Ah, the end of the year and the great once-a-month resolution experiment. Overall, it really did what I hoped it would: force me to concentrate on one particular improvement at a time and help those improvements to become a more constant part of my life. On the other hand, it had the somewhat unexpected result that I wound up focusing on all the things that needed improvement in my life, which made me feel down on myself and anxious about all the things that weren't changing, or weren't changing fast enough.
So, going backwards—
December was a lovely break month! Nice to take a break from all the focus on improvement.
November (supposed to be writing month) was a total wash. I think I was just too burned out by then to concentrate on something new.
October (time with my kids month) was so-so. I still don't spend as much quality time with them as I really would like to, but I have developed certain key words that I drop everything for if possible (Mommy, will you read to me? Do a puzzle with me? 'Nuggle? etc.).
September (money) was a success. I developed a budget for non-essential expenditures, and have really stuck to it and stayed within it.
August (diet) - yikes. I tried the "no sugar" diet again, which went badly this time (and I fell off the wagon way too many times). My goal for February, once I've recovered enough from the reduction surgery to get back to my exercise routine, is to rededicate myself to a healthier diet. One thing I did notice over the course of the year is that strict attention to portion control (which I have exercised successfully) has shrunken my appetite. Once upon a time, I could devour a frightening amount of food at a sitting, and now I find myself getting full much more quickly, which can only be a good thing. I'm also much better at recognizing my body's "too full" signals before I get to that groaning, uncomfortable feeling. I'm also making an effort to get a full 64 oz. of liquid in every day (surprisingly difficult—I'm a 'sipper'), which seems to have helped.
July ("Lou month") is a bit iffy, and really up to Lou to determine whether it was successful. It's certainly not an issue that has been resolved this year, and will need further effort to improve.
June (waking up earlier) has also been so-so. Mostly not so good, honestly, especially since the fall time change. The kids are waking up later, as are we. On the other end of the spectrum, though, I have significantly improved my insomnia issues by starting to exercise in the afternoon instead of in the morning, which tends to make me more tired at bedtime. I kind of miss being a night owl, and I wish resolving the insomnia led to me waking up feeling more rested, but I suppose one sleep issue at a time should be sufficient!
May (don't yell month) went pretty well. I discovered the powers of surprise and laughter. If you laugh when they expect you to yell, you can get your point across much more easily sometimes. If they expect to be sent to their room and instead you sit them down for a quiet talk, they're often more willing to listen. And, bottom line, they respond better to controlled discipline than they do to shouting and anger. An important lesson, and one that I'm glad to have discovered (if not learned entirely) this early in my life as a parent.
April (keeping in touch month) I think went okay. I have made a greater effort to expand my network, and a greater effort to keep in touch with the people who matter the most. It's still something that bears some thinking about—there are only so many hours in the day and the week, and you can't see or speak to everyone. So how long between contacts is too long? How often do you need to interact to keep the sparks of friendship glowing? Still working on it.
March (exercise) was the year's most resounding success. From no exercise at all December 31 of last year I've gone to 30 minutes a day (rounds out to about 6 days a week) of running on the treadmill, with a base speed of 5 mph, plus working out with weights, doing sit-ups, and managing to hold my own with a bunch of teenage guys in a cardio tae kwon do class. It's been a real triumph, and something to feel good about in 2006.
February (time management) was a bit of a joke. When you get right down to it, my time is not my own to manage. I can't predict at 10 am what will be happening at 2:00, and so on. All I can really do is get the most out of the time I have available, and "managing" will have to wait until I have a bit more autonomy!
January (computer time month) did actually work, although I didn't think so at the time. Now, if I sit down to aimlessly web surf, it's a choice and not a mental shut-down (mostly), and I've streamlined the list of web sites I visit regularly and the level of involvement in some of my online communities. Overall, I feel like I make much more judicious use of the resources the computer and internet have to offer, both in the educational and the entertainment senses.
So what will I resolve for next year?
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