I've been thinking a lot about what I would like to change/ accomplish in 2009 lately. Here's what I've come up with so far.
*To be more frugal. Not to the extent that my mom takes it (reusing plastic baggies multiple times by washing them out), but just finding more ways to make our money stretch a little further. This will be especially important since I'll stop working at the end of March and be staying home with our baby.
*To be more content with my weight. I get so caught up in the actual number of my weight, and I get really negative about how I look sometimes. I need to find things I like about myself, instead of focusing so much on everything I don't like.
*To exercise more. I hate working out with a passion. I hate going to the gym. Running is a form of torture to me. I like to swim and bike, but I'm not sure how I'll do that after we have the baby. I need to focus on being healthy though, and improving my stamina and fitness level.
*To always have my house "guest ready". I am the queen of clutter. If I could just take time every night before I go to bed, to make sure things are picked up and the dishes are done, I'd probably have less stress.
*To focus on the "now" instead of the what if's of the future. I'm notorious for this... I spend a lot of time thinking about the future, and "thinking" about the future is fine, but I tend to "worry" about the future. I'm already worried about how we're going to get us, the blueberry and 2 dogs home for Christmas next year... I worry about Mark deploying, and that's a good year and a half away, AT LEAST. I'd be a lot less stressed if I didn't worry about the future so much.
*To be better about keeping in touch with friends and family. For some reason, I haven't been much of a "phone" person for the past year. I don't really know why, I just haven't enjoyed talking on the phone like I did in HS. But when you live so far away from most of your friends and family, sometimes the phone is the best way to keep in touch. (My preferred method of correspondence is email.)
*To not watch so much TV. I've gotten into the horrible habit of coming home from work (around 1 or 2pm), eating lunch, and then sitting on the couch until I go to bed pretty much. It's terrible. I mean, I clean and do laundry and that stuff. And when I am on the couch, I'm usually online also, or knitting, or writing letters, which is okay, I guess. But I should cut my online time down too. That's hard since I feel like the internet is my "portal to the outside world" right now, and how I keep in touch with many people. Mark and I have our shows that we like to watch, so if I could keep the TV off until those shows come on at night, that would be better.
*To read more. I've been reading the same Steve Berry book for about 3 months now. It's not that I don't like it, because I do. It's a great book. But I only read it when I have the intentions of falling asleep - before bed, or when I lay down to take a nap. I need to dedicate some of my after work TV time to doing more reading.
*To play the piano more. I'm a definite snob when it comes to the piano since my parents spoiled me with a baby grand when I was 16 (and had been playing the piano for 11 years). Now pretty much every piano pales in comparison to the one waiting for me at my parents house. The digital piano we bought is very nice, but it's nothing compared to my baby grand. You just can get the same emotion and feeling from a digital piano than you can from any decent string piano. However, my baby grand is in IL, and I am in Oklahoma, so I need to make due with what we have. Plus, the blueberry can hear now, so I like playing the piano for her. (And Mark likes it when I play for him too.)
*To find more recipes to try to cook/bake. I kind of get in to a rut when it comes to cooking. I would like to find more recipes to try out, and go outside of the "norm" for Mark and I. I make monthly menus to try to avoid eating the same thing 4 times a month, so that's a start. But I find myself just repeating the monthly menu in a different order the next month. I'd like to be more adventurous in my cooking, especially since come April, I'll be home all day.
That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure I'll have more to add to the list soon.
2 comments:
Monica,
These are great goals, and they seem very realistic. I like that they are well thought out with the end result of making you a better person. I think you're a great person, but we're always our own worst critic, right?
Go ahead and wash out and reuse those plastic baggies -- not only will you save money, but that plastic won't end up in the landfill!
Exercise more is good -- but only if you are doing something you actually enjoy. Otherwise, forget about it. Jason is pretty good about making sure I have some time several times a week to run while he watches the baby ... maybe Mark could do that while you swim. And next year, when Blueberry is a bit bigger, you can put her in a bike trailer (with an adorable little helmet) and take her with you!
(Oh IF ONLY my house were always "guest ready" ... I can probably challenge you for the title of Queen of Clutter -- just ask Jason!)
I for one could definitely get used to talking to you on the phone. I can't seem to make myself sit at the computer like I could in OK. I think moving away from Enid will help you with that too!
Post a Comment