2009 Resolutions (like I kept any of the 2008 ones..)

Have you decided on any New Years Resolutions?

As you know, I am a planner and a list maker. I love to plan stuff. Actual execution on those plans is a whole different story. I usually execute on the big stuff but tend to over plan and think I can fit in more than I actually have time for. So every year, I make long, detailed lists of things I will never have enough time to do.

So this year, things are going to be different. This year I've decided to only list three things that I absolutely am going to do and I am going to concentrate on doing those things. Then of course there are some other things I am going to list, but only as nice-to-have items and if I don't get to those, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

The first item is that I'm going to get out of debt. By the end of 2009, I resolve to be completely out of debt, except for my mortgage. That means credit card debt and a car loan. That's it. My nice-to-have's following this are: I'd like to make an additional mortgage payment and I'd like to build up our emergency fund so we can actually handle an emergency. Daleen and I are looking at how we can do this. I don't know what we will end up doing, but all options are on the table.

The second item is that I am going to lose weight and get in shape. Yeah, isn't this one on everyone's list every year? But I resolve to lose 20 pounds and shave 10 minutes off my Ukrops 10K race time from last year. As you know, my blood pressure was reading high at the end of 2008 and I want to put off going on meds for that as long as possible. (Although, because of family history, I will most likely be going on them no matter what I do.) This should be easy. All I have to do is eat less (hmmm.... doing less of something and spending less money on food....sounds like a good idea.) and exercise more (getting more out of my YMCA membership). It's a no brainer. Now all I have to do is get over this silly resistance I have to actually going out of my house to go to the gym. Once I get there I'm always glad I went. I just get tripped up on that little curb that always seems to get in the way of going there. I just need to make it a priority.

The third thing I resolve to do is spend more time with Daleen and Colin. I finished my school program last summer and I figured I would have lots of extra time for them, but instead, I just made myself busy with all sorts of other things. I was reading recently that it is important for people to spend quantity time with their families. Basically, in order to get the best quality time with your family, you need to maximize the quantity of time you spend with them and the quality moments will just happen. Colin and I spent the day together yesterday. The whole day. I wore him out for a change instead of the other way around. We went all over the city doing all kinds of stuff and we had tons of fun. We started at Bass Pro Shops (spending a little Christmas money), went to the Richmond Children's Museum among other places, and ended up at my friend's new apartment in Chester, playing Guitar Hero with his two daughters. I couldn't have planned on our having that kind of fun. We just ran amok and the fun just happened. The best part was that Colin was completely pooped when we got home. He ate dinner and went to bed without complaint, which doesn't happen often.

Like I said, I have other things I would like to do this new year. I have the usual laundry list of home improvement projects. Then there is our trip we are taking to South Africa this summer. We're going to visit the in-laws for 2-3 weeks. While there, I'm going on a week-long hunting safari. Then we're going on a vacation to Sun City, which is the largest resort city in the country, followed by some time at my in-laws house. I've been trying to learn their language, Afrikaans. It's sort of like Dutch. All these years I have been married and travelling down there and I feel guilty they all still have to speak English to me, even though it is a second language to them. I feel I should make an effort to at least try and meet them halfway on the language thing. It's the right thing to do.

There are a bunch of other things I have planned for this year, but like I said, I have three primary things to focus on. I'm going to work my hardest at those primary things and hope to have time for all the rest. This is going to be a good year. I'm optimistic. I have an unbelievable amount to be thankful for. I'm really hoping to get my act together this year. I really am.

So, Happy New Year to you all. If you have made some resolutions, I'd love to hear them. I'm convinced 2009 is going to be a good year. A year is a long time and who knows what's going to happen? Anything's possible....