New Year’s (Resolutions)

There are several things I want to accomplish this year. I like term resolution much better than goal. Resolutions (for me) are like promises you make to yourself. They're more flexible and forgiving. Plus many of my resolutions are processes or a shift in my thinking and can't be definitively measured or reached. I hope that by sharing what I want to achieve I'll feel a sense of accountability to someone other than myself…even if no one else is reading this blog except me J.

(Resolution) #1: Improve health

I need to make changes in the following areas:

1. Food: what I eat (less processed and "fast" foods, more water), how much I eat (smaller portions), when I eat (start eating breakfast and don't eat late at night)

2. Exercise: move (I don't have a "plan" for this yet, I'm not a gym person, but I need to move a lot more than I do.)

3. Sleep: go to bed earlier (I'm a night owl, so this will be hard. I have to make sure to get everything done by a certain time so I can wind down and get ready for bed…which also means the TV goes off)

(Resolution) #2: Become financially responsible…again

First let me say that I'm not financially irresponsible. I live within my means…most of the time. But the past three months saw a significant increase in my credit spending. Granted, I needed most of the things I bought (computer [old one died], camera [old one melted], tires on car [self-explanatory]) , but some things were wants [the computer and camera had more options than I normally would have looked at], ipod [I've never had a dedicated mp3 player…I've always used my phone], and I went out to eat more than usual because I didn't feel like cooking). Overall, I'm a very practical person (this was a point of contention between me and my ex). I'm the QUEEN at denying myself new things (the old things will do just fine). But between October and December, my mentality shifted. I kept telling myself "I deserve these things" and "I can pay for them later". Not that I didn't "deserve" them or even need them, but I also didn't plan these purchases into my budget (I have a one year budget broken down by month).

I hate using credit. For me, credit is there for two purposes: 1) monthly expenses put on a rewards card (hey, it's free money) that's paid off every month; 2) emergencies or big purchases whose payments are already factored into the budget. It scared me how easily I whipped out the card. For my birthday in September, I bought a new TV with cash. I had saved up for a few months to buy it. But then October rolled around, and it all went downhill.

So in 2010, I'm going to reign the spending back in. My goal is to get everything paid off in one year. But I also think I'm going to increase my spending budget just a little more…because I'm worth it.

(Resolution) #3: Have more fun

I'm typically a solitary person. I have been my whole life. But as part of my self-improvement plan, I'm trying to break out of my shell more and spend more time with other people. We'll see how this one goes. This will have to unfold with time.