I don’t make New Years’ Resolutions. Too much pressure to change big things and never slip up. However, I do have an ongoing list of things I’m trying to do more of. Many of the items on the list are things I’ve already been doing and I plan to continue, but some are newly added.
Make more of our food from scratch instead of buying packaged. The big items I’m trying to avoid buying prepared are bread, snacks, beans, granola. I have been baking double batches of bread once or twice a week, baking a lot of muffins, bars, cookies etc to put in the kids’ lunches, and preparing big batches of dinner ingredients to portion into the freezer. Of course I don’t always have time to do all of these at once, so I also grab the odd loaf of bread at the bakery or buy the odd tin of lentils.
Keep on track with my diet and exercise regimen. It’s been over a year since I began the journey to being the new me, but I still need to remind myself all the time to stay with it. Bad habits are still lurking just under the surface and I have to keep forever vigilant lest they creep in and take over. Of one thing I am certain: I am much happier and healthier now than I have ever been, and I don’t want to go back to the old ways.
Reduce stress in my life. This is a difficult one because new stressors are always cropping up. But some of the ideas I have for this year are: Make Christmas cards and gifts all year long so that they are done come December when I need them; Strive for better organization of papers, toys, and stuff in general; Simplify!
Run a marathon and achieve a yellow (or possibly higher) belt. Self explanatory.
Keep connections with family, old friends, and new ones a priority. It’s easy for life to get in the way, but my loved ones are really important to me. Even though I can’t see everyone as often as I’d like, I can show them by small gestures how much they mean to me.
Read my favourite books with my children, and find some new favourites together. Reading to my kids is honestly one of the most pleasurable parts of my day and I look forward to it. We’re currently working our way through the Chronicles of Narnia, and next I think I’d like to read the Hobbit. Those are favourites from when I was a girl, but we’ve found several wonderful series recently as well. I look forward to continuing with How to Train Your Dragon, and Peter and the Starcatchers, and many more just as soon as there are new ones available.
That’s enough for now. There are slip-ups now and then, but the purpose of setting clear goals is so I can always get back to following them. It’s never too late for me to strive to achieve those goals no matter how many attempts have petered out. So here’s to a great year in 2011, may your days be merry and bright, and may you take charge of what is important to you and make it happen!
This is such a great post! And there are so many similarities I love discovering about our personalities and goals. I too have sworn away making new year's resolutions. Instead I try to make a small change each month to better improve some facet of my life. But I am not always consistent with coming up with them because I don't have a running list of things I want to change. So your post has inspired me! I can see how the new year is such a perfect time to evaluate one's goals and actually have a written plan for what to do about them. I'll definitely be looking to see how the 'reduce stress in your life' works out for you and what tricks you find :-) A friend of mine even gave me a sweet little wooden plaque with your same word, 'simplify' to hang up on my wall. Is it really possible!!!
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