Resolution Recount

New Year's resolutions make my stomach hurt. I just don't feel up to the task anymore. I've made so many, and kept so few. I don't have any faith in my ability to keep them anymore! Every year I start with the most wonderful intentions. I come up with three or four creative and personal ideas that I want to carry through the year. I can count on one hand the resolutions I've seen through to completion in recent memory. In 2005 I read the Bible through, Genesis to Revelation, in less than a year. In 2006 I invented a job for myself (the best job I've ever had!). And in 2009 I let go of my own strongholds and fears and agreed to pull up stakes and move. But how many years have seen me determine to do something (often involving diet and exercise), only to give up by the second week of February?

Does this sound like I'm giving up on making New Years Resolutions? I'm not. I think, in part, I am too much of a perfectionist. If I don't start on January 1st, I've failed and there are no "redos". That's not what is happening this year. It is January 11th, and I really haven't gotten much of a start on any of my resolutions, but that's okay. I can start now. I can start next week. As long as I determine to start! So, here goes. Here is the 2012 list.

1. No more buying books. This is the only one that I have actually started already. I've encountered a number of gasps when I tell people this. It seems buying books is a very intrinsic component of my personality, and few of my friends actually think I'll be able to follow through. I do allow a couple of exceptions: a) I can download books to my Kobo if I have a gift card (and I do have a couple of gift cards handy in case I go into withdrawal), and b) I can use credit at the used bookstore, meaning I have to get rid of books to get books. Hopefully those two caveats will carry me through a year of no book buying. My sister-in-law is already playing devil's advocate trying to trick me into buying something, but I'm onto her game. Clearly I have more than enough books on my shelves and my Kobo to carry me through a year without adding to them. I'm actually curious to see how many of them I can get through this year. I think it might be fun!
2. Diet and excercise. I don't think I really need to expand on this one. It is as distasteful to talk about as it is to do. But I'm going to do it. The virtue I am teaching this month in Sunday School is self-control, so I should be ready to go by the end of the month! I made it through an entire evening without a snack last night, even while sitting next to my snacking husband on the couch (Don't think I didn't give him guilt for it!). I am armed with a new Jillian Michaels exercise video. I haven't tried it yet, but I shelled out ten bucks for it, so I am determined to use it. Starting tomorrow.
3. Writing more. I guess I could go to extemes and say I'm going to blog every day, or every school day. I've done that before. But blogging isn't the only writing I'm planning on doing, so I don't want to commit to that. I will blog more. In fact, a mini-resolution is to write more than 65 blog posts (my 2011 number) in 2012, and maybe even beat my 2010 number of 139, which is basically three a week, and that's my goal anyway. But this post actually grew out of a fun writing exercise I tried, so maybe it will all sort of grow together. Who knows? I guess I'm starting this one today.
4. Finding my path. I almost didn't write this one down, since it sounds kind of airy-fairy and hippie-dippie, but it is a pretty important one. At the beginning of 2012 I find myself at a place where I have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. Okay, so that's not completely true; I know I want to teach, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards, at least not at the public school level. So it's time to branch out my search and see what is out there that could turn into a career for me. We really can't afford the luxury of me staying home forever. This was supposed to be the time in our lives when we become a two income family. So I guess it's time for me to figure out where that second income is going to come from. Time to send Connor out to work, I guess! *hahaha*

So there we are, four resolutions. Nothing too terribly daunting (except that second one, ugh. Good thing I have an awesome FB support group! Hang tough, girls!). If anyone has any tried and true "resolution keeping" advice, I'd be happy to hear it. I know I've kept resolutions before, and I know I can again if I really try! And if you have made any resolutions of your own, let me know and we can keep each other accountable. Happy New Year! Starting today!

September Resolutions

I've never been much of a "New Years Resolutions" kind of girl. Oh, of course I've made resolutions! But I've never been good at keeping them. I'm much more of a "September Resolutions" keeper. It makes more sense to me. New school year, new routines, new habits. So here is a quick list of this year's September Resolutions.

1. Fitness—This one is mandatory. I am going to spend some serious time on my new bike and my Wii Fit. When I got the Wii Fit for Christmas last year my brother's comment was "I hope you're ready to start hearing your Wii insult you." Well, I'm not really ready, and I know it's coming, but I'm going to do it anyway! Starting today!
2. Breakfast—I never have time to eat breakfast before the kids go to school, but I've decided that I do have time for a glass of water and an apple. That way, I get my metabolism going before I finish the morning routine and get the kids to school. Then I can come home to a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal or a bagel.
3. Reading more—Okay, if you know me you probably don't think I need to be reading more. But honestly, I have a bookcase full of books that I want to read! And I waste way too much time watching tv or browsing on the computer. So I'm going to seriously cut that wasted time down and spend some time getting through all those books I've been longing to read. AND I resolve to NOT read books I don't want to read. Even for my book club! If I've read 50 pages and I really don't like the book, I'm donating it to the library. Maybe someone else will enjoy it, but there are far too many great books in the world. I'm not wasting my time!
4. Dinner Recipes—Despite the fact that I am going to be cutting down my computer time, I am going to get more familiar with Allrecipes.com. Like all families, we tend to cycle through about a dozen usual dinner meals, and I think we need to switch it up a bit. I'm going to find at least one new dinner recipe each week to feed my family. Hopefully we'll find some new favourites.
5. Make some friends—Still not sure how I'm going to do this, but I think getting involved at our new church and volunteering regularly at the kids' school will help. This one is pretty important. I probably should have put it at the top of the list!

So those are the top five resolutions for this September. Feel free to check up on me and make sure that I'm doing all I can to keep them! Accountability always helps!