2012 Goals: January Update

I thought I'd do a little update on how I'm doing with my 2012 goals now that the first month of the year is complete (umm, how did it go so fast?).

My goals are in bold italics and my updates are in regular italics.

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1. Save money, reduce debt. Well, we were doing really well with the saving money part of this one until D's car got towed and we had to use the money we had in our savings account to get it off the tow truck. No, I didn't blog about it, mostly because I was really mad about it, but now you know. I am making a point to "pay myself back" so that we're still putting a little bit into savings for January. As far as reducing debt, we are using the snowball method and we plan on putting our tax refund toward credit card debt.

2. Lose weight. I have to admit that I haven't really been concentrating on this one as much as I should. There were a few days that I took AJ outside in the stroller and ran/walked a little. I've also been going to yoga, but so far the scale has really been yo-yo-ing based on what and how much I eat on any given day.

3. Eat healthier. I've been just okay on this one. I've made an effort to make healthier meals a few times a week, but the portion control isn't quite there yet. I think that mostly everything we eat is fairly healthy in moderation, but when I start out my diner with a plate full of rice, its probably not going to qualify as healthy, even if it is brown rice. I've been trying to eat healthy lunches and breakfasts, which in turn helps me to save money because I'm not eating out or grabbing something on the go. I made home made granola and I've been eating light soups (Campbell's and Progresso) for lunch. I'm also trying to make an effort to make salads to go with dinner because then we'll hopefully fill up on veggies before digging into the main dish.

4. Be more patient. I think I am doing better with this one for the second half of the month than I did for the first part. Its interesting that while I feel I'm being more patient with AJ, I've also found that there is a clear line that determines behavior that is unacceptable. If she commits one of these acts, there is no need for patience on my part, she goes straight to punishment. On the other hand, if its something little, I try to stay calm and repeat myself. I'm also trying to get down to her level and have her look me in the eye before I lose it over something little.

5. Exercise more. I've been going to yoga, I've walked/run a few times but overall, I would say that I pretty much failed at this one for the month of January.

6. Maintain a positive attitude. When it pertains to certain aspects of my life, I have been doing a good job at remaining positive. Other areas of my life still manage to induce a mini-panic attack and I get snippy about it. I've been trying to be positive and upbeat as a whole though, so I'd say I did okay on this one. I am hoping that by the time we find out if we're moving or not (maybe in another 3 weeks, maybe longer) I'll be able to take it in stride and remain positive about listing our house (and it selling, fast, for our asking price!). ;)

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Looking at my goals and evaluating how I did for January has made me realize that a lot of the things I wanted to change for 2012 were loosely based on how well I am able to manage my own stress level and the amount I worry about things. These are two things as a whole that I would like to change about myself and I think that by setting smaller, quantifiable goals, I'll be able to help myself find and maintain techniques that work for me.

I also like the idea of checking in at the end of each month to keep track of how I'm doing with each goal. It helps me to remember what I'm striving for and reminds me to continue the good work (or to pick up the slack where I feel I've been lacking).

What about you? How are your 2012 goals coming along?

My 2012 Goals

I mentioned last night that I wanted to make myself a little list of goals or resolutions for this year and stick with them throughout the whole year. I am not normally a goal-setter, so this is a little out of the ordinary for me, but I think it will be fun to go back at the end of the year and look at how I do each month.

So, here are my goals for 2012.

1. Save money, reduce debt. We have a few credit cards that we're currently carrying balances on and I'd really like to reduce those (or pay them off completely). I also want to make sure that we have a nice cushion in our savings. We are scheduled to pay off a loan this summer, so I know we'll make a good dent in our debt in the second half of the year since we'll be able to use the money we have been paying towards the loan to pay extra on the credit card debt. As for the savings, well, our BAH is going up a few hundred this year, so I'm thinking we'll put the extra into savings each month. Should make it easy since we won't miss it. I'm actually really looking forward to this goal. It might be nice to have money for once. ;)

2. Lose weight. This one goes along with #3 and #5. I have gotten into the habit of eating too much, exercising too little, and using too much butter in my cooking, a la Pioneer Woman. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of little butter on occasion, but I really need to get it reigned in. I'll feel better about myself, and maybe I'll fit back into some of those clothes I used to wear before AJ was born.

3. Eat healthier. Again, this coincides with #2, but since I do all of the cooking in our house and we rarely eat out, it has become apparent to me that I need to adjust my menu rotation. I think it will be a fairly simple change to make, namely cutting back on the comfort foods and upping the veggies and salads, but also limiting the amount we eat in a sitting. I've had success in the past with portion control and I think its something I need to start paying more attention to.

4. Be more patient. Its not that I forget that AJ is a child, but sometimes its just so frustrating! I have never been a particularly patient person (just ask my Ma). AJ has, in her short 22 months of existence, already taught me a lot about myself, and the biggest thing I see that needs to change is my patience level. I'm going to make a particular and concentrated effort to be very patient this year, not only with AJ, but also others. I tend to be anxious and high-strung, so this resolution should help me to relax and calm down a little as well.

5. Exercise more. I couldn't really exercise any less than I did in 2011. I ran a few times, but stopped as AJ got older. She is not really a fan of sitting in the stroller, so that really limited my running opportunities. I think that I can do better this year. I don't want to make excuses to not exercise, so I'm going to try and incorporate other methods of activity, maybe something like P90X or Insanity. If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know!

6. Maintain a positive attitude. I think this goal goes along with #4. Along with a lack of patience, I tend to expect the worst and project a negative attitude about just about anything. I want to be a good example for AJ and I don't want her to grow up to be cynical and negative all the time. I have a feeling this may be the most challenging of all my resolutions for 2012.

There you have it, folks! Hopefully by the end of this year I'll be richer, thinner, healthier, more patient and more positive. Sounds good to me!

What are your resolutions for this year?