Resolutions

Happy New Year Everybody!!

And you know what that means... time for writing out my 2009 resolutions!!

I know everyone hates these things, but I believe setting goals for yourself are important. Not saying that I will accomplish everything in one year, but hey it's a start right? So here we go...

1. Stop smoking cigarettes... it's a terrible habit, and quite expensive too. If I want a long and healthy life I'm going to have to stop treating my body like an ash try. I know that in order to accomplish this both me AND Josh are going to have to do it together. Which leads me to my next goal...

2. Start exercising. Seriously people, I think I may have exercised maybe... 3 or 4 times last year? That's embarrassing. Truth is, I'm getting older and my eating habits are going to start showing on my ass if I don't do something about it. Josh and I have been researching this workout/nutrition program called P90X. Have you heard of it? We have watched a few friends try it out and it seems to really work! They say you will see your results within 90 days. However, it really kicks your ass by giving you a different exercise routine every day so you never get bored. I got Josh a pull up bar for Christmas so we can start it soon!

3. Stop eating so much JUNK FOOD. The holidays are over and I overindulged on all the delicious food around and got that out of the way, so now is the time to turn over a new leaf. Not saying I'm going to start shopping in the organic section, or stop eating all my favorite foods, but I need to learn how to eat those foods in moderation. I'm going to try to start bringing my lunches to work instead of always ordering out. I did my budget for this month and together Josh and I spend more money on eating out than we do groceries! Lowering the amount of times we go out to eat will not only help our bodies but also our budgets, which leads me to my next resolution...

4. Get our finances organized already! I am guilty of past due bills and credit card debt. And I'm also guilty of not dealing with it properly. If I want my credit score to ever recover and maybe actually be a homeowner someday, I need to start caring about how I look on paper and deal with my debts. We need to budget more carefully and start paying our bills on time. Therefore if I keep at it I hope to pay off at least 50% of my debt this year, and hopefully have a savings built up. If I can do that I know I'll sleep better at night...

5. Be more POSITIVE and OPTIMISTIC! Every time I face a challenge I seem to surround my thoughts with negativity, with thoughts in my head like "I can't.." or "This is impossible". Josh points this out to me all the time. I don't do it intentionally, I guess it's just engraved in my brain to think that way. But that will only lead me to failure.. so in order to succeed I need to start thinking "I can!" and "I'll find a way.."

6. Go back to school. I've been wanting and waiting for the right time to go back to school. However, it's a very intimidating thing to do. This year my high school classmates will all be graduating college. Even my younger sister will have completed her first year of college which is more than I can say. I love my job and all, but it's definitely not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I need to live my passion.. in art and design. It's what I do, it's what I've been blessed with and it's about time to start using it to my advantage. I'll not only make more money, but I will feel better about myself and my life. Graphic Design is my calling and I'm going to make it happen this year even if it kills me!!!!

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right!"
-Oprah