After the long drama in my previous post, I would like to redeem myself by writing something that overflows with high hopes and positivity. I want to share my goals for 2013. Honestly, planning my life in a span of a year was never and will never be me. I live in the principle of living each day as each comes. Though I have my own set of dreams and ambitions, drawing an everyday path doesn't define me. So why bother to divert from my usual self? The answer lies in the great challenge that awaits me in the next three years.

It took me days to finish this post. I initially identified 18 goals to accomplish for 2013. As much as I want to share everything, I felt that it's best if I would trim down my goals and simplify them accordingly.



Living simple means diverting from all the material possessions and discovering other things that would make life more meaningful.

I need to do this starting today. I need to particularly simplify the aspect of my life that deals with the material needs and wants. Shopping should be reduced and trips to the mall should be avoided. To survive my next three years, I need to return to my life back when I was just beginning to work. Lesser expenditures to make room for all the bills to pay and the savings account that is dying to be fed.

In exchange for that much needed prudence, I wanted to discover more things that would make life more meaningful. Diverting to DIY projects, reviving my interests to arts and crafts, learning to cook and the nearest to my ability, reading more books and blogging more about them are some things I wanted to focus on for 2013.



I was expecting something to happen in my career after my research presentation in Taiwan. I was looking forward to that much needed spark and enthusiasm in working. To be honest, I felt a degree of exhaustion and saturation with my office work. I'm still battling this challenge at this point. However, when I think of all the bills to pay and the savings to generate, my drowning spirits are uplifted again.

In a way, the financial aspect of my life can provide that much needed drive to work. However, such is not the motivation I wanted. When I say I want to work harder, I meant some inner force and inspiration to keep me going and make me love the work that defines my everyday.
 

My spiritual life took a step back in this year. It's my fault. I allowed my own sadness and frustrations to overcome me. I'm ashamed to admit it, but this was my greatest weakness for this year. For this year, my simple wish and goal is to renew my faith and spiritual life. I wanted to be spiritually well too. My simple promise to myself is that I will pray more. I will return to that simple practice of starting my day with a prayer and ending it by thanking Him for all the blessings and challenges that came.

2013 is a critical year for me. This is the year that will define half of my life's direction. I'm almost near to living with the idea of it's either I make it or break it. Three hundred sixty-five days from now, I shall look back to this post and verify whether I have complied with my desired goals. Hopefully, in God's grace and my own perseverance, I can make things happen in 2013.