We are knee-deep in snow. I’m loving it.
2010 is GONE. I’m SO loving that.
I originally had a whole diatribe written out about what sucked in 2010, and how 2011 hasn’t started out great…but this post is supposed to be about hope. Starting it with nastiness and negativity isn’t conducive to the post.
So here is to the future. 2011 is going to rock…even if it kills me *G*
To that end, here are some things I’d like to see happen in 2011. Goals, not resolutions, because I can’t keep a resolution to save my life.
* Get a large team together for the Cystic Fibrosis walk this coming May. Help raise LOTS of money for this supremely worthy, and important to our family, cause. The team will be forming in February once we have a definite yay or nay on Brandon. After that walk is over, start asking at the hospital about what sort of volunteer work is available for the CF area. Once all kids are in school, I want to start getting more involved & giving back.
* Get back in shape. I started last year doing C25k and loved it – but fell off the wagon. This isn’t about weight loss – it’s about the fact that I feel like hell…and I really just want to feel good about myself and what I’m doing for my own health and happiness.
* Feed my family healthier. My husband has diabetes, his diagnosis was years ago and I changed very little about our diets. Bread, potatoes and pasta are huge staples in this house and that has to stop…Archie is already OLD (teasing, he’s 9 years older than me & I always pick on him for it)…I don’t need to shorten his life span by cooking him crap. Also, we could all stand to eat healthier. Riley could stand to start eating…PERIOD (another post for another day there).
* Get on a budget. Living hand to mouth isn’t good for us. It’s horrible for hubby’s depression and it’s horrible for emergency situations. I say this every year – this year Archie is on board. Living on a TIGHT budget is going to be tough. We’ll be strong, somehow.
* Complete at least 3 items from my 45X45 (i.e. Bucket) List. I’ve already taken the first step to getting one item knocked off…We’ll see what else I can’t wrangle this year. This goes back to what I said earlier – I want to feel good about myself. Doing some things for me is part of that.
* Get a decent haircut. In 34 years I’ve not succeeded at this. I loved having my hair really long, but I had have it shorn off last year in a very brutal and traumatic way (I know it sounds silly, but it WAS traumatic, still is). Right now I’d be happy to get a not-too-short style that suits my features. I’ve NEVER had this. I REALLY want it.
* Be more loyal to my blog(s) {yes I have more than one}. Be more true to myself WITHIN those blogs. I have started to do that here and have seen a definite & positive change in the past few months because of it.
* Build my community. In December I was able to witness first hand the power of community. My heart has been filled by this event, and I want to work harder to keep the communities I have and build on them. This means I can’t be afraid to use the phone to call people. I have to reach out, not just expect to be reached out to – because that doesn’t happen.
* Re-establish a deeper connection with my family. Including being honest with them about how I’m feeling about certain things. Be honest about events in the past. Make it a point to see them more regularly than “events”. Set up a regularly monthly lunch date w/ my mom and sister-in-law…don’t make it an event that only happens when my aunt is in town.
* Work on my photography with more diligence. Make it a point to go out on photo-walks at least once a month. Once a week once the weather gets warmer. Take my little one with me if I have to during the week while school’s in. Take my eldest when I can, and nourish his love of photography that is building. Finish my book on my camera and cross fingers for a lens that I’ve been eyeing.
* CLEAN MY HOUSE. The dream is to kick out my kids for a week. Shove everything out of the house and only bring back in the necessaries. Both Archie & I dream of doing a mass cleaning like this. Our house is just disgustingly full of clutter. It doesn’t help that it is SO TINY.
* WRITE MORE. Okay, not more than I did last year – I got insane w/ the writing & had no sleep or house cleaning because of it. That’s bad…but I haven’t written in 3 months and I hate that.
* READ MORE. I need to settle in and enjoy reading again. I want to read some classics, and some guilty pleasure newer novels. The more I read, the better writer I can become.
* FIND BALANCE. This…wow, this one is big. I’m bad at this. When I do something I do it big and everything else falls away…and suffers because of it. I struggle to pull away from the computer just to do housework. Part of this goal is definitely backing away from the computer to focus on other things more. In order to do this I have to stay up when hubby leaves for work. I have to schedule my days for a change, and get things done. Once I get the mass cleaning of the house done – I don’t want it to get like this again. I will need to be diligent.
* BE HAPPY. I know this year is going to bring me more and bigger challenges. For all the challenges 2010 brought me, I made it through…but I didn’t always make it through HAPPY. Even now I’m still grousing about it. I have always been one to try to find the silver lining, but lately I’ve been content to wallow. I don’t want to wallow this year. Whatever the struggle, I know we can face it. Just like we faced every struggle of 2010.
These all sound like awesome goals, and I share some of them with you. I’ve decided 2011 is my year of ACTION. Getting stuff done that’s been sitting there waiting for me forever.