An Obsession and My 2012 Resolutions

I'm obsessed with to-do lists and planners. I make a to-do list every day either when I wake up, or before I go to bed at night. I've always loved having a planner and crossing things off throughout the day. When I first became a stay-at-home-mom, I didn't think I needed a planner anymore because the "deadlines" of school and work were gone, but then I realized I function much better when I use a planner, or at least a to-do list, no matter what's written on it. Whatever it is that I need to get done that day whether it be cleaning toilets, grocery shopping, or even the simplest things like making a phone call, writing it down completely increases my motivation to do it. Sometimes I have to write it down about 20 times before I actually do it, but eventually I'll do it just so I can cross it off and stop re-writing it every day. Folding the laundry seems 10 times more exciting to me if I know it means I'll get to cross it off my to-do list at the end of the day. I know, I'm a little weird. Good thing my husband's the exact opposite, because we balance each other out pretty well. I've never known him to have a planner or make to-do lists. I remember thinking he was absolutely crazy for not having a planner in college. I didn't know how he kept his mind from exploding trying to remember all his assignments and due dates. 

Anyway, along with my to-do list obsession, I also love setting goals. I've been like this ever since I was little, so my dad tells me. 

I finally chose some resolutions for 2012. I've had so many of them floating around in my head for awhile now, but I decided to narrow them down to 12. 

Here's my 12 Resolutions for 2012:

1. Improve photography skills by taking the free classes that came with my camera and reading at least one book on photography. 

2. Publish and order our 2011 family blog by the end of February. 

This was a page from our 2010 book. It's a lot of work, but it always feels like Christmas the day it comes in the mail!

3. Get my cycling certification and renew AFAA certification. 

4. Eat vegetables at least 2-3 times/day. Always for lunch and dinner, and either for breakfast or snack. 

5. Break my need for sweets after meals. Not just desserts, but sweets in general. I don't eat desserts like the one below very often, but I have a really bad habit of thinking I always need something sweet after lunch and dinner. 

6. Learn to swim at least 800 meters without stopping. (I've never been a swimmer, but I took a few lessons last summer and learned the basics. I could maybe swim about 50 meters right now before I would feel like I was suffocating and needed to stand up to breath. Hopefully I'll be able to practice and get more comfortable in the water this summer!)

7. After #6 is done, complete my first sprint triathlon and see if I like them. If I decide I do, then I want to complete an Olympic distance triathlon too. 

8. Be in bed by 10:30PM 5 nights a week. 

9. Make my daily prayer and scripture study more meaningful and thoughtful. 

10. Read at least one book per month. 

I reas this one last year and loved it. The next two books on my list for this year are Born to Run, and Kara Goucher's Running For Women. And yes, I will read other books besides running ones. :) 

11. Have at least 10 minutes of quiet time per day where I don't do anything but think and relax. Even when I sit down to eat, I'm usually multi-tasking. I think lunch time will be a good opportunity for my 10 minutes of quiet time. Instead of reading while I eat, I'm just going to sit and eat! Nothing else. 

12. Work on my inner calm. I know this sounds funny, but I want to practice staying calm on the inside when B is being difficult or throwing tantrums, or when anything else might be stressing me out. Even when I don't show my impatience or stress on the outside, I can feel it boiling on the inside. I really want to master not letting outside circumstances affect my mood on the inside. If I can master my mood on the inside, I know my mood on the outside will automatically be the way I want it to be. 

While I'm at it, here are a couple blog goals I have for the year:

1. Write my About Me page.

2. Make a separate recipe page with links to all my "Eat of the Weeks."

3. Fix my comment section so I can directly reply to people's comments.

4. Write my running story.

5. Move my blog to Wordpress. 

6. Make a facebook page. 

7. Add facebook and twitter buttons to my blog. 

Are you a planner/list maker? 

Tell me one of your New Years Resolutions! 

It probably goes along with my list obsession, but I love reading other people's goals!