2012 resolutions

I saw a funny this weekend about New Year’s resolutions. Someone penned their resolutions in 2009, and each year since updated them with a line drawn through the resolution they couldn’t keep and scribbled the revised resolution above it. This is what my 2012 resolutions feel like, except I’ve learned that change – or resolutions – doesn’t happen over night – or even in a year.

Last year, I kept tabs on where I stood with my resolutions, which is better than I did in 2010, not looking at them again until time to make the new ones. I did do much better than in 2011, even crossing off a couple. So here goes, 2011 in review:

1. Take better care of myself:

Exercise more. I found my weights, and I have new leg-strengthening exercise shoes thanks to my daughter. The new neighborhood also has a swimming pool. When I had a backyard pool, I swam all the time. That’s something I’ve missed these last four years, and I’m looking forward to getting back in the water.

Once again, that didn’t happen. I hit the pool once, hit the treadmill once and walked around the block maybe twice. Oh and walked all over Philadelphia.

Continue to eat better. Crock pots rock! I love coming home and not having to cook dinner, and it’s easy to eat well when I’m not grabbing for junk when I walk in the door. Just have to watch out for weekends when the band plays.

Yes and no… I cooked more at home, but we ate out more too. I held on to the good eating habits through the spring, but it didn’t last through the summer. John convinced me to go on that Atkin’s Diet with him… bad setback.

Take vitamins and engage in more holistic health practices

Again, yes and no… I took fists full of vitamins, until one morning sometime during the summer, I got nauseous from something. I suspected the vitamins and never took anymore. I did discover the neti pot, and that considerably reduced my cold and allergies.

Get eyes checked / new glasses, maybe even contacts again. That’s gotta happen – and soon!

Yes I did! Twice in fact. Turns out that because of my farsightedness, I’m at high risk for something called narrow angle glaucoma. It’s easily fixed with laser surgery, but I’m not at that point. I do have to keep close tabs on it though.

2. Be more of a girlie girl … sitting here with bright blue fingernails! I might have to give up on the idea of going to the salon every week, but I can keep my hair and nails done. I would like to find a decent spa here in McKinney for messages, body wraps and such.

Again, yes and no. I did find a great little mom and pop salon here in McKinney and visited it regularly through the summer. I even managed to keep my nails pointed throughout most of summer. And I’ve even got them painted now. But I also kept them chewed down to the quick when they weren’t painted.

3. Craft Craft Craft. The craft room is organized and ready to go! I’m going to clear out some unfinished projects and then start on some things I’ve been meaning to do for years.

Yes, I did a little more sew more and do some other crafts, but not as frequently as I wanted to.

4. Write for myself. I’m going to launch my Martha Stewart-esk blog, very soon, though it probably won’t be under my own name. And I’m going to monetize it as well. I'm going to write and publish that cook book too! And I just might take up a blog I abandoned last year.

I did manage to reserve a blog name, email and twitter handle. And keep a list of topics and story ideas. But that’s as far as I got.

5. Build the village. I have the space and the resources. I just need to make the time to do it. Next Christmas Maddox will be old enough to enjoy it, so I have a meaningful incentive this year.

Almost! I started Labor Day weekend and worked diligently until right before Thanksgiving. I managed to get it about 30-40 percent complete. I realized that my village is no longer a week-long project; it’s a major undertaking!

6. Decorate the house. We’ve been a long time getting to this point, and I enjoy making a nice home to come back to at the end of the day. Target projects for 2011 include a spa bathroom, an entertaining backyard and a media room. I’m going to tackle one project every week, even if it’s a small thing like buying a new door mat or sewing a new hand towel.

This one is about 80 percent complete. I did make major headway on the spa bath and the entertaining backyard. The media room has since become the Village room – and I’m OK with that. Actually, I’m about 80 percent complete on getting everything done. And I decorated for Summer, Fall and Christmas.

7. Make 2011 StoneAge’s year. In April, when I took up booking the band again, I promised John, Mike and Dave that StoneAge would be on its feet and be a dominate project in the North Texas music scene in 18 months. Within a few weeks, I proved that I can make things happen. Time to shake off the distractions and negative energy to make good on that promise.

That one I made good on. We played nearly every weekend from the middle of January through October. In fact, we played so much that I got burned out and didn’t focus on it at all after Labor Day – and I’m OK with that.

8. Become more entrepreneurial. It’s becoming clearer and clearer that there will be no such thing as retirement. Now is the time to prepare for the “rest of my life.”

I though about this a lot last year, but realized I don’t really know what I want to do. I have a ballpark goal, but never spent time to sharpen any one idea.

9. Focus on “the plan.” Everything I do at work must be tied to the plan. No distractions. Think the plan, work the plan, be the plan.

It was a nice idea, but like the entrepreneurial resolution, I never really clarified what “the plan” was.

10. Spend more time with my family.

Yes, I did do a little better here. Since the summer, I made an effort to spend an evening with Maddox most weeks. And I was able to spend more time with Robert, on the phone and visiting him.

I feel like I laid much of the groundwork toward accomplishing my goals, so 2012 will look a lot like 2011. So here goes:

1. Take better care of myself:

·         Exercise. Somehow, somewhere, someway. I’ve got to walk.

·         Eat better. No more fad diets. Stick to something that works.

·         Take vitamins. I always feel better when I do, so I’m just going to have to line them up on the counter and do it.

·         Get a physical. Haven’t had one since 2009. It’s time.

2. Be more of a girlie girl…

3. Craft Craft Craft. The craft room is organized and ready to go - again! I’ve made a list of projects I want to finish. I’m making a crafting calendar and I’m blogging about my projects, so hopefully that will keep my motivated.

4. Write for myself. I acquired a blog site for my Martha Stewart-esk blog and I documented many of my crafting projects from this year so I’ve got material to work with. I also discovered that my Xoom takes dictation so I can write my pieces as I travel to and from work.

I also set up a home office for me with my own computer and loaded it with all kinds of writing software. I’ve been keeping notes for a couple of novel projects, so hopefully, I can get those organized and that project off the ground – though I don’t expect to finish it next year.

5. Finish the village. Lots of lessons learned from last year, mostly that it’s no longer a 14-day project. It’s a long-term commitment. Fortunately, I don’t have to take down what I accomplished last fall. And knowing what I know now, I realize that I’m no longer constrained by the calendar. I can work on it anytime the mood strikes.

6. Finish decorating the house. There’s not a lot left to do. I need to focus on the master bedroom. If I get that finished, I think I might just take this one off next year’s list.

7. Better define my entrepreneurial goals. I’ve got lots of ideas, but couldn’t congeal any of them into a workable plan. I bought market planning software recently, so I’m hoping it will help me bring together some of my projects, perhaps my writing, and guide me in developing a cohesive plan.

8. Spend more time with my family.