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Thursday, December 31, 2009

No resolutions here

Thanks to Just Heather, I've found a way around traditional New Year's resolutions. Anytime I've made resolutions in the past, they've seemed like wispy puffs of hope thrown up into the universe, dissolving into little bits before they even float back down to earth.

Instead of resolutions, Heather made a 2010 to do list. Now that I can do. Very specific, reasonable actions on a list that can be triumphantly crossed off as they are accomplished. So without any further delay, away we go:

Amy's 2010 To Do List
  1. Go on a vacation (even just a weekend) with my husband.
  2. Make a prioritized list of all the home improvement/fix-it projects that I'd like to do. Start and finish at least 3 things on the list.
  3. Take a yoga class.
  4. Read one "parenting" book for each of my children.
  5. Create a livable system for organizing -- and using -- coupons.
  6. Buy a roll of stamps and use it to send letters and cards to let family and friends know I'm thinking of them.
  7. Throw/give away socks that have no matches.
  8. Go to Holiday World at least once. (We didn't make it last year and the kids were disappointed.)
  9. Get a pedicure.
  10. Clean out the basement storage room.
  11. Go to Eucharistic Adoration once each month.
So there it is. I know 11 is an odd number. What can I say? I'm an overachiever? Or at least a hopeless optimist? Some of the items will be easier than others, which is ok. Most of them, I can control. A few I'll need some assistance with, which is also ok.

Notice that there's nothing there about exercise or weight loss? Obviously, given my involvement in the Better U challenge, those things will be a part of my life. But I feel like they're already in motion. Plus, they seemed a little New Year's cliche to put on the list. So I left them off. But rest assured, Denzel and I are in good standing and I have high hopes -- I mean, I am determined -- to arrive at the February 26 Go Red for Women luncheon leaner and healthier than I am today.

Now to print out my 2010 To Do List (in triplicate would be good) and post it in places where I can be reminded of it (and be held accountable to it) often.

Do you make resolutions? Does an annual To Do list appeal to you? What's on yours?

7 comments:

Sharon said...

I was never big on resolutions until I made a simple 2-3 item list. Like one year it was "buy wheat bread now instead of white". We've stuck w/ them doing it that way.

I volunteer to help you w/ the pedicure one! LOVE those. But I don't wanna go solo.

I like the Adoration one. I might copy you.
Happy New Year's Eve!

Eternal Lizdom said...

I'm not big on looking back or looking forward. Well, I like looking back for the sake of memories but not for the sake of picking apart mistakes or whatever. Anyway.

I don't do resolutions or lists. Someone started a "where will you be in a year" thing... and I said I want to be where I am. I am content. My life is not perfect. But I've known how much worse life can be. So for me to have my minivan, my suburban home, my job, my husband's job, benefits, vacation time, incomes that have us able to pay our bills, no credit card debt, healthy kids, my church family... I just have so many blessings and right things in my life right now that I am perfectly content for it all to stay the way it is.

And that makes me an oddball, it seems!! :)

Heather said...

I love it! Now, that is an actionable list you can accomplish.

Also, I can help with a few - I've got several systems for coupon organization at Inexpensively. Maybe one of them will work for you. Check out http://inexpensively.com/articles/living/home-garden/organization/art-of-couponing-coupon-storage/ for a few ideas.

I am looking for a dance class, but Scott Semester tweeted about a pay-what-you-can yoga class at his church each week. Maybe we could all hit it up together sometime.

Mrs4444 said...

Never really committed to resolutions, but I like the list. I guess cleaning the basement would be a good one to start with. I'm also going to give blood every 8 weeks without fail.

One thing I'd also like to commit to is keeping healthy snacks in the house. I've switched to whole grain bread. Maybe I can also make the move to whole grain pasta??

Amy said...

@Sharon - Maybe we'll get a MagMoms get together going and we can all get pedis!

@Liz - Wish I were that way, but I'm not. Drives DH crazy.

@Heather - Thanks! I'll check out the link!

@Mrs4444 - Whole wheat pasta is an easy switch. I know you can do it.

adraider21 said...

Hi Mrs. MAgan. This is Alayna. I just have to say, your blog is amazing. Tell Annie she needs to post more on her blog and answer her cell phone more frequently! Adios! =]

Michelle said...

Thanks for the idea, Amy. I am going to do this too.