Looking Ahead To 2009

I don't like to make resolutions because they're really hard to stick to. But I have come up with a list of things I would like to make an effort to try doing this year. Please don't try to hold me accountable - that kind of pressure will just make me stop doing the things I've been doing the last few days. And here they are:

• Read more. I'm not just talking about magazines, of which I get way too many. I'm talking about books. I've had a huge stack of books on my night stand for nearly two years. I hope to read at least one a month. That's a good pace for me. If I finish more than one a month, I'll be happy.
• Write more. I'm not counting the writing I do at work. As much as I love to write - and I really do (even though last week I had a few nights where I just wasn't in the mood and threatened to make the anchors ad-lib the show) - I just don't consider that real writing. I want to do more creative writing. Blogging counts. So do the books that I've been slowly writing. I would love to finish them and get them published. If any of you know how I can make that happen, let me know! I was a little scared when I saw a couple of experts say I should aim for a minimum of 20,000 words. That's a lot, y'all!
  
• Get out of debt. This time I mean it. It will be hard to focus my spending on my needs instead of my wants. I know that if I take a little more time, I can avoid impulse spending. For example, simply avoiding the Coach store will make it easy for me not to buy another purse. See? That alone will save me a few hundred dollars. Seriously, I want to pay off my credit cards and only use them when absolutely necessary. I have paid off the cards before and loved how it felt. Now, it's time to tackle that again.
• Be healthier. I'm not saying I want to be like my Fun Mom and run marathons (I don't want to run to work - which is basically what a marathon is). I'm trying to stock my fridge and pantry with healthy things (no Oreos). And I'm going to try to avoid fast food - or at least the fried kind. I'm not quitting it. I'm just going to pretend that it's not there. Because I'm not swearing off anything, I can still have it if I want it so don't go trying to smack things out of my hands. You will get punched in the gut FOR SURE! I just know it would be better for my PCOS if I was healthier. And anything that can keep me out of the O.R. is not necessarily a bad thing.
• Be a better friend. I think I do a pretty good job of staying in touch with my friends. While phone calls are nice, I know that I need to make some trips to see my girls who live longer than a road trip away from me! Now, buying airfare may be tricky since I'm going to try not using the credit cards, but I need to find a way - even if it's by saving my change.

Those are just some of the things I plan to do this year. You'll have to check back over the year to see what I have accomplished!