. Eat less, Move more. Since this time last year, I’ve lost 30 pounds. Wait, sorry. I didn’t lose it, I got rid of it. I don’t want to find it ever again! I count that as a pretty big accomplishment, and I aim to get rid of an additional 30 pounds this coming year. I’ve already signed up for the “Get Fit” challenge at my gym, and though it’d be pretty awesome to win the 1st place prize, I’d actually prefer the 4th place prize. $250 towards a new wardrobe or a series of free personal training sessions? If you know me, you know I’m gonna pick the cash.

3. Be craftier/Write more. I’m gonna lump these two together, because they both stem from the side of my brain that isn’t often used. It’s difficult for me to create things, since I’m used to reading or admiring other people’s words and creations. I recently discovered that I too want to put something out in the world for others to enjoy, and working on this goal will allow me to do just that. I’ve gotten a lot of crafty inspiration from my friend Tifany of Inkblots by TRD, and from Jen Yates of Epbot. As for words…I’ve always been an avid reader, and my inspiration for blogging currently comes from the minds of Wil Wheaton, The Bloggess, and Jeff of “Saporito Means Tasty!” (all very fun reads, and I urge you to go check them out)

4. ????

5. Profit!

Haha, sorry. I had to. Reddit has ruined me. Maybe that’s another thing I should resolve to do: Spend less time on Reddit. Naaaahhhhhh.

So, that’s my short but easy-to-work-on list of things I want to accomplish this year. I am hoping to stay motivated by myself, but I won’t turn down some help from you, my dear readers. If you see that it’s been a while and I haven’t posted, talk some smack to me on Twitter. Alternatively, those of you who know me in real life could give me a good smack on the forehead. That should help.