12 Things To Cross Out This 2012

We're now on the first week of 2012 and I must say that some of the things I planned to do every day of the entire year is successful. Care to know what are these?

1. I must be up before 6:30 AM strikes.
2. I must leave for work by 7:55 AM to make it to the shuttle and arrive at TV5 on time.
3. I must avoid taking a taxi cab going to North Avenue when I'm bound to The Fort. 

Check, check, check. Yay! :)

I know it's such a pain to live by these everyday simple rules but I'm slowly working on it. I am motivated by the fact that if I'm able to take the free shuttle provided by our company, I'll save up to P150/week (P30 per way going to Novaliches from North Avenue) or P600/month or P7200 in one year! Whoop, imagine that!

But of course there are other things I need to cross out on my checklist this year. I admit, some can be achieved with a wink of an eye or with a snap of my fingers. All I need to do is to make time for this and be surrounded by people who support me (financially and morally). Ready?

1. Get a driver's license. This is on the top of my list. I need this in my life. I want other valid identification cards aside from my passport and company ID. I also want to take the car out and drive myself to places I'm going to without bugging, pleasing and convincing someone to go with me. Plus, it feels legal. And more matured.

2. Save money. I'm employed for almost three years now and haven't saved enough money for my future. I spend endlessly on things I don't really need (makeups I don't use often, shoes I don't wear, milk teas, coffees, junk foods). I'm targeting a certain amount of money for myself this year. Sad to say, expect less travels from me this year for a more bonggacious travel in years to come. I'm also avoiding Topshop, Aldo, Forever 21 and other favorite brands this year but more thrift shops and vintage finds will rule my closet.

3. Buy a bigger closet. Now that I mentioned my closet, I believe it's time for me to upgrade my existing storage. Some of my clothes are hung on my bed pole, in my parents' closet, in my sister's.. they are piled up all over our place. Hence, a bigger space won't hurt and will actually give all those concerned a space to breathe.

4. Go to Little Tokyo. Paolo and I, as well as my friends from the Monthly Period, have been planning this for so long but did not ever find the time to go here. See? To think that this little Japanese cuisine paradise is located in Makati... Oh well, I promise to visit this place on or before I turn a year older. Mark that!

5. Enroll in a school. Be it a short course for fashion styling (again), makeup, cooking, dressmaking, writing or anything that interests me, I'd love to learn new things and improve what I already know. I also want to take the opportunity to start on my Masters this year, now that my youngest sister is finishing college this summer. Time is gold!

6. Practice my writing. I know I'm not a pro but writing is and will always be my first love. I did not take any academic course or whatever to be called a writer and I don't want to label myself as a known blogger, too. But even without titles like these, I want to, like to, need to and love to write.

7. Read more books and magazines. I want to put the blame on books and magazines for losing a perfect eye vision but every time I think of all the ideas, things and stories I read back in the days, I forget how unclear my sight is. I am beyond thankful that I spent sleepless nights finishing an R. L. Stine or a Francine Pascal book, or ditched an Uno game with my sisters just to read a dictionary or an encyclopedia. Books, like shoes, take us to good places, and I want to go places one page at a time. 

8. Live healthy. I always make sure to get at least an 8-hour sleep at night, I try my best to drink glasses of water, I take Berocca, eat fruits and vegetables but these aren't enough. I still get sick. I also stopped smoking (I consumed five sticks of cigarettes the entire 2011, sorry) and now an occasional drinker (I used to drink almost everyday when I was working in Makati). And the worst case of my eating habits--putting a spoonful of patis on my rice--is now brought to an end. Alright, I'm trying. It's really hard for me to eat without patis but I'm staying away from it now. I swear. And lastly, exercise. I possess a lazy a$$.

9. Take more, and better photos of myself. Admit it. Choosing a profile picture on Facebook is quite stressful especially if we do not have good ones to show our friends and strangers. I envy those who can strike a pose in public places and those who are brave enough to bring out their cameras in a crowded place. And one more thing, photos aren't for kikay girls alone! Someday, we'll look back at our old selves. Photos are the best memory keepers!

10. Watch Gossip Girl, Seasons 1-5. Reading this from Blair Waldorf's number one fan, it's hard to believe that I haven't seen even a single episode of season 5. I did not even manage to finish season 4 and missed a number of episodes of season 3. I want to devote a weekend doing nothing except for a Gossip Girl marathon... and Twitter. Now, where can I download these five seasons? Or please be kind enough to give me a copy of your copies if you have one. Thank you!

11. Discover new places to eat and new foods to eat. This may oppose items 2 and 8 but hell yeah, next to fashion, makeup and traveling is food. I don't care if it's a street food or a chef's compliment, homemade or delivered. Trying out a newly-opened restaurant or a carinderia  popularized by word of mouth won't hurt.

12. Do things I never thought I'd be doing. Surprise, surprise! Who knows? :)

Now I have a year-round to do this. One item per month, maybe? Let's see! I still have other things in mind but they pop out like yeah when I'm in the shower or when I'm doing anything else.

Have a great Friday night, you all! It's the first weekend of the year. Have a blast! :)

♥,