2009 has been a year of some great changes and developments in my life. After discovering the wonderful world of blogging I joined several baking groups and have challenged myself to try new things that used to terrify me! Sadly, all the baking has not been good for my waistline...as we know, "Taste makes waist!!"
As I enter this new year, I have a few goals that I want to focus on:
1. Improving my overall health. I started '09 having recently lost about 10 pounds after joining Sparkpeople. I did pretty well at maintaining that loss for a few months, but have since gained it back plus more. This is largely in part to the baking, but also due to my health issues and medications. On top of my fibromyalgia and CFS, I have developed plantar fasciitis--the three of those have made any exercise excruciatingly painful: the prior conditions because my body is so worn out and painful the next day if I overdo it at all, but the plantar fasciitis makes my feet hurt so badly that I cannot run or even walk or use my gazelle for more than about 10 minutes without wanting to cry from the pain. My doctor said that the only exercise I can really do right now is swimming...that's exactly what you want to do when you're fat right? I need to join a gym so I can do this, but I hate to spend that money when I used to be able to just use my gazelle or bike at home for free! Oh well, I know that losing weight will improve my conditions overall, so I have got to figure this out. I am getting back on with Spark for real and tracking my food intake again. Pray for me b/c this is so hard!
2. Being a better steward of my money. I wasted way too much money this year on things that I did not use (i.e., more magazine subscriptions than I could possibly read!). Even with the economic climate, we had not really been effected so I just acted like money was nothing and bought what I wanted. This is stupid. I have to make wiser decisions about what I buy. I used to be really good about this, but I guess I got cocky about our financial state and got greedy about stuff. No more. If that means staying at the office on my lunch hour instead of running "errands" (aka shopping for things I don't need) then that I what I do--hey, it will also make me bring my lunch instead of getting fast food! Win-win!
3. Letting things go. I have been too much of a pack-rat (verging on "hoarding") and just need to get rid of things that I don't use or need, regardless of the memories attached. I will never be a person who just gets rid of everything, but there is no reason to keep all my magazines after I read them. No reason to keep bulky mementos from my past when I can just take a picture and put it in a scrapbook. No reason to keep clothes that I can't fit into that aren't even in style anymore! Also, I am not going to keep all the supplies I have for hobbies that I don't even participate in anymore. It just makes me feel guilty!
4. Waste less time. I have a problem with computer card games (solitare, freecell, etc..)and I will sit and play them mindlessly for way too long. There are way better things to do with my time!
5. Read BOOKS again. Through college I did nothing but read theology and philosophy and religious history and all kinds of things that challenge your mind. Then I graduated and made a choice to give myself a break and read cookbooks, magazines, and novels. While I don't think those things are bad, I need to find a balance again. Also, I have allowed several of my magaine subscriptions to lapse and am going to spend more time reading actual books! I also may need to edit my list of blogs that I follow b/c that takes a ton of time as well. A few practical things with this: I will keep magazines in the car for when I'm at a light or in a drive through line, and in the bathrooms so I can read while...well...you know. I will keep my Bible, journal, and a few devotionals in my bedroom to do before bed. I had gotten lazy in this area over the past year and need to focus on spending time with God again and focusing on my faith--I have to do these each night before any other reading. Other stuff can be whenever...
6. Organize/cleaning. I have a bad habit of letting things pile up until I am absolutely overwhelmed and the thought of starting the cleaning intimidates me. If I clean as I go, I will be less likely to get to this nightmare point. This also goes along w/point number 3--I don't need to keep everything in my house!
7. Spend more time w/hubs. We have both gotten so wrapped up in doing our "own thing" recently that we have not spent enough quality time together. I miss him!
Well, I think that's it for right now...just keep me accountable! I am going to revamp my "other" much neglected blog, previously entitled "adventures in organic eating", to be a log of my efforts in some of these things. This will be a little more personal and much focused on the weight issues--and will NOT be automatically posted to facebook like this blog is, so if you are interested in following along with all that, the blog is "to be a better me."
Well, thanks for following along with all my crazy life stuff, and I hope you are all having an encouraging start to the new year!
Hi Sarah! Your #3 resolution hit home with me! I'm a "near-hoarder" too, and I get it honest. One of my grandmothers had three (THREE!) "junk rooms" in her house that were just piled full of junk that she couldn't bear to throw away. My other grandmother had a basement full of junk, too. I've found myself going down the same path, but I've had to stop! We're in the process of packing for our move, and I've come across so much stuff that I've made myself throw away. For example, I had a box of angels, etc. that friends had sent to the funeral home for me when my grandmother died TEN YEARS AGO. My grandmother was the most important/influential person in my life, so I couldn't bear to part with them. Finally, I realized that keeping those things was silly, because I don't really have any memories of my grandmother that are tied to those things. When I saw them, I remembered her death, not her life. Why was I keeping them?! So out they went, and it was liberating! Anyway, that's a really long story, but I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you and praying for you as you make all these changes! I haven't really come up with my resolutions yet...but I might steal some of yours because they certainly apply to me!
ReplyDeletegreat goals!
ReplyDeletespeaking of books- did you tell me you had julie powell's other book? and you recommended some other book for me too- it had to do with food?? i am trying to get my reading list for the first half of the year done...