It's A New Year...

Boy, it's been awhile.

With the holidays, work, family issues, traveling, and friends the blogs have really taken a hit. Hopefully, I'll be able to really pick them back up and stay on top of them despite all the other things that have taken up the majority of my schedule during the week. I really love blogging (when I do), but it's hard to do when life takes over. What I really need to do is to make a schedule and stick to it despite how tired I am, or what plans I have.

I've been thinking of some resolutions I'd like to do this year and really (and I mean really) complete these goals. You don't get anything done if you don't have anything set in stone, ya know? So here is some things I'd really try to do before the end of next year (in no particular order)...

1. Quit smoking. It's just a really nasty habit that is killing me, and also killing the bank.

2. Develop a monthly budget for Lowell and I.

3. No more useless spending on things I don't need.

4. Save. Save. Save.

5. Buy a couch.

6. Limit eating out to once a month (and that includes ordering pizza, LOWELL. :) ).

7. Start writing everyday. (*sigh* I say this every year...I try...)

8. Listen to music more, and watch less tv.

9. Read more books. (I started this last year, and I've actually stuck to it!)

10. Save. Save. Save. Yes, I know I said this one already, but I'd like to save at least 300 a month, but after rent and bills, that really only leaves me with 25 bucks a week to spend on groceries and toiletries. We'll see!

11. Keep the house clean and tidy. I try.

12. Keep up on newspaper articles (for writing purposes) and keep them organized somehow.

13. Buy a large desk for the office. And set up the office for everyday use and use it!

14. Buy a coffee table...well, a SMALLER coffee table.

15. Get organized and stay organized on all aspects of my life. It's so difficult to stay happy when I feel like I have way to many things out of order in my life. And it's so easy to drop the ball on this one.

16. Look into going back to school for real.

17. Pick a major.

18. Take Bubbs and Lowell on more walks! :)

19. Continue couponing and shop for deals. I do this pretty well.

20. Love the people around me more.

21. Take photography more seriously and put up some prints for sale.

I plan on coming back to this list often to cross things off and talk about each number in a little more detail if I need to. I'm just really tired of all the anxiety when things seem to pile up and I try to do too much. Then I tend to take it out on the people around me. I did pretty well while I was only working part-time, but working full-time it is just so much harder. Getting home after a long 8-10hr day, making dinner, cleaning up, it's almost 8 o'clock and I feel like sitting and vegging out, and now working on the blogs, writing articles, and when I get paid I feel I owe it to myself to buy stupid crap that does nothing but clutter up my life. This is the year to get things in order.

It's do or die this year.

I want a quarter of this list crossed off in six months. (I don't want to try and out do myself right away! Then I'll just feel guilty and give up too soon and I'll never get anything done!) Maybe I'll try and do one thing a month. That sounds like a good plan!!

What was your resolution(s) for this year?