Monday, January 9, 2012

Resolutions Post

Most years, I would already have thought out my New Year's Resolutions and typed them up in a blog post and written them on a piece of paper to stick on the fridge--probaby by December 14th--and here we are, more than a week into the new year, and I am just getting around to setting these goals.  Really, I have already been thinking through my resolutions for a while now but it took seeing my sister's blog post about her resolutions that gave me the boost I needed to get these in writing.

In 2010, I had one big goal--to get us ready to buy a house--that was somehow accomplished even though it seemed impossible when Paul's job fell through and house prices in the Bay Area seemed completely out of our reach.

In 2011, our big goal was to prepare ourselves to become parents--again, it seemed almost impossible that it would happen that year but lo and behold, Clara came into our lives.

Since these big goals have been miraculously achieved, I think that my major goal for 2012 should be about looking like a supermodel improving my health. Who knows, maybe another miracle will occur and I will end up weighing in the mid 130's (where I was when Paul and I got married and again when we got home from our bar trip around the world in 2009) by the end of the year?  Maybe I will run another marathon?  Besides, I had a physical exam on Friday for our adoption paperwork and the doctor got on my case again about my pre-diabetic status and told me no rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, or sugar. I seriously wonder how she listed off all of those things as needing to be banned from my diet while keeping a straight face.

For now, I am not making goals about dropping X lbs. this week or month or anything like that. Because going back to my desk job and commuting and having pretty much zero desire to figure out what to make for dinner all tell me that if I try making a goal about losing a specific amount of weight that it won't happen, and frankly, I don't even know when I would get around to weighing myself in the first place. Instead, I plan to: 1. Stop eating cookies every day. Some people are addicted to diet Coke. I am addicted to cookies. 2. Ease up on the snacking at work. No more trips to the vending machines. Bring fruit or veggies or maybe nuts from home to snack on and drink water or chew a stick of gum instead. So far, so good. 3. Back off foods heavy in cheese and ease up on some of the carb consumption. Not all carb consumption like the doctor suggested, but some at least. 4. No more eating late at night. I am cutting myself off at 9:00 p.m. I would say 8:00 but sometimes with work and Clara I just can't get to dinner until after 8:00 once our little lady is asleep. 5. Go for more walks with Paul and Clara in the evenings, something we used to do all the time (hopefully this will be easier as the days start to get a little longer). Try going for a run at least twice a week, even if it is just to do a mile or two on Saturdays and an evening run one other day of the week after Clara is in bed.

Here are some other resolutions I intend to work on this year:
1. Do FaNcy-ScHMaNcY blogposts with fun colors and fonts and stuff.
2. Memorize poetry and recite it at Orchard Valley Coffee, the local coffee shop that has live music and that kind of thing.
3. Start a fashion/style/design blog.
4. Travel to at least three new countries.

Yeah right - I'm totally kidding. I won't be doing any of that stuff this year because I don't have the time and I'm not that cool. Instead, here are the hum-drum resolutions that I know will actually make me a happier, healthier, and better person.

1. Daily prayer and scripture study. I don't know when and how I got out of this habit, but it happened and it is time to get back to it. I am always happier and better able to handle stress when I make this a priority.

2. Work on my temper. Be kind. Think of others. Talk to people.

3. Plan meals ahead of time, budget household expenses, and start saying "no" to every little thing I feel like I "must" have including treats, clothes, toys, etc. Not always, but right now I say "yes" to myself too often to be good for me.

4. Take photos. Live adventurously. Blog. I love to get out and experience the world around me but it is so easy to get so busy with the day-to-day that it feels like there is no time to be spontaneous and adventurous and awesome. And dadgummit, I have an indominatable nature and a insuppressable NEED to be awesome.  It is not that I care that others think I am awesome, I want to truly BE awesome.

5. Show my family how much I love them rather than just tell them that all the time. This entails reading books to Clara, dancing with her outside in the sunshine and under the stars, footrubs for Paul, going on dates, etc.

6. Read. Audiobooks are amazing and I love them, but I also want to do better about physically picking up a book and perusing its pages. Go to the library. Even though I tend to prefer just purchasing my own books rather than checking out used copies, I think the library is healthy for the human soul and modern civilization.  It is also healthy for our bank account when I borrow books rather than buy them.

7. Get approved to start our next adoption. Not freak out when waiting for birthmom contacts after our adoption profile is approved. I don't want to get so caught up in what might happen that I miss out on what is happening.

8. Do two personal progress goals each month. In the one month that  I have been in my new calling as the Young Womens' 2nd Counselor in my ward, I have realized that I somehow don't seem to interact as well with the Beehives as I thougth I would. Basically, it feels like they kind of ignore me.  I want to them to come up to me in the grocery store just because they think I am so fun to be around instead of darting down the dog food or kleenex aisle. Maybe doing personal progress with them will help me relate? How do I make 12-13 year olds understand how great and fun and hip I am?! Although, that age bracket was convinced of my nerdiness when I was in it, so I don't know why that would have changed as I have aged out of my teen years.

9. Travel to at least three new countries. Okay, I'm kidding again. But I really, REALLY would love it if we could. My little sister is doing an internship in Belize this summer after all and I would love to go visit her while she is there...

6 comments:

  1. A lot of your goals sound VERY similar to mine. Ryan and I decided that our family motto for the year is going to be 2 Nephi 5:27 "...we lived after the manner of happiness" because sometimes we can get so grumpy and discouraged with all the stress of life and to-do lists, etc. etc. etc. We want to be more cheerful, grateful, and happy on a daily basis. We had an FHE where we discussed "habits for happiness," and we made those our family goals for the year...you know, the obvious stuff: scriptures, prayers, exercise, healthy eating, sleeping enough. Why are those "simple" things not so easy to achieve every day? Anyway, don't know why I just wrote a novel about my own goals--I guess just because I have been thinking about a lot of the same stuff as you.

    For what it's worth, I think you look amazing. You are beautiful and thin.

    And as for awesome, I'm pretty sure that being a very smart lawyer who works full-time and is also a devoted mom and also blogs a lot and also makes hand-sewn stuffed elephants and also travels the world qualifies as awesome...so I wouldn't worry about that.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. I laughed out loud when I read your fake goals. They just totally threw me off, I wasn't expecting them and that's probably why they were so funny for me to read.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very worthy goals Amy. Not too crazy and very achievable. I need to make some goals. And I agree, your fake goals threw me for a loop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was thinking, "Really? She's going to start using different fonts and colors?" And your doctor sounds super harsh. :) Which marathon might you do? That's been on my list for awhile and I keep putting it off. You're awesome for already having done one (and for all the other cool things you've done).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just popping in from my random blog stalking to say that the "Lose It" app on my phone helps a lot when it comes to making healthy food choices. It calculates your food calorie intake and how many calories you burn from exercise(roughly, of course) so at the end of the day and week you can see where you went off-track. I'm a big fan.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love all of your resolutions (especially the fake ones) - thanks for sharing! Your dr's suggested diet restrictions are cuh-razy! I could never ban those things from my life. Meal planning is a good one - I need to do that. I really like the one about showing people your love for them. I want to do that for my family too. Oh, and good luck with the YW. I think you are totally cool and they should think so too! But I just got released after spending two years with the Mia Maids and I don't think I ever succeeded in convincing any of them of my coolness. I remember when I first got called I was thinking "Oh yeah, they will love me! I am young and hip and I will totally relate to them." Right? WRONG! I am old. And not so cool. But I still had fun with them!

    ReplyDelete

Your turn...