New Year, we meet again.

Happy New Year!

So, last night was all about partying like it was 1999 or something like that, right? and what does that partying entail? well, I don't know what you did at your NYE party, but at the one I was at, beer, drinks and wine were flowing, the noms were tasty and 2 lovely people became affianced to one another. (did i use that word correctly? i'll have to research it)

I, like so many other people, have a list of things I would like to see accomplished by myself in the coming year. I refuse to call them my "New Year's Resolutions" (see the post I made exactly one year ago today) - New Year's Resolutions are made to be broken. I am trying to think of them as promises to myself.

So, what are these promises and why am I telling all of the interwebz about them? Well, they are things I want to do in order to make me happier, healthier and wiser. What I want to get out of posting about it is a sense of accountability. I find that if I am not held accountable, then I will not be successful.

The thing you will probably see me posting about the most is diet and exercise - if i'm not physically sound I have no foundation on which to build my mind and spirit. I have joined together with some friends of mine to form an accountability group - but because we live all over the city and have very different schedules, we're going to do it primarily through facebook and probably text. In addition to that group, I have decided that I needed to use this poor neglected blog of mine...I think that it will be a fantastic tool for me to meet my goals for 2010.

In a similar vein, I have also joined The New Year's Mindful Menus Challenge started by Jenna on her blog, Chive Talkin'. I really hate menu planning, and honestly I really suck at it - i think it's because I get so overwhelmed by trying to plan out so far ahead and try to keep things interesting. I know, however, that menu planning is a great way to ensure to always have healthy meals and follow a budget - therefore I have joined the challenge. Thanks for putting out there, Jenna! (for those interested, I will be posting my menu plans here - so keep me accountable!)

I will continue to write about topics other than just health and fitness - you'll see posts about my trying to get baccantes, my jewelry biz, up and running, as well as house & home, organization, education - all of those things I promise in the little banner at the top of the screen. Well, sort of. I will not be writing about ADHD here anymore - I will be the KC ADHD Examiner for examiner.com! I'll be writing little articles for that website, but I will post links to them here, too, so you won't miss anything. ;-)

I didn't intend to write such a long post - more of a "hey!! I'm still here knocking about - look for me around more often" kind of thing, so apologies for its general lack of order and cohesiveness.

I look forward to writing more frequently (my goal is 3x week)and to reading your comments!!

xdanix

I Resolve to NOT Resolve.

"What's your New Year's Resolution?"

Is it just me, or does that question make your tongue stammer and your brain start flopping looking for that perfect thing to say? I've never been a big fan of New Year's Resolutions, mainly because I'm total crap at actually sticking to them - but really, isn't everyone? What is so magical about January 1 that makes humans go crazy and start to promise themselves they're gonna start doing right by themselves?

Though I don't necessarily think that making "New Year's Resolutions" is the most practical use of time, I do think, however, that anytime is a good time to sit down and have a good hard think about the path your life is on and figure out what, if anything, you need to do in order to reach your goals. With everyone switching from Holiday Mindset to Resolution Mindset, it might be a good time to find encouragement, advice and support from those around you as you sit down for the first good long think of the year.

You might be asking yourself, "what difference could there be between making a New Year's Resolution and having a good long think at the first of the year?" Plenty. To me, a New Year's Resolution (NYR) is a once-a-year, special occasion type of thing - not unlike Easter or Thanksgiving; whereas I am a proponent of thinking about your life and your goals in depth multiple times per year - making it a life-style change rather than a vapid promise to be tossed aside by Groundhog Day. ya dig?

But go ahead - do whatever you want: just because I think like this doesn't mean I'm going to judge you for whatever decision you might make! :-)

I also have the type of personality which benefits from being held accountable by a 3rd party, so let me share with you the things which I have meditated upon and feel that I should work on this coming year.

1. Change my eating habits. I am not the most conscientious eater all of the time. I want to switch out my unhealthy habits for healthier ones. I know that I can do it as I've done it once before (then I got lazy about it and fell back into those bad habits).

2. Drink more water. I used to be so good about drinking water - but I've become addicted to the Diet Soda. Not only is it expensive, it is bad for your body.

3. Monitor my Internet Usage. I used to work 2 jobs, then because of some serious tendonitis in my dominant shoulder, I had to quit one of them. Since I've been working much less than I'm used to, I filled that time with the Internet - particularly Twitter. Don't get me wrong, @dani29 loves her Twitter, but I don't need it connected like an IV. (Besides - I have a mobile, so I can tweet on the go!)

4. Get moving. I'm tired of being tired. I know that my sluggishness is, in large part, due to my, well, being sluggish and sloth-like; I'm not a giant sloth, but getting there. I miss the feeling my body gets from being active - and I miss my skinny jeans (in my case a pair of black Editor pants from Express).

5. Take my Meds. I am really really bad about taking my meds. Not only is there is a reason I take them, but I've spent good money DH and I have worked hard to earn.

6. Make something pretty. I love creating pretty things - it gives me a really good feeling that I can make something beautiful out of things which aren't so pretty alone. I aim to make one pretty thing per week. :-) I have a feeling that my Etsy and Artfire shops just might fill up with my handcrafted goodness this year!

7. Take Mental Vacations. I LOVE to read - but I've not been taking the time to indulge in that passion lately. I am going to try to read about 500 pages per week. That might sound like an awful lot, but I can read rather quickly. ;-)

8. Get rid of the CLUTTER! I don't mean to be a clutter bug, I just kinda have ended up that way. I HATE to throw out perfectly good things which can be re-purposed. I am a member of my local Freecycle group, so I should take advantage of it. I like to try my hand at lots of different creative outlets, so unfortunately I tend to keep around too many things which I think might be useful in crafting.

9. Rekindle sputtering relationships. There was a reason I was friends with so-and-so for some reason - and unless s/he's done something utterly unforgiveable, the only reason we're not such good friends now is sheer laziness. Granted, I know that friendships cannot be one-sided: if my friend refuses to put forth an effort, all efforts on my part shall cease.

10. Show my friends and family just how much I care. We all do it - we have a tendency to take for granted those closest to us; we can unconsciously be so vile to those we love the most and think that they will always know how we truly feel. Life is too short and unpredictable to not give all the love and affection to our nearest and dearest that they deserve.

So, as of today 1 January 2009 @ 20.37 these are the top ten things I think I can improve in my life for the betterment of not only my life, but also for those around me. I will check in with myself (and you!) every so often throughout the year (at least 4 times) to give updates on how my quest is going.

Leave Comments for me to tell me what your own goals for this year are - let's do this together! :-D

If you want to read about NYRs or get some advice and/or support on your own life goals, hit up the links I've posted below. Then, stop being lazy and look around for your own! Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. (paraphrased, of course)


http://mentalhealth.about.com/od/selfhelp/a/newyears.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7806776.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7162692.stm
http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=169
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6687608


Good luck with your meditations!