A new year always brings about new hope and aspirations. I tend to make all these lofty goals and swear I'll stick to them. Truthfully, they're neglected after the first week and all but forgotten by March.
When I look back at 2011, I can't think of too many things I accomplished. I'm sure there were some things, but truthfully, 2011 was kind of a rough year. I unexpectedly lost my teaching job in May and that pretty much rocked my world. I've always been a planner, so I lost a bit of motivation when I had nothing to plan for. I found another job from October through December. Although it was a short-term position, being back in the classroom renewed my spirit. I'm determined to make 2012 a better year for me.
One way I plan to do that is to keep myself busy and motivated. I recently started using Pinterest. If that website doesn't inspire you, nothing will! I've made a list of "projects" I want to tackle in the upcoming year. Hopefully this list is manageable because I really don't want to eliminate anything.
1. Get Crafty - Make some type of new craft each week. It can be simple, such as repurposing an old object I already have around the house. It could be more in-depth, like creating something from scratch. That would mean 52 crafts in 52 weeks. Can I handle it?
2. Baking Extravaganza - I like to bake. I want to make sure I bake something at least once per week. I got a cake pop baking pan for Christmas, so I need to put it to good use.
3. Dinner for Two - I don't cook nearly enough. And when I say nearly enough, I pretty much mean never. I want to cook dinner for my husband at least once a week. Hopefully the food will edible.
4. Walk it Off - I need to walk 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week. I can do this indoors or outdoors. Not only will this be good stress relief, but I NEED to do this for my health.
5. Declutter and Organize - Do the Declutter and Organize calendar I saw on Pinterest. It will give me one quick thing to do each day. I might not do it on the designated days, though--I might wait and do it once or twice a week. Who knows? Cleaning and decluttering is not a strength of mine. I've got this saved to my Desktop and will print it off on a monthly basis. If I can finish the whole calendar by the end of the month, I'll be super satisfied!
6. Alphabet Dating - Finish K-Z alphabet dates with my hubby. We started this in summer 2011. We got through J.
7. Read the Word - Read the Bible for at least 15 minutes each night.
8. Classics - I love to read, but I've not read too many books that can be considered classic literature. Luckily, these books can be downloaded for free on my Kindle. I want to read one classic book each month.
9. Sell, Donate, Toss - I want to use three bins for this purpose. I'll collect items and then empty the bins monthly. I'll need to keep the "Sell" items in a designated spot until I can have a yard sale.
10. Water - Drink 3 glasses of water per day. My kidneys will thank me. I made a chart to keep on my fridge. I'll color in the glasses each day.
Is that a list or what? That's what I hope to accomplish this upcoming year (other than find a job, get healthier, and spend more time with my family.) Hopefully this blog will keep me more accountable. I'll post pictures and update my progress often.
Happy New Year!
