New Year, New You!

Courtesy of funscrape.com

Happy New Year!  2010 has come and gone, and now we welcome 2011.  I hope everyone enjoyed a safe New Year's Eve and was able to celebrate with those you love.

It's January 1, 2011.  The ball has dropped off.  You've slept off a hangover, whether from drinking or just staying up late.  You've hopefully cleaned up after the party you had.  Now, you and many others are probably thinking about those changes you're going to make this year.  You've had time to reflect back on 2010, to think about your successes and your failures.  Now is the time to think about your resolutions for the new year.

Like many others, I usually set resolutions and have trouble keeping them.  This year, though, I'm determined to do my best.  I've thought about the things I want to change most about myself, and I'm hoping that at this time next year, I can look back and see these things as successes.

1.  Be healthier.

With this resolution, my aim is to just be healthier in general.  I want to make better choices in food selection, drink more water, get some exercise in, and take care of my sanity.

2. Lose weight.

Going along with my first resolution, I'm hoping to lose weight this year.  I've gained some weight over time, and I feel very unhealthy and unhappy.  My big weight loss goal is 30 lbs.  Hopefully, I can achieve that.

3. Organize my house.

My house is extremely unorganized.  And messy.  I'm hoping to go from room to room to find a place for everything in them.  I'm hoping to make it easy to pick up at the end of the day.  I've heard that a clutter-free home is a happy home.  That's what I'm aiming for.  Unfortunately, according to my husband, I have trouble getting rid of things. I'm a much tamer version of those people on Hoarders.  :-/

4. Develop a good cleaning routine.

I hate cleaning.  I would much rather spend my time reading or watching one of my favorite TV shows than cleaning.  My least favorite cleaning task is doing dishes, but we don't have a dishwasher, so I'm stuck.  Now that grad school is over, I'm hoping that being home every evening will help me develop a good cleaning routine that I can stick to.  My husband helps out with some housework, but I'd like to enlist his help a bit more.  *fingers crossed*

5. Make our house a home.

This is a big resolution for me.  We've lived in our house since May 2009.  I'm ready for it to be ours and to really feel like our home.  I think this will start to happen once I get the house organized.  The rest will just be small things, like hanging pictures, changing curtains, and getting a few new pieces of furniture to make everything cohesive.

6. Finish a WIP.

I've started a few WIPs over the years but haven't finished them.  This year, I'm hoping to finish one.  I haven't decided if I'll just stick with one that has been started or start a new one.  It'll come to me, though.

7. Meet my reading challenges.

I've already shared my 2011 reading challenges, and I'm hoping to meet them.  My online book club has seasonal book challenges.  I'm hoping to finish at least one.  I'm also hoping to complete my other reading challenges.

Well, that's it for my resolutions.  Wish me luck in keeping mine, as I wish you luck in keeping yours!