So since June marks the half way point of the year (can you believe it?)I thought I would take this time to evaluate my progress and effort towards the resolutions I set for 2010. Here it goes...
1. Stand Up Straight
Doing pretty okay on this one. Slouching still seems to be the default mode for me but I catch myself quite often and feel like at least once a day I remind myself to straighten up.
2. Make Decisions
Um. Maybe? This is a tough one for me. But I have caught myself in certain situations avoiding a decision and then pushed myself towards saying yes or no. I would definitely say I am getting better with this.
3. Be the Best Mom to Anita
I'll have to wait about 20 years to see how this one pans out. I definitely suffer from the stereotypical mother's guilt and pretty much everyday feel like Anita deserves better. Fingers tightly crossed I pull this one off.
4. Study Spanish
Failure. I have not done a single thing for this. Well, I did look into buying some language programs but um, $450? What? I already own one, so I figured I should probably just save the dough and see if I actually use and benefit from that one. Took me awhile to locate it...and I have yet to use it.
5. Eat More Vegan
I ate vegan for the entire month of January. And I came to the conclusion that it is not for me. I did not find it difficult as far as will power or anything but my energy levels absolutely plummeted while eating this way. And I did it the right way, eating lots of fruit and veggies and veggie protein (but not the processed, chemically kind). Not just onion rings and french fries. But I just did not thrive on this type of diet. I believe everyone is very different with different genes, backgrounds, lifestyles and this diet works well for some and not for others and I am one of them. But my goal was not about becoming a vegan. I simply wanted to clean up my diet and become a bit more conscious of my food choices since I felt like after being vegetarian for years and then moving away from that I had become less conscious of my dairy and meat consumption. The vegan thing doesn't suit me but I have been conscious of my consumption this year for sure.
6. Walk More (stop accepting that I no longer live in a good walking neighborhood as an excuse)
Nope. Another "F" on the report card. See, we moved from a very walkable neighborhood, that I loved, to a not at all walkable one. I hate it. I really love to walk but the motivation is just not there when I feel like I have to go through an obstacle course to get anywhere. I love walking and I miss it and perhaps I will do better now that summer is here and the sun is shining. Hopefully, maybe. I've got 6 months to go on this one.
7. Meditate Regularly
What exactly did I mean by "regularly"? Well, I have meditated but not everyday and not on any set schedule. I have just sorta randomly done it at moments, say, at the end of the day when Anita is down for the night and I find myself with a few spare minutes. I think I purposefully was vague on this one because I didn't want to set myself up for failure by saying meditate everyday or every other day or 3 times a week. I am going to clarify and say that I want to meditate twice a week.
8. Give Blood on Regular Basis
I just made an appointment to do this again. Pat on the back. :)
9. Be the Best Wife, Sister, Granddaughter, Niece, Cousin and Friend
Jury's out on this one. I have my good moments and my not so good ones.
10. Eat In Accordance With My Insulin Issues
Nailed it! I have been doing really well with this one, especially the last 2 months or so. Now, the next 6 months involve travel, bday and the holidays so I know I am in for some tricky times but overall I have done very well in this regard.
11. Read/Study Science
Um, well,I have caught a few episodes on the science channel. I still have 6 months so I am not too worried about this one.
12. Volunteer for Beach Clean Up with Anita
Not yet, but I was kinda waiting for better weather. Yeah, I know that's not what it is about and is pretty selfish. But I've been busy too - have you seen how long this list is?
13. Take Pictures
Again, I was a little vague on this one. Have I taken a picture or two this year? Yes. Everyday, weekly, bi-weekly? No. I need to be better about this one. I am going to have the camera more accessible and resolve to take a picture at least one a week.
14. Practice Daily Mindfulness
This is a tough one and tricky to gage but I do attempt to practice daily mindfulness. I am not always successful, I think that is impossible, but I am happy with the effort.
15. Work On My Expectations Of Perfection (seriously, let-it-go)
I am indeed working on this and feel like I am improving. My mind still goes to "perfectland" but I have been very conscious of it and am usually able to talk myself out of it.
16. Commit to Gardening
This seems to happen in fits and spurts and the point was to be consistent. The biggest obstacle for me is that we do not own our home and I just hate to make too much effort on anything that is not going to benefit us in the long term. But I should try and use this time as a learning opportunity for the day that we do have our own yard. So that I will be a master gardener who totally knows what she is doing when the time comes to work on a yard of our own that we can enjoy for years to come.
17. Master 3 New Recipes
Yes, and counting! I wanted to master a few classic recipes and I will say that I have become quite good at roasting a chicken and also roasted potatoes (I figured out how to get them perfectly crisp and caramelized and delicious!) My devil's chicken is pretty much heaven, chocolate chip cookies are always a hit and the pizza dough I have been making from scratch is turning out pretty darn good. I have been having a lot of fun with this one.
18. Listen to Music Everyday
Yes, it's hard not to do this with the little demanding music lover I have always by my side. I can't say that the music is always that varied of a selection since she has her favorites, as do I, and we tend to stick with those but the boy of the house keeps us on our toes.
19. No T.V. till 8p.m.
Not so much on this one. Other than Sesame Street the T.V. stays off all day and sometimes till 8 p.m. but other days I am folding laundry and it is only 5:30 but I know I have Dear Genevieve tivo'd so I will put it on. Or Tad will come home and put on soccer or Keith Olberman and he is not beholden to my resolutions and (apparently neither am I because) I inevitably will start watching too. Work in progress...
20. Eat at 10 New Restaurants with Tad
We aren't at 10 yet but we are well on our way. This one is an easy peasy one for me and truth be told is more like a resolution I forced on Tad. He is a tremendous creature of habit and picky eater so if I left him to it he would eat at the same 5 favorites everyday for the rest of his life. Yet, we always have fun when we actually try something new. So this is good motivation to kick him out of his comfort zone.
21. Take a Vacation
Yay! Yes, we leave next week for Seattle. Cannot wait to get outta dodge.
22. Floss
Again, I was not that specific with this one. Yes, I do floss. And I did before. But not that often. I guess I am flossing more often, but still not as consistently as I should.
23. Be Honest and Forthcoming, No More Biting My Tongue or Little White Lies
I think I have been good with this one. Let me state for the record that I am not a raging liar or anything. I just feel like I tend to bite my tongue, downplay things or hold things back or say something is okay when it's not in order to avoid being uncomfortable or a confrontation. So I am trying to be more direct and honest about things and I think I am doing better. I am more mindful about it, certainly, and I recognize progress, similar to my attempts at being more decisive.
24. Send a Card to someone 1x month
This one is far easier than I thought it would be and is really rewarding because people really like getting mail. Hopefully, I can keep it up for the next 6 months and beyond.
25. Say Yes, Do Something You Wouldn't Normally Do -Especially If It Scares You or Make You Nervous.
This is another one like trying to be more decisive or more forthcoming that is tricky to gage but I definitely see progress. There have been a few times where I found myself wanting to retreat from a situation or experience but, this little resolution I made popped into my head, and I pushed myself to move past it. Nothing major, I didn't swim with sharks, speak in front of a crowded room or visit a nude beach but I still have 6 months to go so stay tuned!
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