New Year's Resolutions for 2010

Long time readers of this blog know that I LUV ME some New Year resolutions. Really, anything in list-format gets me excited and New Year resolutions are the mother of all lists. So without further adieu, here are my resolutions/goals/hopes/dreams for 2010:

REDUCE TV VIEWING. This is a carryover resolution from last year. It worked beautifully until about October, when we slid off the wagon. But we're back on and more strict than ever. We'll record So You Think You Can Dance, Glee, and Modern Family and watch back with no commercials. We're cutting out Biggest Loser (maybe- I waver on this) and Big-Bang Theory. Otherwise, no TV except to watch the occasional movie or football game (Blair) and absolutely no channel flipping. 

SOUP. Yes, you read that right. Soup. Soup is my goal for the new year. I have a Vita-Mix which is the world's coolest blender/food processor all in one and I want to start using it more. Specifically, I want to make healthy, homemade soups to eat before each meal, ideally filling myself up so I eat smaller portions at lunch and dinner. It's also a great way to get in my servings of vegetables, which I'm bad about eating. So, 2010- year of Soup. 

MORNING PAGES. All you artists out there are familiar with Julia Cameron's morning pages. Three handwritten pages done the first thing each morning to clear the cobwebs and empty your mind of all the crap stored there so you may have a more productive, creative day. I've done them on and off for years, and always find I'm happier and more productive when doing them. It's a commitment, though. It takes me anywhere from 20-45 minutes to complete the handwritten pages. However, I've started keeping pen and paper by my bed so that when I wake up in the morning, I just sit up and start writing and the pages are done before I can convince myself I don't have time to do them. 

STICK TO THE PLAN. I've worked out a schedule. I have to stick to it, if I'm going to get anything done. When I factor in almost 2 hours/day for workouts, 1 hour for cooking, 1 hour for morning pages, 1 hour for shower/breakfast, 1 hour daily for novel writing, 1 hour for e-mail and admin tasks, plus drive time to GSO, client meetings and life, it's like... um, where does the actual work fit in? Each night before bed, I write out my schedule for the next day, hour-by-hour. I also write down exactly what I'll be working on, to make sure priorities get done and I don't stray from task.

EASE UP ON E-MAIL. Sigh. E-mail is to me what the "This is the year I lose weight" goal is to other people. I ALWAYS have the goal of not spending so much time on e-mail. It's my biggest time waster. I'm hoping the strict schedule will help me get better about it.

EARLY TO BED, EARLY TO RISE. I've done the math. There's no way I'm getting everything that needs to be done, done, without a daily 5 AM wake-up call. It's not so bad, as I stay in bed the first 30 minutes and work on my morning pages. But I'm also an 8-hours of sleep girl, which means I'd like to be in bed, reading, by 9 and lights out no later than 10. On the bright side, this puts me almost exactly on Blair's schedule. 

FINANCIAL GOALS. I have a set goal in mind on how much I'd like to earn this year, and Blair and I always have specific financial goals for saving, spending, etc. 

PAINT THE HALL. Okay, less resolution than just general task. But I hate it. It's a long hallway of boring beige. Lifeless. I'm looking at coral paint colors and I just may do it. Hear that hall? You've been warned. 

Those are the biggees. You may wonder that there is no running or exercise goal listed. That's because I've FINALLY (finally, finally, finally) got to the point in my life where running and exercise are a natural part of my day. I'm training for the Boston marathon in April, so that will keep me fit the first part of the year, and I'm playing with the idea of running a trail marathon in the Fall. There's a great one right here in Greensboro, so I wouldn't even have to travel. 

I've also got some personal writing goals, but I don't necessarily consider those New Year resolutions so I didn't list here. 

On a final note, when doing Morning Pages the other day, I wrote about "pushing through." Pushing through fear, pushing through doubt, pushing through pain (intervals!), pushing through procrastination to see what's on the other side. So "PUSH THROUGH" is my new mantra for 2010. 

See you all in 2010. Have a SAFE and WONDERFUL New Year.