So Fresh and So Clean Clean

I love beginnings.  I have a passion for starting projects I don't always finish.  I love the first day of the semester, the first day of a season, the first day of the year.  It's permission on a cyclical basis from the universe to begin again.  Yes, one can re-start anytime, but I usually need a breath of a break to reset and re-charge.

I spent the last hour or so getting my new planner ready (yay!), prepping for my class, and creating some resolutions and goals for the new year.

2013 Resolutions and Goals:
1. Know my limits: I tend to bite off far more than I can chew, as it were.  My research always needs more focus, my craft projects are quite ambitious, and I get frustrated when I realize it.  2013 will be the year of doing great things, but I will know what I should and can take on.  If you don't understand what I mean, look at my 2012 resolutions (oh boy).

2. Get back into "fighting form": I said this last year too, and I did lose a couple of pounds.  That said, I want to be healthy, which I am not.  I want to include cleaner eating, more water, and more exercise into my life.  I think a healthy body will beget a healthy mind and happy life.  I will do my best to embody that this year.

3. Finish What I Start: Along with #1, I will begin ambitious projects, or even small projects, and never finish them.  I have a drawer or two filled with unfinished crochet projects.  My Goodreads account has a bookshelf called "on-hold."  The best of my intentions are often shouted down by my lazier demons.  I hope to have 2013 end with only new projects that did not exist in 2012.

4. Less internet, more real life: I'm constantly tempted by the internet.  I'm "online" far more than my blog updates would suggest.  I want to be more deliberate with my internet use (get on with a purpose, and get back off), while also engaging far more in real life.  Less looking at Pinterest and more living it.  Little adventures will be had.

5. Get organized and stay organized: My readers know I love to organize.  Do I stay organized?  No.  I always feel better when things are organized, so it seems prudent to follow through.

6. Be more interactive with Elliott: I spend a lot of time just one-on-one with E.  However, aside from certain activities, I feel like I could have more of a dialogue with him during his activities.  We could go to the park more.  Take more walks (hello, #2).  I may even sign him up for a local kids gym so he can get some real energy out during the winter.

7. Keep as tidy a home as possible: I actually enjoy cleaning, but I place it low on my list of priorities.  This break proved to me that I can get more done than I think, even with Elliott under foot.  Certain chores will still go un-done, but I want to keep on top of a few basic tasks.

8. Be smarter with money: I don't splurge or buy a lot of clothing or buy almost anything full price.  However, I spend a little here, a little there, and it adds up!  A lot of my money goes to food at school (which is really overpriced), so by packing lunches and dinners at home (for #2), I'll save money.  I want to clip more coupons and shop smarter.  I already started doing this with my school books.  I price compared across a few different platforms, and I'm going to save probably $200. ***Update: I ended up saving between 400 and 500 dollars by comparing prices.  Someone should have a website that is just book prices compared.***

8 resolutions might seem ambitious, but these are actually just general mindset adjustments that I've needed to make for a while.  I have realistic plans to achieve each one, and many of them will help with others.  I've read and heard that to make resolutions stick, you have to make yourself accountable, and that's what I'm doing here.

I'll add and update throughout the year, but you can find the short list on the shortcut bar above.

- M.