new month? heck, new YEAR...

Capturing Diabetes has a feature entitled "new month". I started this series because I find that the first day of a new month is the perfect time to assess my habits and create new aspirations for the next 30-days. Well, January 1 is the grandaddy of them all! Not only is it a new month, it is a new year! It is a perfect time to make our monthly short-term goals and new long-term goals. It amazes me every single year how many people are inspired by the notion of starting anew. We all believe in the power of positive change, but our resolutions have a shelf life. Some of us last a matter of weeks...days, even, before we are back to our old habits.

Maybe you made a resolution to start running, only to be confronted with the realities of the cold weather. So, maybe you edit your resolution. Instead of running outside, you vow to go to the gym and hit the treadmill. Shortly, you realize driving to the gym takes time. Once you get there, it is so crowded with other inspired folks that you are waiting in line for your turn to sweat. The next thing you know, you are back on the couch promising yourself you will run when it is warm. Maybe you do, maybe you don't.

Maybe you resolve to save money. You even start your own budget on Microsoft Excel, allotting money for food, gas, and fun. Then, you get your first e-mail about Spring fashion, and you've typed your debit card number in faster than you can say "epic fail". <---Hoping this won't be me.

I love resolutions. I always have mixed emotions about whether they are effective, but I think putting a healthy amount of pressure on yourself is a great thing. In one swoop, you are forced to acknowledge your past weaknesses and strategize a method of attack to improve. The key is to make realistic resolutions. Don't resolve to run a marathon if you have never run a mile. Don't resolve to lose 20 lbs. if you only have 5 healthy lbs. to lose.

I know you can make positive changes and stick with them! We've only got one shot at 2013, so why not start out full-steam ahead in our productivity?

Here is a thorough list of my resolutions:

Diabetes. 

Keep my hba1c under 6%. 

Do a better job of logging blood sugar.

Stay aware of carb content just as I did when I injected insulin.

[Last year, I brought my a1c down from 12% to 6.3% to 5.9%]

Fitness.

Run the entire Germantown Half Marathon in under 2:30:00. <--March 17, 2013.

Do Pure Barre at least three times per week. Oh, and try yoga. 

Go on more post-meal dog walks.

[Last year, I trained for a half marathon up to 12-miles. I ran 9/13 miles on raceday and finished the race in 2:31:00.]

Food.

Eat fewer than 20 carbs at breakfast.

Find a healthier relationship with caffeine.

Cook more, eat out less. 

Friends.

Keep in touch with my friends from out of town, even if that means talking on the phone.

Make a better effort to see friends who are in Memphis.

Send cards for special occasions and send letters just because.

Finances.

Donate one garment for every garment I purchase.

Save $xxxxx by 2014 (sorry, that's private financial stuff)

Make an effort to find cheaper gas instead of convenient gas.

Career. 

Study for and pass the February Bar Exam.

Continue to meet with people to hammer out a career plan.

Apply to the Journalism Masters program.

[Last year, I met with at least a dozen people to discuss career-related ideas.]

Blog.

Learn how to use my camera's full capabilities.

Maintain blog post frequency.

Forge more blogger relationships.

[Last year, I exceeded all my blog statistic goals.]

Faith.

Join a small group.

Regularly donate the excess "stuff" in our house.

Invest more in trusting God to achieve less anxiety.

[Last year, Andrew and I explored different churches to find a church home.]

Marriage.

Hug more.

Let the little things go.

Express due gratitude. 

Home.

Change sheets once per week.

Clean all countertops daily, including bathroom.

Sweep up pet hair twice per week, or as it becomes noticeable. 

[Last year, I made my bed nearly every single day.]

Habits.

Work on sleep hygiene. Less TV. 

Don't let the gas light pop on. 

Sketch more.