A Healer’s Geste

Resolving the Resolutions

So, I had a list of 10 goals for 2009. I thought about not doing one for 2010, but the truth is I have one rolling around in my head anyway, so why not?

But, I will not let myself write it out until I review 2009′s list. So, here goes:

1. Lose 10 pounds by March – I didn’t.

2. Keep a vegetable and herb garden; do better than last year. – I did start a better garden, and I kept a garden notebook, and I did do better than the previous year up until I became pregnant and had a 18-month-old. Then it all went to weeds and bugs.

3. Create a Women of Grace chairwoman notebook. – I have most of the component parts, but I have not put it together.

4. Finish Household Notebook. – I did this!

5. Keep home management system at 80% for two consecutive months. – I came pretty close, if I didn’t, but then moving and being pregnant threw it all off.

6. Plan & implement first grade; finish detail overview of 1-3 grade. – Done & doing.

7. Incur no library fines. – I was doing so well until I moved 1/2 mile from the library. However, I have only incurred 40-cents this year, as long as you don’t count the $7 fine because Jaeger ruined a book. I don’t count that, personally. It’s Jaeger’s fee, not mine; he is in the process of paying me back through extra chores.

8. Complete menu blog. – I scrapped that project and made a document instead of a blog, and it is nearly finished and very useful. Once I refine it I will make it available.

9. Read consistently; keep reading notes; keep a reading log. – I kept track of my books on Goodreads.com, I read more books in 2009 than I did in 2008 (and I didn’t even think I would), I participated in several book groups, and I blogged about a few.

10. Go label-crazy, making it attractive and useful. – I labeled a bunch of boxes when we moved, and did have a fairly organized and smooth move, so I think that should count. :) This resolve has carried over to this house, and I have more labels at this house already than I did at the beginning of 2009 at the other house.

Now, far from being discouraged by the above review, I am encouraged to make a similar list for 2010. I kept my list all year on my household clipboard, and it did provide spurs of motivation, especially on the library fine item (because I told myself, “All others may fail, but I can keep at least that one!”)

So, for 2010:

1. Create and implement a usable freezer and household items inventory system. I’m already very close on this.

2. Finish organizing the office, creating usable spaces, keeping paper maintenance simple, and making my craft supplies accessible. I am more than half-way there on this already and I have the vision.

3. Organize the storage area, weeding through the boxes of boy clothes, clearly labeling all boxes, and creating a space for storing Costco-quantities of paper goods. This will have to be at least started very soon, since I need to pull out the birth and baby stuff.

4. Create a plan for establishing holiday traditions. This is still vague in my mind, but something I really want to do. I have a reading list to work through first, which should help me clarify what I am after.

5. Finish the Women of Grace chairwoman notebook. Really.

6. Plan the 2010-2011 school year: second grade + Kindergarten (+ toddler + baby). But I’m making myself postpone this until at least the baby break. :)

7. Return to pre-pregnancy weight by the end of the year. Assuming poor little unnamed boy weans himself around 6-8 months, as has been typical, I should be able to do this; my body holds on to 5-10 pounds until after the baby is weaned.

8. Start small with a garden, but create a visionary plan. Get to know the new place and begin preparing the soil.

9. Add a section to the garden notebook for the yard. Find out what plants are already here and what care they require. Spend time in the spring and fall cleaning up the planted areas and keeping them neat.

10. Acquire the habit of making the bed daily and keeping the bedroom picked up. Teach this habit to the boys, also.

Yay for new years and new lists!