Looking back, looking ahead: Resolutions

So, first let's look at what I wanted to accomplish in 2011:

1. I'd like to run the 10k in Champaign in April. I have the ticket booked and can run 2 miles so far, so I think this is do-able. It would be great to run another "big" race later in the year as well as a couple of 5k races. I did two 10k races, then my sciatic nerve acted up again and left me thinking that I would not be able to do any more long races. I wanted to do more 5ks but that just never happened.


2. I want to buy clothes I LIKE, instead of buying clothes just because I have to wear them.
   I really am getting better at this but I have to constantly remind myself it doesn't matter how much it costs: it's never a bargain if it looks bad.


3. Complete the 365 project that I started. Grr.. I have had some phone/camera issues this year so I probably got through three months and then had to quit. I'd like to think about doing this again because it was fun and made me notice the world around me more.


4. Take six sewing classes. (One down, five to go!) Boo! I am so bummed that this didn't happen, mostly because my work schedule interfered. It seemed like any time a class came up that I was interested in I was scheduled to be out of town.


5. Take six classes at the rec center- I am mostly interested in yoga, but also would like to take a tap class. Another bummer. I didn't take any classes at the rec center.


6. Conquer this last 20 lbs, and maybe go for 30 lbs. This year I kind of teeter-tottered around on the scale. I didn't get to my goal, which SUCKS. My attitude on this is that there is no whining allowed- I didn't get there because I didn't do the work, simple as that.


7. Date night once a month. We didn't do too badly with this. I think if anything held us back it was that we (I?) built date night up into this thing that had to be fancy and nice and that is just dumb. Last night we went to a neighborhood bar that I've always wanted to check out and it was great and relatively cheap.


8. Make and decorate "fancy" cut out cookies. When it came down to it, making a bunch of different colored icings sounded too bothersome and I didn't do it.


9. Try to average 15 workouts per month. I did fairly well with this, even though I've been slacking off this last month (I think I did 11 workouts in December). I'm fully confident that I will change this.


10. Accessorize. Part of making this more likely is organizing my jewelry in a different way. Maybe I have to admit that this is never going to be my strong point, along with wearing lipstick and taking care of my nails?


11. Slow down and be nice. In my rush to get things done I am more abrupt than I need to be. Ugh, no comment. This will always be hard for me.


12. Read one "classic" per month. I abandoned this goal when I was trying to slog through some boring crap that was deemed to be classic. I don't have time to waste on books that bore me, especially with getting my degree right now!


13. Complete the egress window in the basement. We are so broke, this is somewhat of a sore point with me.


14. Finish the kitchen backsplash. Done!


15. Start the basement bathroom. See #13.


16. Buy a fridge for the basement. Done! And I love it!


17. Yell less. HAHAHAHAHA. It feels like nobody pays attention to me until I start shrieking.


18. Remember that it's the little things that count... including things like calories and money. It all adds up. Um, yes, it does and all those little things have added up into an atrocious Visa bill that makes me sick.


19. Remember that a quick phone call or email is better than nothing. I would say that I have improved a little on this.


20. Plan for the future: set up wills and college funds. A complete lack of money has made this goal feel sort of stupid right now.

Okay, so here's my 20 for '12:

1. Paint/re-decorate my office.


2. Paint the hall bathroom.


3. Train for a "long" race. Either a 10k or a half marathon- the jury is out on what race to do at this point. I need to look into this.


4. More phone calls to important people in my family.


5. Find a new set of sheets for our bed (this is a bigger task than it sounds- I don't like anything out there, it seems.)


6. Continue to make some progress on learning how to parent my boys. (See: "less yelling.")


7. Pay off our credit card debt.


8. Sew more: make Christmas stockings for the boys, learn how to use a sewing pattern, get more comfortable with my sewing machine.


9. Hit my goal weight by my 40th birthday.


10. Start plants for my garden in the basement this year.


11. Organize our wills.


12. Start college funds.


13. Meet with a financial planner and/or figure out a budget.


14. Take my vitamins with (more) regularity.


15. Travel somewhere new for fun.


16. Finish working my way through my cooking magazines and start on my recipe file.


17. It sounds trite, but "be present" with my family.


18. Figure out a plan for next Christmas so I'm not scrambling at the last second and can enjoy it more.


19. Make some progress on the basement, even if it is replacing ONE WINDOW.


20. Blog once a week.