New Year's Resolutions 2009

On New Year's Eve we were at a party at a friend's house and some of the people there were discussing the fact that they don't make resolutions anymore. They said that since they don't ever keep their resolutions, they have no intention of making any. This made sense to me; I've made countless resolutions that I haven't kept, indeed haven't even thought about past the point of actually making it. This year I decided to actually give my resolutions some thought before I made them, in the hopes of being able to keep them. Perhaps by really thinking about them before I make them I will be able to follow through as never before! So, without further ado:

1. Make Exercise and Healthy Eating a Part of My Everyday Life
Almost every year my New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. And it never happens. I think that the problem is that I make unattainable goals, stick with them for a couple of weeks, and burn out. I actually really dislike exercising. I'm definitely not one of those people who you'll find jogging outside, or hitting the gym religiously. My idea of exercise is watching an infomercial for Turbo Jam. However, according to the commercials, not exercising is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. I know that in order to be healthy, I need to incorporate physical activity into my life, but I'm going to do it my way. So, more specifically, my resolution is to find activities that I enjoy, and do them for at least 20 minutes a day. I love doing Yoga, so I hope to find a good "Yoga for Weight Loss" DVD and try that out (anyone have any suggestions??). Or I'll work out on my elliptical machine while my shows are on. Heck, I'll even break out the "Dance, Dance Revolution Universe 2" game for the XBox 360 that Santa got me for Christmas and try to get some exercise that way.

2. Stay a Non-Smoker for all of 2009
Jay and I quit smoking (again) on November 3, 2008. My goal is to stay a non-smoker for all of 2009. My problem is that I quit, and then I fall off of the wagon, I quit again, and then fall off the wagon. I love to smoke and I miss it desperately when I quit. This year, though, I am going to kick the habit for good, and stay a non-smoker for the entire year.

3. Be More Financially Responsible
I have some outstanding debts that I would like to take care of for good this year. I would also like to save more, and perhaps be a little more concious about where our money is going. Hopefully by cutting out the extras, which we probably won't even miss, we'll be able to save for a house.

4. Be More Positive
This is a big one for me. I'm a half-empty kind of girl. I think that I've always been one (I get it from my dad- can you inherit negativity?) I drive Jay nuts with my bitching about absolutely nothing, and with my whining about things that really aren't that bad. If I'm honest, I think that I drive myself crazy with my negativity. The facts are that I have a lot to be thankful for: a loving, loyal husband, three beautiful, healthy boys, a home and a job and a family whom I love deeply. This year I plan on focusing on the positive instead of the negative, in hopes of making me an easier person to get along with. I actually plan on researching, and then reading, some good self-help books on the topic. I find self-help books inspiring. This brings me to my last (and easiest!) resolution...

5. Read a Variety of Books
I love fiction books, the kind that you can get lost in, and before this year, they were all that I read. In 2008, thanks to the HarperCollins Facebook group, the SimonSays Read! Facebook group, and minibookexpo.com, I've expanded my book choices and I've started to read "outside the box". Although I wasn't sure that I would enjoy them I've read mysteries, non-fiction, historical fiction and Young Adult novels and to my surprise I've enjoyed almost all of them. This has shown me that although fiction is wonderful, there are other genres of books out there, and so many of them are just waiting to be discovered. In 2009 I hope to continue reading a variety of different wonderful books.

That brings me to the end of my resolutions for this year. I hope to re-visit this list every three months so that I can keep myself on track and hopefully make 2009 the year in which I finally achieved some goals! Happy New Year!