12 for 12

Happy 2012 readers!

I love that the first word that I’m publishing for the year is happy – because seriously readers. Get Happy. I’ve talked to a number of you this week and your all Grumpy McGrumpersons. Cut it out. Yeah the holidays are over, yeah you probably started a fad diet or detox and that’s why you’re being crappy and yeah the weather sucks, but what’s so different each January!?

I don’t like to make resolutions. They are too difficult to keep and always involve weight, exercise and budgeting and what’s fun about that? NOTHING.

So I came up with my 12 for 12 - the Shot of Brandi* version of resolutions.  My (in my head) Best Friend Lauren Conrad said that she is making a monthly calendar reminder on her phone to check in with her resolutions – maybe I’ll do that too. Thanks LC!

In no particular order:

1. Eat More Nutella – I dabbled in this fad near the end of 2011 and I’m smitten. I like the idea of adding something not so hot to my diet vs. cutting everything out!

2. BB becomes iBrandi – It’s time I befriend more Apple products. Santa brought the Smithkowski’s an iPad and I’m officially joining the iPhone world at some point this month. What’s next, a Shot of Brandi* App?

3. Keep Things Simple – In 2011 I found myself saying “keep it simple” a lot and I really like this motto. Don’t overcomplicate things. Work, home life, friendships – keep it simple. And if it isn’t, consider cutting it out of my life!

4. Network – I read in a magazine that you should get some vitamin D each day at lunch because people start to feel sleepy around 1:00 p.m., so a little D can help during lunch. Rather than sit in my cube and scarf down some soup, I’m going to get up, get out and network more. The goal is a monthly lunch with a friend or colleague.

5. Back, Back, Back It Up – On a quarterly basis, I’m going to back up my computer, photo and song files!

6. Just Say No – B and I are people persons. Therefore, we sometimes have a difficult time saying no to dinners, drinks, parties, shots...So in 2012, I’m going to say no more. The goal here is to only go out one weekend night vs. 2.

7. Keep Learning – I’m officially old in saying that sometimes I really like listening to lectures or taking a class at work. I plan to look for more ways to continue learning. It may be a craft class, a computer class or an extra training at work.

8. Play the Lottery – I mean the luck for the lotto should be in my genes, right? That darn Powerball is always so high, why not take a $2 chance!?

9. Be More Digital – In 2011 I became an early adapter on Pinterest and my Klout score went up. Today we were talking Clouds at work and I’m not an Evernote member, but what can I do to get less or more out of these emerging technologies? I’d also like to do more things online – read more magazines and keep files online. For a while I was all “don’t let magazines die,” but my mail tends to get lost or not sent, so screw the mail.

10. Be Less Digital – Ha. Talk about hypocritical! I need to spend LESS time on a computer. I tend to spend all day at work banging the keys and then at night (while blogging!). I need to spend less time starting at a screen!

11. Work On My Relationship with Facebook – Right now I’d say my relationship with Facebook is “Complicated.” I had a breakdown this fall when I found myself being too curious about a girl that I hardly spoke to in high school’s life. I thought – why do I really care? I wouldn’t have cared in high school, why am I checking her page to see what she posts and looking at her family vacation pictures? I thought about ending my Facebook account overall, but I wouldn’t get to see those pictures of my friend’s and family’s new kids. Rather than end my Facebook account, I decided to hide all of the status messages and updates of the people that I really didn’t care about, but I think in 2012, I may find a better way to use the book.

12. Talk Less, Do More – self explanatory ; )

Okay 2012, let’s do this!