Happy New Year!

Warning: This post will have a lot of words, many of which may stress the nonOCD sufferer out.  This post is meant for entertainment purposes only NOT as a legitimate guide to life.  To attempt this list may be hazardous to your (mental) health.  For those that are sensitive to unrealistic goals or are easily exhausted by long lists feel free to just enjoy the pictures from my 2011 New Year's Eve tablescape. 

New Year's Day is the single most anticipated day of the year for me.  I mean don't get me wrong, I adore the whole Advent season but no single day gets me more excited than New Years Day.   To me, New Years Day and all of its glorious resolutions represent opportunity! Opportunity for a fresh start; an opportunity to get it right this time; an opportunity to get my WHOLE life in PERFECT order. 

SIDEBAR: Dear Reader, there is a tiny, dormant part of my brain (and a pretty big section in the bible) that recognizes this quest for perfection will NOT and can NOT ever happen BUT lucky for me I function mostly from the fantasy side of my brain; therefore, I live in ignorant bliss.  I mean, if I didn't believe that every time I finished a cleaning marathon it would be the LAST time I would ever have to clean again because now we would be in maintenance mode and would only require my family to  "pick-up-as-you-go", and follow the 15 minute-a-day zone cleaning chart to maintain guest-ready tidiness FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!........Well, if I didn't believe that... then I think I would just give up.  

As a Registered Dietitian specializing in weight management I have years of experience helping people come up with realistic, measurable, and maintainable goals.  I believe and preach that there is no time like the present and why put off for tomorrow what you can start today.  BUT as January draws near I become the worlds biggest Hippocrite as all that knowledge and conviction exits me in my personal life.  For not only are my resolutions  just shy of realistic (or so I've been told), as part of my official New Year's Day Training program I purposely become sloth like in all areas of my life in the weeks leading up to January 1 so that by the time the new year gets here my body is craving good food, exercise, cleanliness, and Jesus.  

This year I am especially optimistic about my resolutions because as I look back over my 2014 list I can proudly proclaim I PERFECTLY fulfill, 1 of my 42 resolutions from last year!!!  That's right, folks, I did it! I conquered my soda addiction.  (Specifically: 1/2 coke, 1/2 diet coke, extra ice addiction.)  "No Cokes" has had a prominent spot on my yearly list for at least the last 18 years of my life BUT not this year! My persistence paid off!  SoOooo surely if I was able to keep that ONE promise to myself last year I can totally conquer this years 45 49 51 (thought of a few more while typing) Resolutions!  I got this!

Before I reveal my 2015 list let me just tell you that I like to organize my resolutions by category.  Some resolutions could fall in more then 1 category but I only write them in one, because otherwise that would be overkill-don't you think?  Also some of my resolutions technically qualify more as a goal then resolution and will probably appear again on my 2015 Monthly Goals and Projects chart- I'm ok with that. 

So without further words here are my 2015 Resolutions:

(Resolutions in bold represent goals new to 2015, all others were copy and pasted from the year before)

Spiritual

1.   Wake up between 6am -7am on days I don't run for morning   quiet time.  On days I run, do quiet time after run.

2.   Memorize 1 scripture a week.  (this week 1st John 2:28) 

3.   Keep active prayer journal.

4.   Pray with Rory every night.

5.   Daily Devotional with boys.

6.   At least 1 ministry project a month

Wife

7.   At least 1 date night per month.

8.   Run/Exercise with Rory once a month.

9.   One Destination Race getaway weekend.

10.  Be done with all work by 9pm to spend time with Rory

11.  Do something kind for Rory "just because" at least once a week.

Mommy

12.  Date Night with boys.  Spend one-on-one time with boys (alternate months)  (All 3 boys freaked out a little when I called it "date night")

13. Boys to spend at least 30 min a day playing outside if temp is above 40 degrees.

14.  Spend at least 30 min of focused attention/time with each boy daily.

15.   Listen Better.

16.   Work on boy's social skills and eye contact.

17.   Crack down on whining and poor attitude- ZERO Tolerance.

18.   In bed by 8:15 to make time for devotional and reading.

19.   Boys to eat at least 3 fruits and vegetables a day.

20.  Initiate Bootcamp cleaning! oh yeah baby! Fun times ahead for these boys!

21. Boys will not leave the house looking like orphans. 

22. Take Facebook and Solitaire off my phone (see #15 & #36) Pinterest is on probation. 

23.  Limit tech time to 1 hour a day. (includes TV, computer, video games)

Did Photo Bombing exist in 2011??

Friend

24.  Have a family over at least once a month.

25.  Mealtime Mondays in the summertime.

26.  Take a meal to someone at least once a month.

27.  Answer the phone when it rings.  (I can think of at least 2 people who are thinking sarcastic remarks right now as they read that last one.)

28.  Go to lunch with a friend at least once a month.

29.  Send out the 2013 Christmas Card and Update (and 2014...and get 2015 in the mail before 2016)

Health

30.  Drink at least 80 oz of water a day. (up from the 64 oz I rarely accomplished last year.)

31.  Eat a minimum of 5 fruits and veggies a day.

32.  Keep daily food record.

33.  Be in bed by 10pm every weeknight.

34.  At least 10,000 steps a day.

35.  Floss Daily

36.  Sit on Porch and be Still for 15 minutes daily.  (I have real issues with stillness)

37.  Run 1000 miles this year.

38.  Daily Core exercises.

39. No processed foods.  Whew, aren't I glad sodas are already out of my life!

that's the word "two" sitting in those black-eyed peas.

Home

40.  Do daily zones and day tasks

41.  Pre-Rinse dishes before they go into the dishwasher.  (hallelujah! I could hardly wait until January 1 to get here to start this one)

42.  Never go to bed with a messy house.

43.  Replace 90% of the broken chairs that require a warning label in our home.  

The "Number 2" chair is staying! I love that set.  So please if you visit my home kindly avoid sitting in number 2.  Number 1 and 3 should be safe for occupancy.

awe.. RIP sweet Cooper

Finances/Business

44.  Stick Strict to envelope system.

45.  If use credit card must transfer money out of envelope that day.

46.  Balance budget weekly.

47.  Hit 2015 Savings Goal.

48.  Learn how to adjust and use the different settings on my camera.

49.  Start "The Painted Stache" FB page.  You heard it hear first folks! Dad and i have an official name and logo for our custom furniture and home decor business!  You want a peak at the logo?!?!

50.  Switch Blog from blogger to wordpress so hopefully it will be easier for myself and commenters to use.

51.  Blog at least once a week!!! and not just in my head, actually get it written and published on the www.

Ta Da!!! That's it folks.  And no it does not bother me a bit that my resolutions end on an odd number.  I'm easy going like that.

Thanks to all those that made it to the end of this post!  You deserve a nap! If the thought of one woman trying to accomplish such a list was entertaining to you and you would like to see follow-up posts on such exciting things as my 2015 Monthly Goal and Project Chart or the boys 2015 bootcamp "Chore Chart" which I am super pumped about, leave me a comment or message me.  Otherwise I will return this blog back over to Sister and will primarily post pictures of projects I completed while on my LONG blog sabbatical. 

Happy New Year!!!