New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year, friends and neighbors!

So did you do it? Did you make any resolutions? The Wilmington Journal (1/2/09) says that 98% of New Year's resolutions go unkept. I think we can do better than that, my dears. The key is in making the resolutions specific, time-oriented and reasonable. Not "I'm going to get more exercise," but "I'm going to do a 30-60 minute aerobic workout at least 3 days per week, every week."

The above is my exercise resolution. I've got three slots where I can schedule it, so I don't have any excuses to miss it. I thought about making a 5-day per week plan, but I've currently been managing only 2 days per week, and I wanted to make a smaller goal that I can really, truly stick to. If I master the three days/week, I'll move on from there. I'd love to add a couple days of strength training.

So what are your resolutions? Go ahead, be bold. Tell me in the comments section. If you tell your resolutions to someone else you're more likely to keep them. Here are my others:

Family: every day, between 3:00 and 8:30, take a deep breath and say a quiet thank you for having them in my life. Rationale: I tend to get the most grumpy and stressed out during those hours, and my daughter and husband have to deal with me. So unfair! I want to remain calm and patient with them. They are way more important than the things that stress me out. I will remind myself of my priorities and let go of my reactions to the lesser things in life.

Music: call a jam once a month. Explanation: usually my husband calls (arranges, organizes) the jams, and they happen about once per week. But there are several fabulous musican/friends who I'd love to play with, and if I call the jam, we can arrange it at their convenience.

Money: refinance the house by 1/31/09. (Fun! Not.) Get a job by 7/15/09. (I graduate from nursing school in May.) Make a budget that includes paying off loans and saving. (I'll have to get more specific once I've got an actual income.) Budget deadline: 2 months after job acquisition.

Health: lose my spare tire (about 10 lbs.) by summer -- 6/21/09. I just need to do the exercise above, cut out a few glasses of wine per week, and stay on top of my sweets consumption. Let's say 6 glasses of wine per week max, + 1 dessert and 2 less-than-healthy snacks/week.

Public resolutions --- I feel so naked! It's exciting. It's fun. Let's keep each other honest on this, 'K? You can ask for updates on my resolutions and I'll survey you on yours. We can set a date...spring equinox? We'll check back in then. I can't wait to hear what your resolutions are!