Is Resolution-Making Supposed to Be This Difficult?

It is a brand new year and I am already behind.  Here it is January 3rd and still no resolutions or yearly recap post. I am really off to a great start:).

I had so much fun reading everyone else’s resolutions and goals in the blogosphere and yet I am struggling with my own.

Maybe it is because I am not a big new year’s resolution maker.  I honestly have no idea what my resolution was last year but I am assuming that it had something with exercising more (because it usually was).  But since I started this blog I am going to be accountable for it…..so no pressure.

It surprises me a little that I am anti-resolution.  I mean a huge part of my job is reviewing and writing annual goals for kids that are struggling….on a legal document that helps accountability.  And everyone knows that junior high students loves talking about their future goals ….especially with a school psychologist…. when they are struggling….and when I asking them to change their current behavior.

So after reflecting on this I have come to the conclusion that there is a reason I normally do not make New Year’s resolutions- I am just too hard on the goals.  Is it measurable (i.e. how do I define exercising “more”? a certain number of days a week? for how many months?  is there a weight loss component in there?  what about diet? but then how do I measure that? should I make myself a contract with a reinforcement menu? etc….).  Then there is data collection which could start an entire other stream of consciousness… which I will spare you from.

So now you can see why it now January 3rd  and I still have lots of neurotic thoughts nothing.

I thing I do like about the new year is reflection on the past year.

2009 was a great year for us.  I started the blog which has allowed me to “meet” so many creative and fun people.  I took up running and did so much better than I thought I ever would. Even though I did not make the half-marathon goal because of a stress fracture (and now tendonitis in my ankle).  I increased my sewing skills greatly even though I am still a beginner. And we got a lot done on the house…..the outside landscaping, the vegetable garden, guest bath, the craft room, as well as started on the master bedroom and the laundry room.

So for next year I am give myself a break and make some general goals that do not meet criteria for measurability or data collection and I am still going to be OK with it.  Really.

-continue with the exercise regimen and run at least a 10K if my ankle lets me.  If I can’t run because of injuries, cross-train and not let injuries get me down mentally like I did in 2009.

-continue doing more and more sewing/quilting projects to further along my skills.  Maybe even complete a pattern that does not have the word “easy” written on it.

-make the vegetable garden an even bigger success and be have ideas about how to preserve it BEFORE tons of it is sitting on the counter

-finish up small home projects in every room

-develop more family traditions and a way of preserving memories.  I take some pictures, but as of right now that is all we do.  I struggle with remembering what exactly we did last Christmas and I don’t want to be the case.  The blog helps, but a lot personal stuff is not on here and I want to make sure it is remembered.

Whew that was tough…..

While I am recuperating I will leave you with a couple of pictures of our New Year’s.  We played it pretty low key because we have family in town staying with us.  Not to mention is it bitterly cold with tons of snow and ice on the ground that will not be melting anytime soon.  I don’t know how people in Minnesota do this all winter.

Anyway the champagne that started the beginning of the night transformed into mimosas….with lots of board games next to the fire.  And me with my new camera trying to capture it…..