Hi All-
So I realized that I never wrote about my new year's resolutions. Usually every year I think of a ton of resolutions and usually either forget about them or give up before February is even here. So, after talking to people about it and hearing suggestions, I decided instead to take my friend Ashley's advice and instead dedicate each month to something in particular. That way... after doing it for 30 days... it hopefully becomes a habit and therefore easier to do.
So...
January: This month I have been focusing on cutting down on coffee.. for the first week.. I was having headaches and gave in and drank coffee on the weekend. But, since that one day that I gave in, I have not let myself do it again. So.. I have been coffee free for over two weeks now! And the headaches have stopped! I have not given up caffeine completly but I am certainly on my way!
February: In February I am going to try to cut down dramatically on my diary intake... I have been told I am lactose intolerant but it is hard to give up pizza! So.. in january I have already started to give up cheese and other dairy products in meals that cheese is just an added ingrediant and not a main item. It has actually made me feel a lot better and is making me think that maybe pizza will be my only dairy food that I will ever eat! :)
March: In March I am going to make it my mission to work out at least three days a week. Now, if you know me well.. you know that I HATE working out. I really do not enjoy going to the gym, not because I don't like to work out but because I never know what to do and I get really bored doing the same things over and over again. So... My plan in march is to create a dynamic work out regimine so I will stay interested in get fit for spring/summer!
April: In April I plan on starting a jounral, right now... every single thing I think, I feel like I have to tell my husband, so I am constantly barraging him with text messages and emails. Or talking his ear off when he is trying to study/sleep/watch tv/ drive... you name it.. i am bugging him during it. SO.. I will need to start a jounral to talk get the senseless stuff out and to be able to gather my thoughts by myself.
May: In May, I want to start a daily yoga practice. I think that with the habit formed of daily jounraling, it will be easier to fit this time into my day, maybe before or after writing. I want to be able to stretch and center myself before I start a day of work and I think it will also help me with my stress levels.
June: In June I want to take more pictures! I am taking a photography class this month (january) with Erik and hopefully I will take the advanced class after I finish the beginners. So, by June, I hope I will be more skilled and learn how to take better pictures so I can document our lives. In addition to this... I want to make photo albums of all the pictures we already have. It is so funny to look back and see picutres of Erik and I when we first started dating.. we looked so young.. and I want to keep them safe and in a chronological order so some day I can show my babies.
July: In July, I want to start training for a marathon with Erik. Little steps, but hopefully by July, I will be in better shape because I have been working out three days a week since March! I want to train to be able to run a 5k or 10k by December! Erik is such a great runner and I just have suc a mental block against it. SO I want to capture that fear and instead use it as fuel. I can do this!!
August: In August, I want to try convince myself to cook 3-5 nights a week. I think summertime is some of the best times to get creative in the kitchen and release your inner chef! I want to make berry salads and bbq and fish dishes! I cannot wait to walk up and down the aisles at the farmers market and just get creative with dinner.
September: September is our wedding anniversary month! So this month I want to work with Erik to start a tradition for our anniversary. My parents go on vacation every year for theirs and while I know that we do not have enough money for that, I know we could figure out a tradition of our own. Now, while that will not take an entire month.. I also want to use this month to get to know my husband even better. If its question game or just long walks or finding a new hobby togther (like he does want to start brewing our own beer...), I just want to spend my time focused on him and our life together.
October: In October I want to get more in touch with the world. I want to read the newspaper everyday, watch the news, brush up on the economist (hopefully my dad will let me read his subscription when he is done), check out finance magazines and read nonfiction about our political and economic climate. I think it is very important to be in touch with what is going on around you and I have let that passion slip for the last couple of years.
I need more time to think about November and December... for some reason nothing else is coming to me! So... I must think about it some more and then update the list as it becomes more clear to me. Maybe it will be something that comes up over the next couple of months after I get through a few of these resolutions!
What are you new year's resolutions!?
So I realized that I never wrote about my new year's resolutions. Usually every year I think of a ton of resolutions and usually either forget about them or give up before February is even here. So, after talking to people about it and hearing suggestions, I decided instead to take my friend Ashley's advice and instead dedicate each month to something in particular. That way... after doing it for 30 days... it hopefully becomes a habit and therefore easier to do.
So...
January: This month I have been focusing on cutting down on coffee.. for the first week.. I was having headaches and gave in and drank coffee on the weekend. But, since that one day that I gave in, I have not let myself do it again. So.. I have been coffee free for over two weeks now! And the headaches have stopped! I have not given up caffeine completly but I am certainly on my way!
February: In February I am going to try to cut down dramatically on my diary intake... I have been told I am lactose intolerant but it is hard to give up pizza! So.. in january I have already started to give up cheese and other dairy products in meals that cheese is just an added ingrediant and not a main item. It has actually made me feel a lot better and is making me think that maybe pizza will be my only dairy food that I will ever eat! :)
March: In March I am going to make it my mission to work out at least three days a week. Now, if you know me well.. you know that I HATE working out. I really do not enjoy going to the gym, not because I don't like to work out but because I never know what to do and I get really bored doing the same things over and over again. So... My plan in march is to create a dynamic work out regimine so I will stay interested in get fit for spring/summer!
April: In April I plan on starting a jounral, right now... every single thing I think, I feel like I have to tell my husband, so I am constantly barraging him with text messages and emails. Or talking his ear off when he is trying to study/sleep/watch tv/ drive... you name it.. i am bugging him during it. SO.. I will need to start a jounral to talk get the senseless stuff out and to be able to gather my thoughts by myself.
May: In May, I want to start a daily yoga practice. I think that with the habit formed of daily jounraling, it will be easier to fit this time into my day, maybe before or after writing. I want to be able to stretch and center myself before I start a day of work and I think it will also help me with my stress levels.
June: In June I want to take more pictures! I am taking a photography class this month (january) with Erik and hopefully I will take the advanced class after I finish the beginners. So, by June, I hope I will be more skilled and learn how to take better pictures so I can document our lives. In addition to this... I want to make photo albums of all the pictures we already have. It is so funny to look back and see picutres of Erik and I when we first started dating.. we looked so young.. and I want to keep them safe and in a chronological order so some day I can show my babies.
July: In July, I want to start training for a marathon with Erik. Little steps, but hopefully by July, I will be in better shape because I have been working out three days a week since March! I want to train to be able to run a 5k or 10k by December! Erik is such a great runner and I just have suc a mental block against it. SO I want to capture that fear and instead use it as fuel. I can do this!!
August: In August, I want to try convince myself to cook 3-5 nights a week. I think summertime is some of the best times to get creative in the kitchen and release your inner chef! I want to make berry salads and bbq and fish dishes! I cannot wait to walk up and down the aisles at the farmers market and just get creative with dinner.
September: September is our wedding anniversary month! So this month I want to work with Erik to start a tradition for our anniversary. My parents go on vacation every year for theirs and while I know that we do not have enough money for that, I know we could figure out a tradition of our own. Now, while that will not take an entire month.. I also want to use this month to get to know my husband even better. If its question game or just long walks or finding a new hobby togther (like he does want to start brewing our own beer...), I just want to spend my time focused on him and our life together.
October: In October I want to get more in touch with the world. I want to read the newspaper everyday, watch the news, brush up on the economist (hopefully my dad will let me read his subscription when he is done), check out finance magazines and read nonfiction about our political and economic climate. I think it is very important to be in touch with what is going on around you and I have let that passion slip for the last couple of years.
I need more time to think about November and December... for some reason nothing else is coming to me! So... I must think about it some more and then update the list as it becomes more clear to me. Maybe it will be something that comes up over the next couple of months after I get through a few of these resolutions!
What are you new year's resolutions!?
A good idea for November or December could be to do community or charity work? There's always a lot of charities that need extra help around that time of year! It also helps you feel more in the Christmas spirit helping out people who really need it, rather than just focusing on buying gifts for everyone, after all that's what it's all about.
ReplyDeleteAmanda has a good idea!
ReplyDeleteShannon, you are very ambitious to line them all up in advance! I usually pick them as I go along, thinking of what I'd like to work on month-to-month!
These are all so good! I believe in you to stick with them! As for me, one of my new years resolutions is to spend more time with my girlfriends [and less time with my guy friends haha] and to start to volunteer at an animal shelter each week. I'm also working to get at least a B in my chemistry class this quarter as well as being on top of my advising and planning for my degree [so I can go abroad and still finish my degrees in time!]. Oh and I want to focusing my coxing form/strategy/whathaveyou so I can cox the varsity lightweight eight for spring sprints!
ReplyDeleteAmanda.. That is an amazing idea! Perhaps we could do smeothing together!
ReplyDeleteAshley, yeah.. if i do not plan them ahead of time.. i ams ure i would have just not picked anything for months I was busy.
Katie-I think all your resoultions are such a great idea!! I could never work at an animal shelter because I would want to adopt them all. Life goal: live on a farm and adopt all strays. p.s. PLEASE study abroad so i can come visit! It is somehting I regret not doing and i hate regrets!!