2008 Resolutions

My motto for 2008 is "Participation NOT Perfection".

That means it is not necessary to follow these resolutions perfectly, just do something! It also means that if I happen to 'mess up' I don't give up, but I move forward and try again. So with that in mind, here goes....

1. Keep up my exercise routine.
2. Eat more.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
6. Find some service to do.
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
8. 'Compact' participation (not perfection)

The Details

1. Keep up my exercise routine.
That means running 3 miles at least 3 days a week. It will prove to be more difficult this semester. My dh will leave for work at 7am, so I'll need to go running at 6am! Early! Dark! Cold! But the alternative of exercise DVDs is not a good one for me. Boring! I'm not sure how I'm going to do it....

2. Eat more.
Healthy stuff, that is! I resolve to eat (and serve) more fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole foods. To help me do this, I plan to get (check out from the library) two books, "Country Beans" and "Whole Foods for the Whole Family". I've also been thinking about joining a co-op for the fruits and veggies, but it is rather expensive. We'll see how our finances are!

3. Write in my journal once a week.
This seems to be my max at this point in my life, so this resolution won't change. I'll write in my journal once a week on Sunday afternoons.

4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
I'll keep up with the once a month thing, but for one month this year I will write something on my blog everyday. I haven't decided which month yet.... I hope it will be a fun and challenging creative outlet for me.

5. De-clutter one room a month.
Once again, this is necessary for my sanity. You'd think I wouldn't have clutter yet since we just moved recently, but you'd be wrong! I think the problem comes from having less storage space in our current apartment than our previous one. So it's time to get rid of stuff and find homes for everything else! I'll start with the third bedroom (jan), then my room (feb), the boys room (mar), kitchen (apr), living room (may), bathrooms (june), move (july).

6. Find some service to do.
A quote that captures my intention with this; "you can't do everything for everyone everywhere, but you can do something for someone somewhere." I'm not sure what I will do; I'm hoping opportunities will present themselves if I'm looking for them. To start with I will make a flannel baby blanket with some fabric I've already got and donate it to a local hospital. It's not much, but it is something I think I can do pretty easily. I'm not setting a hard deadline, but I plan to finish it within the first half of the year.

7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
This is probably the easiest but the most important resolution this year. I think I'll give them hugs too!

8. Compact participation
I can't do 'the compact' perfectly this year, but I can do my part to reduce my consumerism! Here are my rules that will allow me to participate without worrying about perfection. Do not look at ads or catalogs. Cancel newspaper, delete inbox ads, recycle mailed ads. If there is an item(s) that I need to purchase, check used options first. When giving gifts, choose homemade or 'experience' gifts first. For homemade gifts, use materials on hand first. I will also try to do a 'no spending streak' at least once this year.

There it is! Wish me luck! The best thing about posting my resolutions on my blog is it gives me an extra level of accountability. Lots of 3rd party viewers to keep me honest and a place to 'return and report', as it were. I hope you don't think it's too boring of me to do this because it really helps me a lot! Thanks!