Towards a better me

At long last, may I present my 2008 goals/resolutions/whatever you want to call them.   I'm freely copying Jemima's format because I love it so very much.  Last year I found having a whole bunch of smaller, more specific goals much more motivational than having just a few broad resolutions, so I'm running with it again this year.   I've been adding to this list ever since I first wrote it out (over two weeks ago), and I plan to keep adding to it throughout the year when additional things strike me.  I realize that some of these "resolutions" read more like a to-do list, but what can I say?  Lists: I love them.   

WORK

Get a new job. I have to admit that I have it pretty good.  My current workplace has a ton of perks.  But I think I've learned all that I can here, and I want to find something that I actually enjoy doing on a day-to-day basis.  I'm not sure what that will be, but I want to figure it out and try something in a new direction.  Any ideas?

Be more productive at work.  I hate feeling like I haven't put my best effort into anything.  It makes me feel like crap.

EXERCISE/HEALTH

Exercise at least 5 times a week.  Make up deficit (8 workouts) from last year.

Lose 10 pounds.  (Cliches be damned!)

Go to yoga at least once a week.  Last year I fell a bit short of this goal (I think I went a total of 42 times).  It's hard to make it when I'm traveling or really busy on the weekends, but I'm going to try to hit 52 classes this year.

READING/WRITING

Read at least one book a month.  This shouldn't be too hard, but I'm still putting it on the list.

Continue book journal.  Consider posting reviews on GoodReads or on blog to encourage putting more thought into book journal entries.

Write more often in my personal journal.

Write better content for blog.

Go through old blog posts and remove anything I really shouldn't have written. 

Stop writing things I really shouldn't write about on the internet.  Seriously. 

Write at least one non-blog piece for fun, even if I don't show it to anyone.

FINANCIAL

Fully fund my IRA.  This might be difficult now that I see that the limit is $5,000 (instead of $4,000) per year, but

Including IRA, save 20-30% of take-home salary.

Keep credit card bill under $750/month (on average).  Eek.  So far, this is not going well.  I'm going to have to do some major budgeting when we get back from Barcelona.

PETS

Get all three cats up to date on shots and healthy.  After the Great Vet Debacle a few weeks ago, I'm halfway there!

FASHION/APPEARANCE

Pare down wardrobe.   Take things I don't want or don't wear to consignment or Goodwill.   Start wearing more things in my closet instead of just sticking to my few favorites.

Buy some freakin' work biznass pants.  I actually wore out one of my favorite pairs of pants (holes in the crotch won't fly as "business casual," I assume), and now I'm down to four ( or five, if I actually lose those ten pounds and can fit back into my JCrew khakis) pairs.  This means I have to laundry on a frighteningly regular basis. 

Finish growing out brassy highlights.  This won't exactly require any effort on my part, except for inspecting my hair in the mirror every day and whispering words of encouragement to grow faster, damnit!

Actually do something with my hair at least once a week.  Blow dry, flat iron, use a hairbrush whatever.  SOMETHING.  Once a week.

Do my own nails on a regular basis.  And take off the polish when they start to look bad.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Pare down other possessions.  Reorganize kitchen. Get plastic storage containers and move stuff we don't use (but that we're (ahem) unable to get rid of just yet) to the basement for storage.  I actually did the kitchen this past weekend and it was the most fun I've had in weeks.  Everything is now organized.  The spices are together, dishes are together, cups and mugs now fit without being precariously stacked on top of each other, and I have three bags of stuff to put in the basement.   I cannot wait to tackle the closet.

Finish painting the house (just bedroom and a few doors to go).

Get new curtains for front room.  The current ones were purchased at Walmart as a temporary solution.  In 2004. 

Replace white shelves in kitchen with something more aesthetically pleasing.   Using my freshman year roommate's old Ikea bookshelf to store cereal?  Not working for me any more.

Look into putting additional cabinets between kitchen windows. 

Put up curtains in the kitchen.

Look into putting up crown molding throughout the house.  Although I did my very best, our house wasn't exactly rehabbed by a genius (ifyaknowwhatImean) and the seams in between our ceilings and walls aren't all straight.  Hence, when I painted all these walls and ceilings the lines came out a bit... imperfect.  This drives me insane on a daily basis.  I suspect any agent would tell us to correct that before we sell the house, so why shouldn't I enjoy some crown molding in the meantime?

Get the carpets cleaned again in July. We had our first experience with Stanley Steemer this summer, and MAN did I ever feel like a disgusting slob when I saw how fast the water turned brown.  NOTE TO SELF: Next house shall have no carpeting!

COOKING

Create recipe book.   Put my favorite recipes (meaning, the five recipes that I actually use) in it.

Cook one big meal a week.

FRIENDS/FAMILY

Be a better friend.  Email more, keep in better touch.  Make a real effort to let my friends know how great they are.

Be an excellent bridesmaid for my two friends getting married in the fall.  I just learned that one of my bride-friends has picked Ann Taylor dresses for her bridesmaids to wear.  SCORE.

Write more cards and letters to my grandmother.

MISCELLANEOUS

Stop picking my fingers.  Seriously.   This has got to stop.  I used to bite my nails, but at some point during college I progressed to picking at the skin around my nails instead.  The result is my dirty little secret; I am always terrified that people are going to notice my mangled fingers and think I'm psychotic.   I pick when I'm nervous, I pick when I'm bored, I pick when I'm watching TV, I pick while I'm driving, I pick during conference calls, I pick during meetings.  I sort of like picking.  It's fun.  It satisfies my need to always be doing SOMETHING.  But I do NOT like having my hands look like they've been through a wood chipper.  I really need to take up knitting or something to give me something to do with my hands while I'm watching TV.  Who wants to teach me?

Make a will.   Not necessarily a legally binding document, but something.

Learn how to use our camera.  Read the manual, experiment with different shots.  Look into photography classes.  Currently, I hate our camera.  I suspect this has more to do with my inability to correctly operate it than the camera's inability to take decent pictures in any conditions other than bright, natural sunlight.

Donate more to charities.  Consider volunteering again.  My favorites are the MDSPCA, The Chesepeke Bay Fund, Wildlife Rescue, Inc and The Book Thing.   Man, I am such a hippie.

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Phew!  Did I miss anything?

Comments

[RA]

What if there is a conflict between all of the fun home stuff (crown molding, curtains, cabinets, etc.) and the budgetary restraints?

Now I'm afraid to get our carpets cleaned...

[Erika]

Okay, I was going to leave a comment about your recipe/cooking resolution and then I get to the picking fingers thing and I...stopped...because...I was picking my fingers while reading this whole thing. Yes, I do it even with a hand on the mouse. So...thanks for highlighting that. A few of my friends do it too, and J can always tell when I'm worked up about something because my thumbs are raw. I always say...there are worse things I could do! (a little defensive, don't you think?)

Anyway, I'm not sure if this is totally geeky (one of my resolutions should be to stop that self-defeating language right?) but I get the Kraft magazine that they send out CHOCK FULL of recipe ideas for free every few months, and I've found even more on their website. It has really beefed up (no pun intended) our recipe book.

[-R-]

H picks his fingers too! He started getting manicures, and that has slowed down the picking quite a bit.

I love your list!

Jen - this is a GREAT list :) I look forward to Jan 2009 and reading how you did :) And you inspired me to make a list of my own... :)

[Marriage-101]

These are all great. I'd suggest PR as a career (I'm biased) and I also need to go through my old blog posts and remove stuff I shouldn't have written.

[Danielle]

You have some great items on your list...and they are very specific, which should help you keep them, right? We have many of the same goals. Keep us updated on your progress OK?

[heidikins]

Wow - very impressive! I love the detailed goals, seperated into categories; and I love that the kitchen is now organized! That is my project for the wekk, and goodness, will it be a project!

Happy (slightly belated) 2008!

xox

[Nic]

Whoa, that is a great list, and something that sounds totally achievable.

[Laurel]

In addition to a will, you might want to consider a Health Care Directive if you haven't already. My whole family did them in the wake of the Terri Schiavo controversy, and I think they're really good protection.

Wow, I am such a killjoy.

Can't wait for updates on how your resolving goes.

[Kristabella]

Wow! That is some list! I need to stop writing about things I shouldn’t on the internet too. And I’ve already learned that the hard way.

I need to do some reorganizing myself this year. Because I hold on to a bunch of crap I don’t need.

[janet]

holy ambitious! you're making me look lazy over here. Oh wait, I am.

I am with you 100% on #1. Just can't talk about it on my own site.

[Justin]

Um, I hope your employer doesn't read your blog.. You first state that you want out of your current job and that you aren't giving it your all while at work.

Which basically doesn't bode well for your current employment or your next place of employment!

[lizzy]

Um, I think any employer would be lucky to have you working for them...even at less than your 'best effort' (which im sure is still far and beyond what most people put into their jobs). Also, i think its really brave to say that you have leared as much as you can in the current job and look for new opportunities. Most people would just sit and do the same job forever (hating everyday of it). And seriously, you didnt even say anything bad about your current 'employer' other than you 'have it really good and that you have learned a lot' but it might be time to move on. Its not like you said you take 3 hour lunch breaks, steal paperclips and have voodoo dolls of everyone you work with! Good for you for not being freaked out with a possible career change and wanting to actually learn more!

oh and my house could use a lot of orginaztion if you are up for another 'fun' weekend!

[Audrey]

Wanna know a secret? I pick my fingers too. Don't tell anyone.

If you figure out a good way to kick the habit, let me know.

[Jemima]

YES! YES! YES! Take up knitting! At once! See what an enabler I am? and while you're buying freaking biznas pants, buy me some too. Because unless I lose 10-lbs by next freaking weekend, I have nothing that fits. I am lame.