Resolutions
1. Join a library/read more: Done and done!! I joined the public library in January and have been really good about checking out books. The intention was that reading is good for you (at least better than watching hours of tv) however, I have a bad habit of checking out low quality books. I mainly stay in the mystery/crime section of the library. I guess I don't get enough crime drama at work. Honestly, the books I check out border on Pulp: sexy millionaire detective Voort is desperate to solve a serious of sexy murders during a New York heat wave. Spoiler alert: everything is very sexy and gritty. Oh well, I like reading about crime even if it's far stretched and far sexier than any real crime.
2. Lose weight: Check! I feel so much better after making such slight changes. Cutting the fat and skin off my chicken, switching to corn tortillas instead of flour, and portion control. I'm not trying to be model skinny I just want to feel comfortable in my clothes. Plus, when I maintain a healthy and low weight I fit into more of my wardrobe which means I don't have the urge to go out and buy new things.
3. Run more/run 10k in less than an hour: YEP! I joined a running group at work and while my schedule has made it hard to attend I'm doing really great at going to the gym. Just yesterday I went for a 4 mile run around my neighborhood. I really wanted to run the Capital 10k but it's only a month away and I'm not ready for that. However, there are around 1083984903 5Ks a day here in Austin so I want to definitely sign up for one of those. My new, modified goal is to run a 5K in less than 30 minutes (which should be totally doable!).
4. Pay off debt: Not done just yet. I'm getting back a HUGE tax return which I will put towards paying off my first college loan. I graduate from the University of Texas in 2007 and my student loan is almost already paid off (thanks in large part to massive support from my Mom). I should be able to pay off the remaining balance by the end of this year. Then, I'm going to try to refinance my loan with Wells Fargo.
5. Second job: No luck :( I honestly blame my schedule. I was, without ANY fair notice switched to graveyard shifts for a month which has made it impossible to find more work. My hope is that once I'm back to my normal shift (or, once I even GET a normal shift) I can pick up more hours at my old job. They're opening a second location and it's about to be SXSW which means more hours for everyone.
6. Date up: Super done. I mentioned in this post that I had started to see someone new and things are seriously awesome. I want to pinch myself because it's hard to believe that I've met someone so wonderful. We've been seeing each other for more than a month and I'm 99% sure he is my boyfriend but we haven't made it Facebook official (I'm in my 20s, this is how we measure things). He has his life SO together. He has a grown up job and insurance and he takes me out and plans stuff. For Valentine's Day he made me dinner and took me to a drive in to see Breakfast at Tiffany's. I'm honestly crazy about him and I can't believe that I wasted so much time with my ex when this great guy was RIGHT there!
7. Take myself on dates: Not really :( However, this is really not my fault. Work has been super crazy and I started dating my new fella. It's hard to take yourself on dates when an amazing guy keeps taking you on dates (first world problems). Honestly, I'm willing to completely give up on this resolution simply because I'm so happy in life right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to lose myself in relationships but this resolution was about treating myself right and caring about myself and right now it feels like I couldn't be treated any better. I'm happy with life in a way that I haven't been in a long time.
8. Craft more: Fail. Again, I'm going to blame my work schedule. Working graveyard shifts has really messed up my mind and it's hard to think about craftiness when I'm completely out of it. Plus, there hasn't really been any projects that I've been excited about. However, I was thinking about modifying this resolution. I wanted to craft more to make my little living space wonderful. I think another way I could achieve that goal is by evaluating and modifying my possessions and life style. I've always enjoyed living in a clean home but lately I've really focused on organization and key items. I've re-organized spaces and my mind feels so clear. I've also been clearing out the clutter. I have a bad habit of keeping things from a mixture of wanting to save money and anxiety over throwing away something I might potentially need. I've tried to face these fears head on by recognizing that it's okay to get rid of some things. I've donated items to charity and I've allowed myself to throw away items that are no longer useful (i.e. the rusted and dirty chairs I've kept in the trunk of my car for YEARS. I honestly don't know why I did that).
1. Join a library/read more: Done and done!! I joined the public library in January and have been really good about checking out books. The intention was that reading is good for you (at least better than watching hours of tv) however, I have a bad habit of checking out low quality books. I mainly stay in the mystery/crime section of the library. I guess I don't get enough crime drama at work. Honestly, the books I check out border on Pulp: sexy millionaire detective Voort is desperate to solve a serious of sexy murders during a New York heat wave. Spoiler alert: everything is very sexy and gritty. Oh well, I like reading about crime even if it's far stretched and far sexier than any real crime.
2. Lose weight: Check! I feel so much better after making such slight changes. Cutting the fat and skin off my chicken, switching to corn tortillas instead of flour, and portion control. I'm not trying to be model skinny I just want to feel comfortable in my clothes. Plus, when I maintain a healthy and low weight I fit into more of my wardrobe which means I don't have the urge to go out and buy new things.
3. Run more/run 10k in less than an hour: YEP! I joined a running group at work and while my schedule has made it hard to attend I'm doing really great at going to the gym. Just yesterday I went for a 4 mile run around my neighborhood. I really wanted to run the Capital 10k but it's only a month away and I'm not ready for that. However, there are around 1083984903 5Ks a day here in Austin so I want to definitely sign up for one of those. My new, modified goal is to run a 5K in less than 30 minutes (which should be totally doable!).
4. Pay off debt: Not done just yet. I'm getting back a HUGE tax return which I will put towards paying off my first college loan. I graduate from the University of Texas in 2007 and my student loan is almost already paid off (thanks in large part to massive support from my Mom). I should be able to pay off the remaining balance by the end of this year. Then, I'm going to try to refinance my loan with Wells Fargo.
5. Second job: No luck :( I honestly blame my schedule. I was, without ANY fair notice switched to graveyard shifts for a month which has made it impossible to find more work. My hope is that once I'm back to my normal shift (or, once I even GET a normal shift) I can pick up more hours at my old job. They're opening a second location and it's about to be SXSW which means more hours for everyone.
6. Date up: Super done. I mentioned in this post that I had started to see someone new and things are seriously awesome. I want to pinch myself because it's hard to believe that I've met someone so wonderful. We've been seeing each other for more than a month and I'm 99% sure he is my boyfriend but we haven't made it Facebook official (I'm in my 20s, this is how we measure things). He has his life SO together. He has a grown up job and insurance and he takes me out and plans stuff. For Valentine's Day he made me dinner and took me to a drive in to see Breakfast at Tiffany's. I'm honestly crazy about him and I can't believe that I wasted so much time with my ex when this great guy was RIGHT there!
7. Take myself on dates: Not really :( However, this is really not my fault. Work has been super crazy and I started dating my new fella. It's hard to take yourself on dates when an amazing guy keeps taking you on dates (first world problems). Honestly, I'm willing to completely give up on this resolution simply because I'm so happy in life right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to lose myself in relationships but this resolution was about treating myself right and caring about myself and right now it feels like I couldn't be treated any better. I'm happy with life in a way that I haven't been in a long time.
8. Craft more: Fail. Again, I'm going to blame my work schedule. Working graveyard shifts has really messed up my mind and it's hard to think about craftiness when I'm completely out of it. Plus, there hasn't really been any projects that I've been excited about. However, I was thinking about modifying this resolution. I wanted to craft more to make my little living space wonderful. I think another way I could achieve that goal is by evaluating and modifying my possessions and life style. I've always enjoyed living in a clean home but lately I've really focused on organization and key items. I've re-organized spaces and my mind feels so clear. I've also been clearing out the clutter. I have a bad habit of keeping things from a mixture of wanting to save money and anxiety over throwing away something I might potentially need. I've tried to face these fears head on by recognizing that it's okay to get rid of some things. I've donated items to charity and I've allowed myself to throw away items that are no longer useful (i.e. the rusted and dirty chairs I've kept in the trunk of my car for YEARS. I honestly don't know why I did that).
So, two months in and I'm 4 out of 8 for resolutions. Not too shabby. I honestly feel better than I have in years. I've become less focused on possessions and more focused on using what I have. For instance, I have sensitive skin which means I use lots of lotions. This has led to countless bottles of lotion everywhere. So many half used bottles and so many different kids (scented, unscented, travel size, holiday themed, some contain slight sparkle for a tan effect, ayayyaya). I have decided that I cannot buy something new until I'm completely done with what I have. When it comes to lotion this means that I'm using 2 year old Plum Sparkle Christmas lotion. But this is good. I've realized how much of a consumer I was being and how little I valued what I owned. Now I'm appreciating all the things I've had and I'm saving all sorts of money.
