Looking Back and Looking Forward

I usually make New Years resolutions, but as most people, I don't always follow through with them like I plan to do.  Just like last year, I plan to build upon my resolutions of getting/staying organized and eating healthy and exercising (I really have to focus on this one) because I let these things slide as the year went on.

This year, I'm also going to add a goal; I want to use my time more efficiently.  I have a problem of putting chores off during the week only to feel overwhelmed on the weekends by all of the things that need to be done.  I want to try my hardest to use my time in the evenings during the week to accomplish small tasks that seem to pile up.  I'm also going to try to spend 10 minutes each night picking up the house so we can start fresh the next day, and I'm not going to let the dishes pile up in the kitchen sink (this became a big problem towards the end of this year).  Laundry will always be a weekend chore, as well as a few other things, but I don't want to spend all weekend catching up on chores when we could be doing fun things.

I'm also going to make a "To Do" list for each month so we can plan our projects, outings, activities, etc.  accordingly and not try to cram them all in to one week.  For instance, our January "To Do" list might look a little like this:

1. Celebrate Brandon's birthday
2. Clean out the garage and create a work bench area
3. Have a dinner party with my college friends
4. Write thank-you notes (we should be writing these this week...)
5. Research storage sheds (do you see a theme here?!?)
6. Paint our bedroom

I really believe it is good to have goals and to write them down.  I really like to cross things off lists (I always have a running list on my desk at work) so if I write this down and post it on the refrigerator, it is sure to be seen everyday which in turn will prompt us to complete the tasks.

So, as I look towards 2011, it helps me to look back at 2010, figure out what got accomplished, what didn't and why, and look for ways to improve.  I will keep you posted!