Looking Back: Resolutions in Perspective
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 Posted by Christina
Yes, I know it's so expected to make New Year's Resolutions.
But I am a planner by nature. I am always looking ahead and preparing for the future. Part of making good goals for the future is to take a look back at what you've done.
Here are my resolutions for 2008 and how I did:
Create a written budget. I will keep better track of my money so I don't wonder where it went.
I did pretty well with this resolution. I didn't always follow the budget all of the time, but it definitely guided me through a fiscally responsibly year. (Wish I could save the same for the US government.)
Plan weekly menus. I will try to plan them to use what I have and to take advantage of sales at the grocery store. It will be good to not each so much mac and cheese and helper.
Oh, I failed miserably on this count. Still eating too much mac and cheese and helper... but I got them on sale! I will need to revisit this next year.
Check my credit report, and those of my other family members. Everyone is allowed one free credit report check annually. I just want to make sure ours are accurate.
Not only did I check my credit report, it actually inspired me in a way I hadn't expected.
Exercise three times a week. (This will be the hardest one for me. I am lazy.)
I had a stretch in April where I was relatively good about this resolution... then fell apart. I recently got a Wii Fit, and have now been exercising 4-5 times a week. I know that the Wii Fit is not the same as cardio in the gym, but it beats the completely sedentary lifestyle I was living before I got the Wii.
Consume more water and less soda. My kidneys and my wallet will thank me.
I will admit, that I have caved on this one. I was doing really well, was downright virtuous about my soda consumption... and then I hit some stressful times and took it up again... as one dear friend told me, "It's not like you're doing crack. Don't worry about it." But it bugs me that I have slid backwards on this issue. I will tackle this again in the new year because I did feel better when I didn't drink as much pop.
Hold the mother of all garage sales. I need to do a massive purge - so why not bring in a bit of change at the same time?
I did not hold my own garage sale due to the fact I live in the middle of nowhere and gas prices were $4 a gallon this summer. I did join a friend's sale, and had some success, I sold things on eBay, and I took a bunch of stuff to sell on consignment. I also took a couple of carloads of stuff to donate. So I did a massive purge, with what I think ended up being a lot less work.
Overall I was able to keep the majority of my resolutions. I think posting them here was a good way to hold myself accountable. I plan to share my 2009 New Year's Resolutions with you in a future post.
How did you do with your New Year's Resolutions in 2008? Were they forgotten by February? Or did you accomplish them all?
But I am a planner by nature. I am always looking ahead and preparing for the future. Part of making good goals for the future is to take a look back at what you've done.
Here are my resolutions for 2008 and how I did:
Create a written budget. I will keep better track of my money so I don't wonder where it went.
I did pretty well with this resolution. I didn't always follow the budget all of the time, but it definitely guided me through a fiscally responsibly year. (Wish I could save the same for the US government.)
Plan weekly menus. I will try to plan them to use what I have and to take advantage of sales at the grocery store. It will be good to not each so much mac and cheese and helper.
Oh, I failed miserably on this count. Still eating too much mac and cheese and helper... but I got them on sale! I will need to revisit this next year.
Check my credit report, and those of my other family members. Everyone is allowed one free credit report check annually. I just want to make sure ours are accurate.
Not only did I check my credit report, it actually inspired me in a way I hadn't expected.
Exercise three times a week. (This will be the hardest one for me. I am lazy.)
I had a stretch in April where I was relatively good about this resolution... then fell apart. I recently got a Wii Fit, and have now been exercising 4-5 times a week. I know that the Wii Fit is not the same as cardio in the gym, but it beats the completely sedentary lifestyle I was living before I got the Wii.
Consume more water and less soda. My kidneys and my wallet will thank me.
I will admit, that I have caved on this one. I was doing really well, was downright virtuous about my soda consumption... and then I hit some stressful times and took it up again... as one dear friend told me, "It's not like you're doing crack. Don't worry about it." But it bugs me that I have slid backwards on this issue. I will tackle this again in the new year because I did feel better when I didn't drink as much pop.
Hold the mother of all garage sales. I need to do a massive purge - so why not bring in a bit of change at the same time?
I did not hold my own garage sale due to the fact I live in the middle of nowhere and gas prices were $4 a gallon this summer. I did join a friend's sale, and had some success, I sold things on eBay, and I took a bunch of stuff to sell on consignment. I also took a couple of carloads of stuff to donate. So I did a massive purge, with what I think ended up being a lot less work.
Overall I was able to keep the majority of my resolutions. I think posting them here was a good way to hold myself accountable. I plan to share my 2009 New Year's Resolutions with you in a future post.
How did you do with your New Year's Resolutions in 2008? Were they forgotten by February? Or did you accomplish them all?
January 1, 2009 5:52 PM
One of these (less soda) will lead to the other (losing weight)... I found that dropping the soda habit is one of the best forms of insurance for losing pounds. Good luck!
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com