Instead of the same old “new year’s resolutions,” I decided that I’m going to make New ME Resolutions. This way, I’m making a commitment to myself. A vow if you will. A promise. And I’m a lot less likely to go back on a promise.
So, here are the New ME Resolutions I’m making to/for myself:
- Get more sleep. I want to go to bed by 11pm each weeknight so that I can wake up at 5:45 feeling refreshed, instead of worn out. This also means no more falling asleep on the couch, which would be huge.
- Get into a nightly ritual. This involves cooking dinner, washing/putting away the dinner dishes, making my lunch for the next day, washing my face, brushing my teeth, and reading something for pleasure (not for school!!) before finally closing the light at night.
- Make exercise an almost daily activity. I will be able to get into the gym every “A day” morning for at least 30-45 minutes, so no more excuses in the morning. This will mean I will work out 2-3 times during the weekdays and at least one weekend day as well. I’d also like to incorporate yoga at least once a week, possibly more. When the weather gets nicer, this will also mean going to the track at the local high school and trying to start the Couch to 5K program.
- Quit smoking. I’ve actually made up my mind that this is something that I need to do. They’re thinking of raising packs by at least $2 in new taxes, meaning each pack will be around $7. Yikes! Plus, I need to quit for my health. I’ve signed up for the Freedom from Tobacco program at Kaiser, and begin classes on January 8th. The classes last for 7 weeks, and are 1 hour, 1 day per week. They also prescribe medication to help you quit, which sounds great to me.
- Cook dinner every weeknight. Since beginning SBD, I’ve rediscovered how much I love to cook. I like the entire experience — planning the meal, shopping for the food, cutting and prepping, and finally, cooking. I love the way the food makes my kitchen smell, and I love doing this for myself. It makes me feel good and like I’m giving myself a little gift each night.
- Continue to lose weight. I had a goal in mind of losing 8.33 lbs per week, but that was back in August, and since I fell off track for a few months there, I think I need to try to increase this, if at all possible. Sticking with South Beach hasn’t been difficult for me at all, and I actually feel a freedom that I never experienced on any other diet/food plan. I’m not sure if I can lose 100 lbs by CTLB’s wedding in August, but if I keep on track and maintain my resolve, I know I’ll be looking better than I do now.
- Live a balanced life. This means that I need to find a way to balance work, school, and family/friends. I have let work and school dominate too much of my life, and my social side has suffered because of it. I still have lots of amazing friends, but I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like to. I want to work on making sure that I enjoy my life, and not just fall into some monotonous routine that is so easy to slip into. Once grad school is over in May this will become much more do-able, but I still want to try to have more fun the first 5 months of this year, too.
- Explore spirituality. I began last summer with my study of Tibetan Buddhism, and I would like to continue it. I have purchased many books about Buddhism, and I want to make a regular time to read them and educate myself. There is a center for spiritual enlightenment about 10 minutes from my house, and I want to go and see what it’s all about. I am going to try to do this by March.
- Leave work at work. This is going to be a very difficult one, but I think it’s something I’m going to have to try to do if I’m going to remain sane. The first semester of this school year was extremely draining for me emotionally, and I don’t want to repeat it. This means that I want to stay at school a few hours each day to get work done, rather than bringing it home with me. Without feeling the need to smoke a cig as soon as school gets out, this should be much easier to do. Staying and getting work graded each day should also mean that I have my weekends to myself, well…more often than I do now, anyway. Anything would be an improvement.
- LIVE life. If I follow the other 9 things on this list, my life will improve dramatically. I will be a much healthier, happier person and I will be able to get more out of each day. I want to stop struggling to keep my head above water. I want to live, laugh, and maybe even love.
I love the idea of having New ME resolutions, sometimes just changing your perspective makes it a completely new experience. You have inspired me to make a list as well. Good luck with it all, I know that you will do great. The not smoking thing is so great to read about. I’ll be rooting for you!
I, too, love the idea of “ME” resolutions. I think that’s a really healthy way of looking at it.
Starting SBD made me discover how much I like to cook. (No re-discovering, I never liked it!). Before I only knew how to shake and bake or grill cheese, but now I’m a pro at separating egg whites.