With the end of Christmas, the end of the year is always right around the corner. Now, I don't make New Year's resolutions, at least I don't consider them as such. When I think of resolutions, I think of simple, half-hearted promises people make to themselves about 15 minutes before midnight, while being completely wasted. If they remember the resolutions, it's usually the typical "I'll get fit this year" or "I'll stop smoking", and rarely are they taken seriously, resulting in broken resolutions by the end of February. Instead, I take a serious look at the past year, figure out what I want to change, and I develop a reasonable plan for changing things for the better. So, here's my list, in no particular order:
- Go to church more. Buy a Bible. This is one we somewhat accomplished last year, but I'd like to really improve on it this year. We found a church we like, but have only been a handful of times since August. Things got really busy starting in September, and after that, we just didn't go as much as we wanted to. Starting in January, I'd like us to go as often as we can, so about two to thee times per month. I would also like to get a Bible for the family. I would like to read it once a week, maybe Sunday evenings. It may sound lame and old-fashioned, but there are so many great things that come from a family becoming more spiritually involved. You meet new people at church, it teaches many great stories of kindness, love and generosity, and I know I feel good in so many ways after coming out of church.
- Get fit. Yes, I bashed this one above. But, I'm very serious about this one. Since last year, I've lost 8 lbs, and I don't need to lose anymore weight. So, this isn't a weight loss plan, this is a general get in shape plan. I need to be healthier in general, and I also want to look good for my wife. Not to mention my 10 year high school reunion is coming up and I would love to look good for that. I have some general ideas for doing this, as well. First, I want to change my diet a bit. I probably should actually increase my calories some, considering I'm losing weight eating an average amount of calories. But, I'm not going to eat a bunch of junk. I want to get more fruits, veggies, and lean meats, and cut down on sodium, sugar, and other junk. Not cut it out, but just keep it low. Basically, I need more protein, fiber, and vitamins in general. Second, I will work out more. I'm probably not joining a gym, as I just don't see the need for it at this time. However, I will use P90X. I've seen the results first hand, I just didn't stick with it. I have everything I need to get in shape that way, so why pay extra? Maybe in the future, but not how.
- Date nights. Melissa and I did this last year, but stopped in November and December due to how busy we were and our budgets. I loved it and it did great for us, so I'd like to get it back on track this year.
- Ride my bike more. It's kind of hard to do without a bike, but I should be able to get my old one back soon. It certainly isn't ideal, but it's functional. If anything, having an old, richety bike will force me to improve my riding skills because I have none of the nice, modern technologies of mountain biking to compensate for the lack of cycling skills. This is my one hobby, I enjoy it a lot, and see #2. If I can start riding regularly, it will be very beneficial.
- Finish my bike. Though my old bike will work for now, I've ridden the bike I'm working on now, and it's leagues ahead. Finishing it will give me a nicer ride, which will allow me to take on tougher trails and obstacles. I could also take on trips with me, as it will be rather versatile. Plus, building it myself will give me the skills and tools to work on it myself in the future, reducing costs for maintaining and repairing bikes.
- Get finances in order. Don't get me wrong, we're doing alright. But, there are many things we can do to make things even better. I have plan figured out, which is pretty much the standard in financial planning. First, we're trying to pay off revolving debts (credit cards/lines of credit), and reduce term debts to some extent. I'm hoping we'll get that done this year, after which we'll only have one credit card open for emergencies. We're also working on an emergency fund. My goal is to get an equivalent of 6 months of my salary and 4 months of Melissa's wages. That way, if anything happens to our jobs, we can continue for a while unemployed. I chose 6 months for me as quite frankly, it wouldn't be easy for me to find a job in this economy. I chose 4 months for Melissa as it hopefully wouldn't be too hard for her to find another job. Not sure that'll happen this year, but it could. After that, I'd like to start saving money towards a down payment for a house and a maybe a car, though that will probably not be next year. We could also reduce excess spending, though we've done a good job of that recently. The only thing we could do a little better is minimizing eating out.
- Get a dog. We've been talking about getting a dog for awhile, but we plan to do so in the spring. I've wanted one for some time, but we think now is the time. We were thinking about a German Shepherd, but have now decided to go with a dog that'll be more playful with children and friendly. We've gotten it down to a golden retriever, labrador retriever (black), or a flat-coated retriever.
- Continue Aidan's development. I think we've done a good job of this so far. The little guy is 2, but can count to 11 (I'm working on 15), can speak in short sentences and tell us what he wants, recognizes his colors and shapes, and knows many of his letters. But, we can't stop now. I also want him to be potty trained by the summer, or birthday at the latest, as well as going to bed on his own, without fussing.
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