New Year's Resolutions for 2013

Christmas is almost upon us, which means that the New Year is right around the corner too!  I'm very excited about all that I accomplished with last year's resolutions, and here's how I did for my 2012 list: 

Lose 40 pounds and keep it off. 
Well, I sure as heck didn't accomplish this one!  But I learned a lot more about myself, and learned to accept who I am at any weight.  Losing weight isn't the key to happiness - but learning how to accept myself, and love myself the way that I am is certainly a step in the right direction.  And I think that's much more valuable!

Exercise at least 5x a week. 
I went back & forth on this one, but I feel like I work hard to stay healthy - whatever that may mean.  Whether it's choosing to walk instead of drive, or going rollerblading with my mom instead of going to brunch - I've been finding my balance.

Not purchase any cheese or dairy from the store all year.
Well I know this list isn't starting off great for accomplishments, but I assure you, it will get better!  I totally failed on this one too.  I love cheese. :)

Visit my Grandma in Erie. 
YEP!  I did this one.  It was lovely to see her, and also very bittersweet.  We don't know how much longer she'll be with us, and that made me incredibly sad.  But I'm so glad I got to see her and spend time with her.

Find a new job that I love!
DONE!!  :)  I'm so happy at the bakery, and discovering new things about myself and what I want to do with my life.  It has been challenging and different, and I'm loving every minute of it.

Find a way to SING more!
I definitely did my fair share of karaoke this year, but it was not enough to make me feel satiated.  I need to find a choir or singing group to join so that I can do it more regularly.  I'm going to carry this one over to 2013 for sure!

Pay off ANOTHER credit card.
I am very VERY close to paying off my largest bill, and I know I will be able to do so by early next year.  So I'm hoping in 2013 I can have TWO credit cards paid off, so I'm carrying this one over too!  WOOT!

Start a garden. 
YEPPERS!  I'm so excited to get the garden going again this next year - we learned so much this past summer, and I am ready to take on the challenge again.  It is so rewarding to grow your own food!!

Rally the troops and make a crazy huge donation to a charity. 
YES!!  I'm so glad that we could make this happen with the big St. Baldrick's head-shaving event.  Our team raised over $3,000.00 for the cause, and I couldn't be happier.  I have such amazing friends & family that donated, and I couldn't have asked for a better send-off for my hairs. :)

Make an effort to dress more fashionably. 
I definitely feel like I've accomplished this one!  I think having a job where I'm more in front of the public has been helping me stay on track with looking put together too.

Remind myself daily that what I choose to eat directly corresponds to how I feel, how I look, and the world around me.
Although sometimes I do falter, I know that what I put into my body effects me in different ways!  I am getting much better about my choices, and listening to my body.

Run a 10k without stopping. 
Well, this didn't happen this year.  But that's OK!  I had a lot of goals, and with all that I have accomplished, I'm OK with letting this one slide. ;)

Take a Vacation. 
This year was difficult for vacations.  With all of the job changing & craziness of the year, I don't feel like I got a nice vacation.  I got to visit my grandma in Erie, and my sister in New York - and I'm so thankful that I got to go on those trips!  We were in Oklahoma for 2 weeks, but mainly because of the passing of John's mom, and with the emotion of the trip it was hardly relaxing.  So 2013 is going to have to be when it all happens!

Overall, I feel like 2012 was pretty freakin' great.  I feel like I learned so much about myself this year, and I can't wait to see what 2013 will bring.  There is so much I have yet to learn, and I am excited about that! :) 

So here is what I have resolved to accomplish in 2013.... 

Waste Less.
After the impact that No Impact Man made on me, I've definitely made a lot of changes in my life to waste less.  We've stopped buying paper towels (we use / wash old t-shirts we cut up instead), John has been making his own almond milk, and we're definitely getting there.  But there is so much more we could be doing, and one of my biggest things is packaged foods.

Packaging from food products makes up about 40% of America's waste.  That's HUGE.  And I don't mean just those Starbucks coffee cups, or fast food bags.  But plastic bags of shredded cheese, pre-packaged fake meat products, boxed mac & cheese, etc.  That means making my own foods as much as possible (yes, from scratch), and using mostly produce.  It's gonna be a difficult goal, but baby steps make big changes!

Pay off 2 credit cards.
As mentioned before - I gotta add this one to the 2013 list!  I will get one paid off, and move to the next - then get that one paid off too before 2014.  It's gonna be AWESOME, and 1 big step closer to me being completely debt-free. :)

Find a way to sing more!  Join a choir, or a band. 
I feel like one way to get myself singing more frequently would be to join some kind of group.  Whether it's a choir or an actual band - even just singing once a week or twice a month, it would be a lot of progress for me!  And either of those scenarios sound like an absolute blast!

Play a few basic songs on the piano. 
I need a small goal for the new piano - somewhere to start.  I do want to be able to play the piano fluidly in the future, but I need to start slowly and go over the basics all over again.  But learning a few songs the entire way through is a perfect goal that's not too far out of my range!

Take a nice long vacation!
Since I didn't get a nice relaxing vacation in 2012, I'd love to do a full week somewhere new!  It may contradict my debt-paying-off goals a bit, but life is too short to go without a vacation every now & then.

Get back into doing yoga at least once a week - more if at all possible. 
I know a few places that offer free yoga classes at least once / week, so I'm sure I could make this happen. I've been wanting to get a bit more flexible while also having some time to focus on myself and relax.  This will definitely allow for that.  Hopefully I'll be able to bump up my frequency to more, but again, this is just a baby step in the right direction!

(Check it out - it's me on the far right!  Katy is on the far left, Geneva is in the middle with the swirly back tattoo.  We did it for a charity event with Root Yoga in downtown Denver.  It was so much fun to do yoga outside!)

Start my own Etsy store for handmade cards, jewelry & crafts. 
I've been wanting to do something like this for a while now, and I think it'd be an awesome creative outlet for me!  Still working on some things to start the store with, so we'll see what happens... I think it will be tons of fun.

Contribute to a cause. 
Whether it's fundraising or volunteering - I like to try and make this a part of every year, no matter what it may be!

Get healthier. 
This is my big one for the new year!  I feel like I work towards this every year, and every year I get a little better at it.  It's never a perfect system, but hey, nobody's perfect!  And by this I mean: more veggies & fruits, better choices, smaller portions, more water, less alcohol - all that jazz.

However, this doesn't just mean food. It means work towards getting healthier mentally, emotionally, and physically.  Taking a break when I need it.  Meditating.  Moving my body, using my muscles.  All around health - not just one thing or another.

It's all those little changes that make big changes, and I believe that fully.  Choosing fresh vegetables instead of fries.  Choosing herbal tea over a glass of wine.  Choosing a long walk with a friend over sitting in a movie theater.  Listen more to myself, and others.  Find peace.

Basically just working on making myself the best person I can be, so that I can give all that back to the world. :)

What are your goals for 2013? 

All Images (except Yoga image) found on Pinterest.