My Not-Resolutions

It's that time again... the point where I sit quietly, alone in the living room with my dog, cat, and computer, and muse over the year's accomplishments, disappointments, surprises, and challenges. I spent some time reading over old blog posts - an enjoyable experience - and now I suppose it's time for the mandatory resolutions post.

Except I'm not doing resolutions, per se.

You see, a lot of the things I "resolved" to do didn't exactly make me a better person. A lot happened this year, and the vast majority of my list was never even begun. I'm okay with this. In fact, I'm not even going to review what I did right and what I did wrong. Doesn't matter - 2008 is done and over. Can't fix any of it now.

So this year, I am abandoning resolutions. Instead, I have a handful of goals - namely things that will pretty much have to be accomplished in the coming year for life as I know it to continue. Oh, I guess there's a few things that won't stop the world going 'round if I don't do it, but I'd like to, anyway.

1) Cut spending. With a new vehicle, school, and a soon-to-be new rent house, we are going to be very tight on money, at least until Jeff gets out of school.

2) As a family, learn to life a healthy lifestyle. Forget losing weight - that is no longer my primary goal. Yes, it still has to happen, especially if I am going to survive clinicals this fall, but I'm more interested in making my family healthy. We are going to go mostly vegetarian. I will allow my meat-eating husband the occasional steak or chicken, but frankly I am so tired of meat I can't stand the sight any more, and Bebo will hardly touch it anyway. We are also going to find some activities that let us play together as a family. I don't care so much about dedicated exercising as I do about just being active.

3) Keep up my grades - I am terribly pleased with my performance the first semester back, and I'd like to maintain that standard.

4) Read my Bible. I know, I know - this is on my list every year, and I have yet to make it past March. However, I am hoping I have found the key - a chronological Bible. A couple of years ago I bought a daily Bible, but since each day read from the New and Old Testaments, I found it hard to shift gears. The chronological Bible might suit my brain waves a bit better.

And that's it. Mostly it's stuff I have to do anyway. No numbers. No quantifiers. Just a few goals for the coming year.

I have to say, my outlook for 2009 is better than any year before it. My marriage is great, our future is looking up, and changes are coming that will hopefully make our lives better and easier. I'm excited about what is to come.

Life is good. Praise God!