Ta Da... New Year's Resolutions

I am super excited to reveal my New Year's Resolutions.

You may know that I usually post weekly goals along with my menu every Tuesday. I will still be doing that. One reason I believe that that is effective for me is that even if you blow it you get to start over the following week. No big deal pick up where you left off and move on. Less potential for sabotage. So keeping that in mind I was a bit hesitant to commit to changes that might be overwhelming.

At first I wanted to focus on making resolutions that would improve the quality of MY life... and yeah I mean that in a selfish way. But in general I'm an assist others before assisting myself kind of person (read: mom) so I'm not sure those will work out and I don't need to be disappointed in myself or my life or where I'm at with that right now. I'm also not putting down organizational or cleaning goals... it is tempting... oh it is tempting. But history tells me these are New Year's Resolutions that go straight down the toilet. I need to work on them and I need to incorporate them into my life in a daily manner as I have with my eating and exercise changes. I had an epiphany of sorts regarding that when watching The Biggest Loser Finale the other week and was just kind of struck by the realization that losing weight and getting organized require the same endless commitment. It is never fun, or natural, and you have to keep doing it or the tide of disorganization (or extra weight) will just creep back and take over.

So I get this with the dieting and exercise. I committed. It worked. I didn't always want to do it... but the more I did the easier and more natural it got. I'm still not a *natural* exerciser and if you asked me right now if I want to get on the treadmill I would still say "no" ...but I will. And so I realize that I need to get in that same place with... say.... cleaning off my desk. I'm never going to want to do it.... I just have to anyway. And the same joy I get from looking in the mirror and knowing for certain that "I don't look fat" is the same joy I can get from finally tackling this goal as well. But it is not going to be my New Year's Resolution... because it is something I can't conquer in a year... it will be an endless battle. I'm ready to put real energy into fighting it... but I think a New Year's Resolution should be something quantifiable. A 5 lb weight loss, or eating 5 servings of vegetables.

Okay.... blab, blab, blab.... One hour later I'm ready to reveal my New Year's Resolutions!

In no particular order:

Keep developing and posting weekly plans for menu, exercise, and cleaning.
This has helped me so much in the past 6 months. I will continue doing this indefinitely. I find having the opportunity to reassess my goals on a weekly basis keeps me mindful of my own personal challenges and accountable for the role I play in sabotaging my success.

Lower my body fat to 18% (currently 21-22%)
I think this is a lofty yet potentially achievable goal. It should motivate me to really stick to my exercise routines and increase my pilates training in order to increase my muscle mass. Obviously I can't really lose more weight so this is going to take some determination to increase my muscle mass and decrease my body fat %. I think I can do it.... but I think it will take me most of the year to get there. Stay tuned to my weekly updates as I try and map out exactly how I'm going to tackle this.

Study, as a family, one country every month
We are all really excited about this idea. At the beginning of the month we will draw the name of a country from a hat. Then get books at the library. Kid's books, cookbooks, travel books. What have you. Originally I thought we could end the month by cooking a feast ... but in the spirit of trying to make this both attainable and enjoyable... I've decided we will end the month by going out to a restaurant (we are fortunate to have nearly every kind of restaurant here) featuring that cuisine. We are also going to get a world map and tack it on a cork board so we can put pins in all the countries we have *visited*. Yes I know this sounds nerdy... but hey we are nerdy.

Lighten up on the blog
Never fear I'll still post everyday (or nearly) and still respond to all comments. I'll still check in at 10 AM, 12 PM, 4 PM, 7 PM, 9 PM, and 11 PM.... just kidding.... no actually I'm not. But I'm not going to check my stats... that just makes me crazy. And I'm going to focus on writing for me and not so much for my audience. I think I put a little too much pressure on myself to keep everyone happy and it is just a blog for crying out loud. Yes I had dreams of riding my minute success from the Weblog Awards all the way to full on blog fame and stardom... but... ummm... that is most likely not going to happen. And if it does it won't be because I did or didn't check my stats today. Maybe my New Year's Resolution should be to decide what direction I want to take this and how much time and effort I can put in. Any suggestions and or feedback on this is always welcome.

I almost forgot.... learn Norwegian
What? No... you read that right. When I read Heather's goal to learn Norwegian I was actually jealous. Now sure her husband is Norwegian (but whose to say my 2nd husband won't be?). #1 I have wanted to learn another language for some time. #2 much like the Amish I have long been obsessed with Scandinavian countries and culture... yes I am serious. So I'm doing it. This is one resolution that really is just for me... just for my own whimsy and enjoyment. Plus the girls are going to have to listen to the CDs in the car... so who knows.... maybe they'll be speaking Norwegian before too long!


The End.
That is enough for one year.

This time next year I hope to still be blogging. I hope to still weigh 110. I hope that I will still be working out 4-5 times a week. I hope that my desk will be cleaned off. I hope that Kid will be proud of her map and all the places she's visited. I hope Baby starts to sleep through the night. I hope Mr F and I can go out on a date. I hope Mr F has either gotten one job to replace his current two... or that he is happy with what he is doing. I hope our basement gets refinished. I hope I stay off soda. Most importantly.... I hope that Kid is seizure free and off her meds. I hope that her eye surgery goes well and that it will be her last surgery!