I love New Year’s Resolutions. Writing down my wide-eyed dreams for the next 365 days gives me great hope. But then, I hate New Year’s Resolutions. Because around the middle of April I realize just how pie-in-the-sky they really were.

Take my recurring annual goal, “Get Organized.” I’ve learned it’s about as easy to accomplish as shoveling snow in the middle of a blizzard. At some point it’s more realistic to toss the shovel and go sledding.

So, I think it’s time to flip some New Year’s Resolutions upside-down. Turn them into things we can actually accomplish, for crying out loud. For 2 years, I posted the same 10. But now, I’m adding two more to make it 12. And, I have a feeling you won’t have any trouble accomplishing them.

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With this in mind, here are my 12 hopes for you for at least a few moments of this year:

I hope you will be…

1. MESSY

Because it will mean you were creative.

“Take chances, makes mistakes, get messy!” ~Ms. Frizzle, The Magic School Bus

2. LONELY

Because it will drive you to make a new friend.

“Loneliness is God’s gift that drives us into relationship and enlarges our hearts to love.” ~Shana Schutte

3. SAD

Because it will mean your heart was soft enough to feel.

“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.” ~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

4. IGNORANT

Because it will give you the desire to learn.

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” ~Pablo Picasso

5. A MISTAKE-MAKER

Because it will mean you tried something new.

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” ~Albert Einstein

6. WRONG

Because it means you get to say you’re sorry.

“Apologizing is difficult because it requires humility.” ~Renee Garfinkel

7. NEEDY

Because it gives you the gift of asking for help.

“Forget what you’ve been told–seeking assistance is the sign of a great leader.” ~Lorie Corcuera

8. BORED

Because then you might be inventive.

“A little boredom breeds creativity.” ~Steve Maxwell

9. UNCERTAIN

Because then you will have to trust.

“Uncertainty is crucial, it is God’s proving ground, a place of unparalleled character growth.” ~Tom Avery

10. WEAK

Because then you will see the power of God.

“My grace is enough for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” ~God

11. SCARED

Because then you might be doing something that feels waaaay bigger than you.

If you’re anticipating trying something new this year that terrifies you, post a comment here or on Facebook. Let’s encourage each other as we embrace the dawn of a new year.

When we turn our New Year’s Resolutions upside down, they become goals we can actually accomplish! And if we accomplish these, I have a feeling we’ll become people of deeper character, teachable, real, dependent on God, and full of love and empathy for those around us.

12. ANXIOUS

Because then you might pray.

“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” ~Henry Ward Beecher

Here’s to a beautiful year!

This blog post was originally published on DrHeidiPetak.com.

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