I still cannot believe another year has past. Here we are now, at the start of a new year and a new decade. How awesome is that? I just love fresh starts. Don't you? Of course they also usually come with everyone getting over-zelous with their goals and resolutions. Not me. I try to keep them realistic and obtainable. If set too high more than half the time they fail. What a disappointment? I don't know about you but I certainly would not want to look back on the year with goals that were set but not achieved. That is just depressing. I think I've set some pretty good realistic goals for myself this year.

1. Eat Healthier and Get Active. Notice I did not say "go on a diet" or "exercise regularly 5-6 times a week." Although this goal is pretty broad it is actually rather simple. Eat healthier than I have the past year (which has dropped excessively since past years to a ton of junk. What good of an example is that for my daughter?). The goal is to eat at least five or six servings of fruit/vegetables daily, consume my natural fats, take my mult-vitamin daily and drink A LOT more water than I have been. This also means to try to get up and MOVE every day no matter what. I do not want to set an example for my daughter that it's okay to sit in front of the television or computer all day. That's just not a good thing.


2. Read More. I thoroughly enjoy reading both as a child and as an adult. In the past, my nose used to always be deep in a book. Sadly, the last two years my nose hasn't really touched anything except for the back of a cereal box. LOL! Over the last two months, i've been able to finish one book and start another. Oh the feeling of completing a book and the anticipation of starting anew. I really want to make this a priority to read more. Everyone says they don't have time but you can always squeeze in time here and there - waiting for you child during pick up? Read a page or two. Hubby giving the kids a bath for you? Read a book. Take a bath yourself and bring the book with you...enjoy! The key is to find those little windows and I plan to continue to find mine. Also, I want to read more to my daughter. We've lacked quite a bit in this and lately she is just a sponge absurbing everything. I want to take advantage of this and start instilling in her the joys of reading!


3. Declutter each room in the house at least once. This may seem like a very mundane task but if you approach it the right way it shouldn't be. My goal this year is to go through each room in the house at least once in the next year decluttering it. Donating the Old, Making Room for the new. Sure, if I start one room and by the time I'm done the rest it'll need to be done again but you know what, that's okay. Let's face it, your house isn't going to be clutter free permanently - not unless you're Superwoman. I'm still not sure how I plan to approach this goal game plan wise -- a week? a month? etc. but it'll be realistic.


4. Schedule and Follow Through with "Me time" This can be my workout time or perhaps time in the bath reading my book, practicing my yoga, knitting something glorious or even spending time with friends. I cannot tell you how many times I've had every intention of setting time aside for just me and it never fails - it gets pushed to the way side for something else (putting away the disehs in the dishwasher. do a load of wash.) I mean, really, are these that important to be replaced with my "me time?" Certainly not!) My initial goal is 60 minutes a day. That's just one hour. It doesn't even have to be an hour straight. It can be 10 minutes here, 15 there but it has to be for me. I'm hoping to fill this time up with reading my book, practicing my yoga and really starting to get into my knitting that I just started a few months ago.


5. Learn to be more patient. With this day and age of busy, busy, busy we tend to forget to "stop and smell the roses." In my case, I tend to forget (quite more often than i'd like to admit) that Little Bear is a just-turned-two year old. I need to remember that. Not to get frustrated or upset because she was just being her age and i'm running three minutes late to get to goodness knows where. Life isn't about the schedule or the time - it's about LIVING. It is my hopes that by adding a more yoga practice into my life that this will come in place - at least that's how it's been for me in the past. We shall see. I'm not keeping yoga accountable for this tho. I have to count on me.


6. Wake up before Little Bear. I cannot begin to tell you how chaotic my day starts if i'm not up at least a half hour to an hour before she wakes up. It just makes sense to do this and yet it's the one thing that I just cannot seem to follow through with. I need to work on this - for my sanity and my patience. LOL!


7. Re-learn how to use my sewing machine. I would love to re-learn how to work my sewing machine. So far, I've managed to re-learn how to hem pants but still with a bit difficulty. If it was not one thing I loved reading this year is all the wonderful little projects other bloggers are making for their daughter's like skirts, aprons, shirts, hats, ect. I want to be able to do that. It would be rewarding, ful-filling and I know in the end Little Bear will know I made it with love and would adore wearing anything I make for her(and for me!).


8. Find a different Coupon Organization System. What I've been currently doing obviously isn't working. Enough said!


9. Begin a Food Storage Progam by stockpililng. Oh the money that can be saved once you start to get a food storage program going on in your home. I tried last year and was doing well but fell off the wagon. It was great while it lasted but I need to start and not stop this time.


10. Read "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" I want to learn how to become a bit more frugal so I can save more money.

Wow! Writing this all down and looking at it and it sure seems like a lot and a bit intimidating. It isn't tho because i'm not planning on tackling it all at once - just whenever I am ready this year and with the hopes to be completed by the end of the year. Besides, these are not permanent goals. They can change at any time in any way. They are not set in stone - actually in pencil so I can erase and adjust as necessary. ;o) Pretty good idea, wouldn't you say?

If you have any suggestions on my goals, please feel free to share them in the comment section. I'd love to hear what you have to say. It might be helpful and/or insightful.

What about you? What goals have you set for yourself in 2010??