7 revolutionary resolutions:

I may have made essentially the same New Year's resolutions every year for as long as I can remember, but this year is different.  I swear.

Image found here

1. Write:

Now that I don't have the excuse of uni work, I really should write more.  I don't have much of an excuse not to.  They say everyone has at least one novel in them, but even seeing a short story through would feel like an achievement for me at the moment!  I'll admit it, I'm pretty lazy for someone who claims to want to be a writer some day.  Still, writing regular blog posts has kept my brain ticking over during the last few months, and I'm planning to dedicate at least one morning a week solely to creative writing.  This is definitely my longest standing (and so far unachieved) resolution.  Wish me luck...!

2. Read:

All the way through university, I kept looking forward to a time when I would finally graduate and have the time to read books I wanted to read again, not just ones I was being told to read by my tutors.  It's now over half a year later, and I have succeeded in reading one whole book.  I did more reading when I was lying in bed feeling ill over Christmas than I have since graduation, and I've realised that this has got to change.  For one thing, I love reading (when I actually convince myself to put the internet away and pick up a book).  For another, I'm never going to be able to write anything worth reading if I don't learn from the enormous number of great authors whose work I have at my fingertips.  I was given Bill Bryson's entire back catalogue in paperback form for Christmas, and that seems like a pretty good place to restart my love affair with books.

3. Blog:

I'm pleasantly surprised that I've managed to keep this blog up to date for almost six months now, but I always feel like I could be doing more with it.  I'm not the best when it comes to taking photographs, creating graphics or even coming up with exciting content, but I'd like to spend some time improving on these aspects of blogging this year.  I have a few friends who blog regularly, but I would like to meet more bloggers, and maybe even attend a blogger meet up some time.

4. Decorate:

My aim was to have the flat up to scratch by Christmas time but, of course, it never happened.  There are still boxes in the spare room that I haven't managed to unpack yet, and there are endless odds and ends that I still need to buy and have been on my 'to buy' list since before we even moved in...  Then there are the mammoth tasks that we keep putting off, like covering our poor naked sofa and changing the curtains on our 108 inch high windows.  But I've decided just to bite the bullet and get stuff done.  That way, I'll have a lovely flat for 2013, and I'll also have some more things to write about here on Inferior Design!

5. Save:

My Dad is insanely good at saving money, but he can't remind me to save half of my pocket money every week now that I don't live at home anymore.  This year, I'd like to get into the habit of saving even a little bit of money when I get paid each month.  As funny as it might sound coming from a 22 year old, I should probably start thinking seriously about saving for my pension soon so that I'm not forced to work into my 7os or 80s!  I'd also like to start putting money towards treats for myself, like one of the amazing (but ever so pricey) treatments at the new Lush Spa on Princes Street.

6. Travel:

It seems like almost everyone I know is either jetting off for an extended holiday abroad, or spending a year teaching somewhere sunny after graduating.  I don't really have the freedom or money to go travelling at the moment (as much as I would love to do it!) but I've decided to start saving for a short trip away at some point this year.  Paris?  Somewhere in Italy, maybe?  I'll figure it out!

7. Waste less time:
This is easily the most important of all my resolutions.  I waste so much time every night on the internet or watching TV, yet I'm always complaining that I never have any time to do anything.  The temptation to sit on my bum, eat my tea and go to bed when I get in from work every night is pretty strong, but it would make for a pretty boring life in the long run.  Although the internet is an amazing tool for research and communication, it's also far too addictive.  I need to remember that the world isn't going to end if I don't read every single status on Facebook!

Do you have any goals in mind for 2013?  You can always check out the lovely Fiona's recent resolution post on her blog, Country Girl - City Life, if you're looking for more inspiration!