Wednesday, April 25, 2012

new year's resolutions... in april

{source}
I recently came across a note that had my 2012 new year's resolutions scribbled on them... I was almost fearful to actually read through them... afraid to see how I've really been doing on those goals and aspirations.

Surprisingly it's not that bad.

Definitely better than last year.

I thought I would do a little "resolution review" ...kind of like a quarterly analysis.  I like the idea of revisiting my resolutions throughout the year, so I'm hoping to do this a few more times later.  So... here you go... resolution review - version 1:

1) be a better listener.
I think I'd have to say I'm doing pretty good on this one... mostly thanks to the counseling training Lance and I have been going through at our church.  I've been learning so much about the value in keeping my mouth shut sometimes... learning to love others by truly listening to them... learning to love my husband better by listening and pursuing him... learning to be still and listen to God more.

2) start journaling again.
Ehh.  I've been doing okay on this one.  I probably have one solid, lengthy journal entry per month.  I know it's not much, and I would definitely like to be writing more... but, hey- one journal entry per month is a heck of a lot more than whatever I wrote last year.

3) read a classic (or two).
I've been thinking about this one... does that count??  I even ordered The Great Gatsby from Amazon... it's on my "to-read" list.  I think The Great Gatsby has pretty much secured the number 1 spot for this resolution... any suggestions for the number 2 spot?

4) drink less soda.
Thanks to the fact that I gave up soda for Lent this year, I was able to go a solid 45 days without any soda... and that alone makes this resolution a success.

5) organize my photos.
I still have a long way to go on this one... but I'm working on it.  I have actually started ordering prints again... this.is.revolutionary.people.  Like I actually have real, physical photos... printed on paper.  This makes me happy.

6) write more real letters.
Yeah... not so great on this one.  Emails... sure, no problem.  Facebook messages... no biggie.  Care packages... yep, got it.  But this resolution is for REAL letters... handwritten sentiments... pen and paper.  You get the picture.  I'm still working on this one.

7) finish more projects.
I can count 5 finished projects right off the top of my head (map art, button monogram, letter-a-day, apothecary jar faceliftpainted dresser)... I deem that a success.  I still have plenty of unfinished projects to tackle, so not to worry... there should still be plenty of blog content for the rest of the year.

8) talk to God more.
I'm definitely talking to Him more this year... in various ways... sometimes on paper... sometimes in my car... sometimes joyful praises... sometimes pleas for help.... sometimes requests for wisdom... sometimes with my husband... and sometimes by myself.  Not only am I learning to talk to God more... but sometimes more importantly... I'm learning to listen to Him more.

9) use a planner (for the whole year).
Well, it's late April, and I'm still rockin' my Erin Condren planner... so that's gotta mean something, right?  I still love everything about it too.  Planners definitely work better if you actually use them... just an FYI.

10) pay off credit card debt.
This one has seen some major action over the past month or so.  Between the tax refund and my recent bonus, we have been able to pay off 4 credit cards.  FOUR.  Granted some were pretty small balances... but none-the-less, they are done!  We paid off our washer & dryer that we bought last year... we paid off our temperpedic mattress... we paid off a small Amazon account... and we paid off a decent size credit card balance.  This is exciting stuff people.  Making those "final payments" has got to be one of the most exhilarating feelings ever.

So. There you have it.  My first "resolution review" for 2012.  I'm going to go with a 6/10.  Not too shabby.  A little room for improvement... but there should always be a little of that, right?

What about you??  Did you make resolutions this year?  How are you doing on them?  Is a resolution review in order??  Don't worry... I won't judge...

5 comments:

Katie said...

this would be a good time to look at resolutions again - you're doing well! I like the one about writing real letters - I've tried to do that this year too! And I want one of those planners next year!

Angie said...

Oh wow, your doing really well and still have time left to fill in the blanks! I love making little goals for myself!

I totally need to invest in a good planner!

mleslie43 said...

I wouldn't even be able to find the paper that I wrote the resolutions on or remember them. You are WAY ahead of me!

Salena said...

Sounds like you're doing pretty good! We are working on paying off debt, too. The car is almost paid for, and we have some debt on a credit card that we hope to have paid off in the next few months.

Chrystina said...

Maybe you could try writing post cards instead of letters, less intense :)

And I know what you mean about the listener thing. Not exactly the same, but this past week I made it my goal at work to try to not put words in anybody's mouth. I have this tendency to try to finish people's sentences and then I never know what they were going to say. I was proud of myself - hopefully I can keep it up for another week :)

Good luck with things, and it's definitely only April. Plenty of time. And maybe you can get some time in reading on the beach this summer :)