Sunday, January 2, 2011

Resolved

Looking back - 2010 was not a stellar year for me. Don't get me wrong, it could have been worse, and a lot of people had it a way harder time of it than me, but I am definitely glad to see the back end of it.

All in all, it was a year marked by stress.

On Valentine's Day, we lost Dave's uncle, suddenly and without warning. With his passing came not only the expected grief, but the stressors of family politics that always follow.

In April, I made a major career move, switching not only jobs, but career paths - moving from the newspaper business to marketing. With that has come a HUGE amount of stress, leaving me wondering every day if I made the right choice. Only time will tell, and I keep reminding myself to put one foot in front of the other and not look back.

In September, Tux was diagnosed with diabetes. In the end it all worked out and we've got him leveled and as healthy as he can be - but it was a month of stressful vet visits (for both me and the cat!)

As it is for pretty much everyone I know, life has also gotten immensely more expensive - Ontarians had the joy of welcoming the HST into their lives in 2010, adding additional 8% to just about everything - on top of the continual rising costs of food and energy. So, there was definite stress from the financial corner in 2010.

But there were good points too. There were two lovely weddings to attend;

My brother Ron, and his sweetheart Jenn:And my college friend Bree, and her sweetheart Jamie:
Dave and I made it through another year together (eight so far!)
I got a dishwasher! (Loving the dishwasher I must say!)

And I did lots, and lots of knitting - 48 projects in total!

But now, it's 2011 - so it's time to look forward. I have made a few resolutions.

Be Healthy:
This was of course a resolution last year and it's definitely a work in progress. But... at least there was progress. I lost 10 lbs last year - it's not a huge amount, but its better than gaining. So - work will continue on this front, with a goal of losing at least 20 lbs this year.

To do that I am going to continue my work to eat better. I did successfully managed to severely cut my soft-drink intake in 2010 and processed foods have been cut down, but there's still room for improvement.

When it comes to regular exercise, last year was a bit of a write-off. There were a few periods where I was walking on a pretty regular basis, but not enough to really count it as an accomplishment. So - walking will increase, as well as making use of the thousand dollar piece of home gym equipment I have taking up most of the floor space in my bedroom. It is not an extra clothes rack - it is the key to much smaller clothing!

Of course, these changes will also help my one major health problem - my back! If I can strengthen my core muscles, I can take a great deal of strain off my spine and feel a whole lot better in general.

Be clean:
It's no secret - I am a messy, messy girl. I like to blame it on my creative nature - all that creativity has no time for organization. But, really, I'm just lazy.

For 2011 I pledge to keep a cleaner house. Some of the stress of 2011 definitely could have been avoided if I'd been a little more organized and had my crap together.

I do have some knitting goals for 2011, but that's really a post of it's own so I'll save it for tomorrow or soon after.

So, what will 2011 bring for you?

10 comments:

Monika said...

You got more knitting done than I did! :o)
I'm like you, lazy, and do rather crafty things than cleaning. But it has to be done at one point.
Let's see what this year will bring us, good and hopefully not a lot of bad!

Anonymous said...

Heyyyyyyyyyyy...me and Tux have something in common! LOL

Hmmmmmm...what do I want to do this year?

Stress less would be a big one.
Exercise more intensely.
Make wiser food choices.

I guess that's about it --- wishing you a wonderful 2011 and hope the job thing evens out a bit and isn't so stressful.

bittenbyknittin said...

The ten pounds you lost must have found ME - I wondered where they came from! Hope you have a wonderful 2011.

TheBlackSheep said...

Good luck with all of your resolutions. Sounds like you have a lot planned.

Unknown said...

Yes, 2010 was a year of hell for us. Evicted, then 6 months literally on the edge of homeless. I was ready to kick the year in the backside on the way out the door.

I hope to get some sort of job this year, then save for a house and go back to school.

Samantha said...

You have a great list of resolutions and you're going to do it too! I have confidence in you. :)

Knatolee said...

Love the pics, and hope it's a better year for you too! have you tried yoga yet? :) Gentle exercise (unless you're doing hot yoga!) and I have found it really helped my core and lower back. And if you pick the right studio, it won't be full of skinny youngsters in Lululemon. ;) Good for body AND spirit!

Love the pic of you and Dave!

RobinH said...

I'm a big fan of pitting my vices against one another to achieve a goal. For example, it's a lot easier to make myself walk if I'm putting off some chore I dislike. Laziness can defeat the urge to bake sweets I shouldn't be eating.

As for my own plans...um, more writing. Finish a bunch of the projects I have queued. Do some of the obnoxious chores that I have been successfully putting off for so long...the usual!

Anonymous said...

Very good, practical resolutions that I also need to be mindful of. How true that keeping on top of housework helps reduce stress... far easier acknowledged than done.

Alisha said...

sounds like 2011 is goig to be a great year for you!