Clearly the new year is under way and resolutions have been made--I know this because every time I pass by the gym the machines are full, not that I am on one of them mind you. Who has the time?! But I did make a few resolutions. . .a whole wall of them. I lost track of all the things I am behind on to the point of needing an entire wall to write them all down. We (Rob and I) affectionately call it "The Wall of Shame".
I actually bought a large board and painted it with chalkboard paint. It is leaning against the wall in my bedroom so it's the first thing I see each morning. The idea is that all the things I need to do will be forever present in my thoughts and that will lead to me DOING them. In theory. I like to think it's working.
All this thought about goals made me look back to last year to see what I had actually resolved to do in 2009. . .generally if you can't remember what you vowed to do you probably didn't do it. But surprisingly, I did a lot of the things I resolved to do last year. The list was not nearly as long as the wall of shame list, but that was the trick--the less I tried to do the more likely my success, right?
Let's reminisce, shall we:
1 - Finish my degree-- I extended one semester, but I will be done in May. I start my FINAL semester on Monday. Two English classes and one lone, irksome lab--stream monitoring of all things. Apparently I missed a lab somewhere along the way. So technically this goal will slide right onto the new list, but I'm counting it anyway because I took 8 classes last year and got a whopping EIGHT A's. Plus, I had a teacher give me an A+ on one critical theory paper and suggest I publish it. Yay me!
2. - Remodel Kitchen. . .Check.
3. - Organize rotating obsessions, I mean hobbies. Well, what can I say. It is an on going problem. Hello, my name is Jenni, and I am a hobby-aholic. I am sure I COULD be really good at something if I didn't try to do everything. I do think I am more organized though. Maybe. I am working on it. That's all I have to say.
4. - Exercise. I did. All summer. I even ran over three miles--straight. . .once. . .maybe twice. Does it count if you run for three months of the year. . .? Those three months were a terrific effort. (I know, it's already on the new list. . .)
5. - Finish my novel. I started a new novel. . . I won an essay contest posted in the Oregonian--That totally counts (except I won it this month. But I WROTE it in December--so I am counting that for something--plus I get a free night in a hotel in Astoria and dinner for two so SOMEBODY is counting it!). I am determined to finish my new novel this year though. Right after I graduate.
6. - Return to my roots. . .my BLONDE roots. Check. Blonde IS more fun. Or at least it gets more compliments ;)
7. - Work on Photography skills and buy more lenses. Check. I even got three photography books for Christmas and did a "photo shoot". It WAS a free favor for a neighbor, but still. . .
8. - Become more decisive. I think I have. Maybe I have. Have I? I have more concrete plans for what I want do with my life and all that. So, Check, I think . . .
9. - Make more time for friends. Check. I even have a hoard of new clothes from a couple shopping trips I took with friends this year. It helps that all my new friends are also the parents of my kid's friends. It just makes life easier. And hanging out at Signe's dance class is more entertaining.
10. - Be more positive. I should really ask Rob if I did this, hold on. . . I got a "Yeah, probably."
11. - Ummm. . . let's just quit while I am ahead!
I think I will take a lesson from last year and make my resolutions list short this year. So. . .
In 2010 I will:
- Finish my book--do something big with my writing. . . and also post regularly on this here blog.
- Finish all the house projects we started this year, plus remodel the bathrooms.
- Finish school.
(Are you sensing a trend here. Apparently I've got the starting down.)
- Be a better House Manager (More on that later.)
- Spend loads of quality time with my kids. I'm thinking we should also take one REALLY great family vacation.
I think I will leave it at that. I will let the wall of shame hold the rest of the To Dos for now.
What are you going to do this year?
2 comments:
What am I going to do this year??? Try to get HALF the amount of stuff you get done! You are awesome!
I think I will start with trying to articulate what I want to accompkish this year. Number one is get organized to I don't always feel like I'm behind on everything.
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