New Years Resolutions

Resolution:a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner

As with every New Year's it's a time to reflect and make resolutions. I think of it as setting goals that one wants to complete, a change to make, a habit to break or begin, something that is realistic that can be achieved.

There are some goals that are unrealistic for me, like not to procrastinate. As you can see from this post, I'm late on writing down my New Year's Resolutions. I've thought about it, but not acted on it. They say that writing down a goal makes it so you are more likely to do it and have a better chance of achieving it. They also say the more specific you are, the more likely you are to achieve it. So here are the ones that I have thought of and hope to accomplish. Hopefully, having it on the blog will reinforce my desire to achieve my goals.

1. Be more active. This one actually covers a lot. It is not very specific, but I felt that I could write this with sub-goals. I would like to be more active physically. I enjoy working out whether it's running, walking, lifting weights, walking the dogs, etc. It's something that I have slacked off on due to a busy schedule. But when I don't do this, I find I am grumpier. I am very good at making excuses, but I need to stop and realize that it not only doesn't help me physically, but also is not good for the family either. I'm not fun to be around when I'm grumpy. I also want to be more active and grow spiritually. This one should be fairly easy you would think, but it's not. Simple things like reading scriptures, saying prayers or attending church, can sometimes be quite a task for me. I want to make it so it's a daily occurrence, not a weekly or even bi-weekly occurrence. With prayers, I need to get better at saying them not just at meal times, or in times of need, but daily as I am very thankful for the many blessings that I have.
2. Finish unfinished projects. I have a cross-stitch that I started years ago. I am determined to finish it this year!
3. Unclutter. Sometimes I think I will need stuff and find I hang onto things way too long. It ends up taking up space and is just not necessary.
4. Learn more to improve as a teacher. I want to make sure that I am meeting the needs of my students, their families, and doing my very best to help guide them. I want to make education more interesting for them. Sometimes I feel as though I'm in a rut and not giving my all for these students. I want more than anything to see them succeed and feel success. It is such an awesome feeling to see them grasp a concept and know that they understand it!
5. Run a half-marathon. Yes, this is really a goal. I've thought about it a lot the past few years, but then chicken out for one reason or another. This year I'm going to commit to it and do it. I'll need to do some runs at other races which will help me prepare, but I think this is my year to do it. As it gets closer to the date, I'll set a time that I want to complete it in. Right now, I would think 2:30, but maybe I'll be able to increase my speed and 2:15 would be a better goal.

I think five goals is good for this year, but the great thing is, I can adjust them as necessary or set new ones as I see fit. New Year's is not the only time that one can make resolutions.

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.

Abraham Lincoln