2012, It’s Good to Meet You

2011 was not my worst year, nor was it my best year, and I can't say I'm sad it is over with.
I don't make resolutions, or at least I don't call what I do resolutions. I acknowledge that I totally suck at follow-through. Yeah, I'm really good at making plans and setting goals, but I'm not really very good at actually following through on everything necessary to meet them. A lot of what I'd like to get accomplished hasn't been lately, largely because I really don't like my current living situation. The good news is, that in the next 2 months, it will change, and I'll be back in full control of my little world, instead of sharing a house with someone I don't particularly like. I will be able to have my home the way that I want it, and I won't have to worry about someone else's clothes in the laundry when I need to wash mine, or try to work out a tv watching schedule.
I've gotten my groceries for the week, and am doing my best not to eat a lot of junk or processed, foods. I've bought frozen veggies instead of canned, I made my turkey spaghetti sauce from scratch with a can each of tomato sauce & tomato paste and added my own spices instead of buying a jar of Ragu. Since I have tomorrow off, I'm cooking up a batch of brown rice, and a batch of quinoa that I can then freeze into individual portions to reheat easily. I also plan to clean out the refrigerator of the leftovers that haven't been eaten. My goal for January is to have all of my groceries for the week by Sunday, so I can spend the afternoon getting the pre-prep done, cooking up my starches for the week, getting sauces ready, portioning my meats, so that I can do quick prep each evening, and have more time to read, write, or play with the cats before we head to bed.
I borrowed a couple of books from a friend, because I spend entirely too much time on the computer, and I need to get back to one of my first loves, Reading. The books are The Chronicles of Faerie, which is a collection of 3 stories, and the finale to the series, The Book of Dreams, by O.R. Melling. I've started the first, but frankly, haven't gotten very far because I haven't yet conquered my addiction to the internet, and managed to tear myself away from the computer until it's time for bed. My 2^nd goal for January is to spend an hour a day reading, just because I love to read, and not because I have to read that contract, or that business email.
I need to get more organized, which is really not possible in my current living situation, because I just don't have space to spread stuff out and organize it, but I am determined that when I move, I manage not to move so much CRAP that I've wagged around for too long, so as I pack over the next few weeks, I'll start weeding out the crap and trying to organize as I pack. Goal #3 for January is to get my closet sorted and packed, starting with the Christmas stuff.
I'm not going to try to fool myself into believing that I can accomplish a bunch of huge goals, but baby steps I can manage.

2011

I have never been one to make resolutions, in no small part because I have a terrible case of A.D. Oooh, SHINEY, and I sometimes have trouble following through on goals I set for myself when they have no bearing on anyone except myself. Yep, I know that the only person who suffers for this is me. That being said, I recognize that the time has come for me to stop punishing myself, and actually follow through on some of my goals. I am setting small ones, that I am fairly certain I can achieve and turn into good habits, which will ultimately benefit my physical health, as well as my spiritual & emotional well-being.

1. Take my vitamins. Daily. – Getting them out of the closet, where I will see them every day will help with this task
2. Eat better, more balanced meals. – I've started this already, having a protein shake for breakfast this morning, and a healthy dinner (let's not talk about my lunch today at a local fast food restaurant) I am trying to keep track of my progress over on my weight loss blog, but no guarantees on that yet.
3. Get proper sleep, EVERY night. A few days ago, I made sure when I was in Arlington, to get by Deep Woods Apothecary, where I picked up, among other things, some of their Serenitea. Night before last it wasn't a fabulous solution to my sleep issues, but Li'lcat was utterly insistent on being in my face, waking me up. Last night, however, I slept like a dream.
4. Spend 10 minutes a day of quiet time… no music, no computer, no cats, no driving, no other distractions.
5. Spend 30 minutes a day reading a book. I used to LOVE to read, and did so voraciously. I'm not sure what happened to that in the last few years. I am definitely a bibliophile, my book collection is outrageous, especially considering the space I have to devote to it at this time, and I am not going to purchase any new books until I finish reading the ones I've already got collecting dust. For me, this is going to mean turning off the television
6. Move more. I'm doing a little research to try and find a nearby yoga or bellydance studio. As much as I wish I could go back to Isis, I just can't justify the 90 minute drive, even once a week.

2010 was a rough year all the way 'round. The saying that what you are doing at the beginning of the year will set the tone for what you will do throughout the year seems to have been only partially true, as I was unemployed, but only spent about ½ the year in that state. I learned a great deal about myself over the course of that year, good things and some not so good things, but in the end, I have a clearer vision of what really matters to me, and what I'm willing to do to accomplish those things. I am blessed in more ways than I can count, with blood kin as well as my chosen family of friends. We don't always get along or see things the same way, but we can agree to disagree and enjoy more those things on which we can agree. 

2011 promises to be a new adventure, a path unseen, yet somehow familiar & comfortable, with God & family (birth & chosen) along the way to share the joys and the sorrows as they present themselves.