About two weeks ago I was looking for tape in my top bedside table drawer. In rummaging through the mess, I came across the list I made of resolutions from last year. There were about 10 on the list and most were not completed. Some were close, some were never even started. So, this year I am putting it all out there - all 13 resolutions for 2013 - in hopes that it will keep me accountable if they are in print and where others can see.
So here they are - in no particular order - my 13 resolutions in honor of 2013.
1. Read a Book a Month
Seems pretty simple, but I have realized lately I hardly read anymore (outside of my classroom or to a little blonde-haired boy). I read the Hunger Games series this summer and really enjoyed reading again and the conversation I was able to have with my kids about the book when school started. So I want to try to pick one book and read it each month. I am fine if the book is from the bookshelf in my classroom or if it is a book just for me, I just want to make sure I am taking the time to read.
2. Finish Aiden's Room
Yes, unfortunately, Aiden's room is not finished. Yes, he is 19 months old today. It's not too far from completion, but the bottom line is that it is still not done. It is something I sigh and groan about every night when I rock Aiden to sleep. In the last few days it has really bothered me more, so I think I have a plan. Now just finding the time to do it...
3. Complete our Wedding Album
Yes, that's right. Our 5 year anniversary is coming up this summer and we have no album to look at. Ridiculous, I know. It is a combination of things that I have led to this neglect. There was some time after wedding I couldn't even look through the pictures (we won't go down that road). Then we found out we were pregnant and sold the house in the same month, so we packed up the proofs in boxes and they haven't been touched since. It will be done this year.
4. Lose 8 Pounds
Let's go ahead and get the cliche' resolution out of the way. This is actually one of the resolutions I accomplished from my list last year. I wanted to lose 10 pounds, so Matt and I started Weight Watchers back in August and loved it. I met my goal, but felt there was a little more I could lose. Now that I have gained several pounds back from my goal weight, I think losing 8 pounds will be a reasonable goal to lose the weight I have put back on and then put me where I want to be.
5. Exercise
To follow up the weight loss goal, exercise seems appropriate. When we initially set out to lose the weight this summer and fall, there was not much exercise involved - the program just helped us learn to eat right. However, I need to exercise for more reasons than just losing weight. My goal: exercise just twice a week. Even if it is just running on the elliptical or playing Wii Just Dance, I am hoping if I start out small and simple. The challenge right now is finding the time to do it. If I can start out small and find little chunks of time to develop a healthy habit, I am hoping I can build on it later.
6. Schedule Time to Clean
It's no surprise that our house isn't as clean as it needs to be or I would like it to be. (Is anyone's house?) With a little one, I need to figure out a scheduled, methodical way to clean the house. A deep cleaning usually only gets done when we are having company over. (Like last night when I was scrubbing floors for my niece to come over) The problem? We rarely have people over. Eventually the job of cleaning the WHOLE house becomes so overwhelming I shy away from doing it. I plan on coming up with a schedule of small cleaning chores to be done on the weekend (by Matt and me) so that each month every part of the house gets cleaned at some point. I am hoping this will help us stay cleaner at the Tanner house!
7. Complete Aiden's 2012 Scrapbook
For Christmas we gave my mom, Matt's mom, and my grandmother another volume of Aiden's Adventures, the photo book I started last year. The problem is that it hasn't been created yet. I want to make sure I get the photos organized, BACKED UP, create the photo book, and then get it printed. I would love for this to be done before I need to worry about creating his book for 2013. (I am a little overwhelmed just typing it!)
8. Get Involved at Church
We joined a church and love it, but we are only going to service on Sundays. The problem is that we have had some bumps in the road with an episode that happened with Aiden in the nursery. It took me a little while to go back to church to trust to leave Aiden in the care of the nursery. (Truthfully, it was not until he graduated to the next room with a different teacher) Since then we have started going back when we are healthy, but it has been a struggle. Aiden SCREAMS when we drop him off and if he actually makes it through service without us being paged out, is usually is still crying when we return. All that to say, I don't concentrate much while we are actually in church. Then that means I am definitely not jumping at the chance to go to Sunday School and leave Aiden there another hour. (Just sounds like another hour of worry, crying, and anxiety to me) I am hoping we can find another outlet for us to get involved - maybe attending a Wednesday service or find a small group that meets outside the Sunday time and Aiden could spend a little more time at his grandparents.
9. Focus on Friends
I have developed some great relationships with my coworkers, but I feel like they are really the only people I see and then hang out with on personal time. I feel like I have fallen out of touch with friends from high school and college and miss those relationships, the girls, and the new chapters in their lives. My high school best friend now lives about a mile away in a division of our neighborhood and I barely see her more than before they moved. A good friend from high school lives about 25 minutes away and I have still not been out to see her now-three-month-old little boy. I have a college friend that had a baby on the same day I did, and she has since had another child and moved away all before I was able to meet Aiden's birthday buddy. I feel like I am missing out on these relationships and the events these important people to my life are going through. I want to make a concerted effort to spend one evening a month with friends, be it one friend or many.
10. Learn Photography
I have been saying for quite some time I wanted to learn the art of photography. As a birthday present last year my parents gave me a photography class session (which I loved) and as a Christmas present this year I was given the money from my parents to get a better lens to practice these skills. I want to purchase the lens and learn a little more about how to manually take better photos.
11. Sign Language
As I have said before, I love sign language and wish I knew more. Aiden seems to enjoy it and learn quickly. I want to find a way to learn more sign language myself, either through a video or book, and then teach to Aiden.
12. Grading Papers
I needed a "teacher" goal and tried to think what aspect of my job (that I can control) that provides me with the most anxiety - grading papers. Teaching American history AND English sets me up with a lot of papers to grade for 2 classes. I need to be better about getting feedback to my kids quickly. So my goal will be to get all graded assignments back to my kids within one week of the assignment being turned in. All writing assignments need to be back to my kids within two weeks. Matt even laughed at this one and said it will be the hardest goal for me to reach. Not only will this task be a challenge within itself, but it is truly a year-long goal, not one that can be accomplished and put a checkmark next to. This one will certainly keep me busy!
13. Write a Children's Book
This is something that I have really wanted to do for the past several years. I collect children's books and have plenty at the house, so I have done my research. I want to really focus on writing one of my own this year. This goal will be a challenge, especially because it is not one I plan to focus on until school is out this summer. After writing I want to begin research on how to get it published. I am not crazy enough to think this can all happen this year, but I would at least like to draft and write my own book and then begin the process of getting it published.
There they are - my 13 of 2013. I am prepared for the challenge, because it will surely be one! I am curious to look back at this post in the summer to see how progress is coming. These resolutions are going to make my daily planner a necessity in my life! I know resolutions can get a bad wrap, but I am hoping to turn that around and turn them into the reason for a family, friend, fulfilling, feel-good year!
