Happy New Year!

I'm sitting at home, in my pajamas...preparing to ring the new year in while the rest of the house sleeps and I'm watching tv. The year is definitely going out in a most undesired way. I still cannot eat anything more than soft foods/liquids, plus I'm on antibiotics which means no alcohol. I actually thought I might be out tonight...but since I'm in this sad state, it was a no go.

I started to think about New Year's Resolutions and how I rarely tend to stick to any! Here's a list of things I'm hoping to accomplish in 2011...

1. Be Healthy - Not just lose weight, but exercise because I enjoy it. Make better food choices. Drink more water. Pick up a dust rag more often and plug in the vacuum.

2. Simplify - It's time to downsize some of the chaos in my life (aka STUFF). I am an organizational nut and lately, my stuff has been completely out of order and it's driving me crazy. On top of needing to clear out my personal space, mom and I are going to attempt to reorganize the storage room upstairs again since we can no longer walk in the door.

3. Get More Sleep - I know it kind of goes along with being healthy, but whenever I start to skip sleep...I end up getting sick. Case in point, this past week. I should have known it was coming because my body tried to tell me by taking naps (which I never do), always being sleepy, but I ignored it and bam! I've been dealing with a cold on top of healing from wisdom teeth surgery.

4. Learn Something New - Not sure what this will be yet! haha Whether it's learning to knit or picking up some other useful skill or maybe honing my cooking skills. Suggestions appreciated.

5. Take More Pictures - Most people would say I already take too many pictures, but there are so many times that I regret not having pulled the camera out of my purse and snapped a photo! There are moments in life I just don't want to miss out on.

6. Look For Love - Or at least find some likes! ;) Since moving back to my hometown, I have not done a very good job of putting myself out there or being open to new possibilities. If someone invites me out to dinner, I'll go...who knows what will happen. Maybe nothing. But if a spark does occur, it wouldn't be a bad thing!

7. Travel - After getting my tax papers together (yes, I know...how sad is it that I'm already prepared for this?) I noticed how much money I spent on stuff that I didn't 100% enjoy. This year my goal is to spend more money on experiences I'll remember, whether it's traveling by myself again or finding others to go along. We're already looking at a family vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico or the Bahamas in early July...and I'm thinking another big trip (maybe one of the European countries?) may be in order next Christmas.

8. Enjoy Life - I'm a stresser. Naturally, I freak out about things I cannot control. This does not bode well for a stress-free life. I'm going to do my best not to let the little things bother me.

9. Continue to Build Financial Freedom - Being debt free was a huge step in 2009, continued into 2010. I want to continue doing what I can to save money and build a nest egg for the future. And in this mode, I will continue to work hard in everything that I do...whether it's at one of my professional jobs or one of the side jobs.

Happy New Year! Hope you hold firm in your resolutions for 2011! May it be your best year yet!