My 2012 Resolutions

Happy New Year’s!

I’ve never made a New Year’s resolution before.  I guess I never really wanted a change badly enough to make a resolution.  Or maybe it seemed silly to turn what is otherwise known as a “goal” into a “New Year’s resolution”, which makes it sound a lot more daunting and difficult to achieve.

But for whatever reason, I am making not one, not two, but four resolutions this year, each broken down into sub-resolutions (because according to my friend/co-worker, who spent eight weeks leading a goal-setting group at a middle school, goals are supposed to have very specific wording if you ever want to achieve them).

Resolution #1: Take better care of myself.
Sub-resolutions:
    a. Floss every day
    b. Exercise at least twice a week for 30 minutes
    c. Get eight hours of sleep every night

Resolution #2: Stay in touch with my family.
Sub-resolutions:
    a. Call - and have a conversation with - my mom and dad at least twice a week (each)
    b. Twice a week, have a phone or text conversation with my sister
    c. Write and mail a letter to my grandma and aunt twice a month.
   
Resolution #3: Stay organized.
Sub-resolutions:
    a. Once a month, complete a project that will make our home a more pleasant place to live
    b. Use a planner every day - no more forgetting birthdays!
    d. Sweep, mop, dust, and vacuum once a week

Resolution #4: Save money.
Sub-resolutions:
    a. Pack a lunch every weekday
    b. Make a vegetarian meal twice a week (save money on meat)
    c. Try more DIY projects (bake my own bread, make my own household cleaners, etc.)

Why am I sharing this?  According to this CNN article, publically declaring our resolutions can help us stick to them.  Also, I'm hoping that by writing about my resolutions throughout the year, I can be more mindful of them and can develop a better awareness of what strategies are or are not working.

I'm thinking about making some system of positive reinforcement - for example, giving myself a gold star on a chart every time I floss, and rewarding myself once I get to 50 stars, or something like that.  We'll see.