I’ve never been big on New Year’s  resolutions, but this year, something’s different.  I’ve gone as far as to write down the things I’d like to achieve.  When I go to the trouble of making a list, I try to keep up with the things on that list, and usually I get the job done.  I want more of everything in 2010, starting with:-

Me Time

We women spend our time nurturing others at the expense of what we need.  I want to read more, relax more and do nothing sometimes.  Yes, do nothing. I’m one of those people who multitask all the time.  If I’m at the computer, I’m also watching television or some other thing that doesn’t work well with writing and editing.

Family night is in the bedroom and that’s every night, so there’s that distraction.  I can’t recall the last time I sat down and watched a movie from beginning to end, mostly because I feel it’s a waste of time.  Like I should be getting other stuff done while I’m vegetating in front of the television.  I’m changing that mindset.  I’m also going to visit the salon to get my hands and feet done semi-regularly.  I think I deserve it, and when I look good, I feel great.

My spiritual life needs a LOT of attention, but that’s between God and me.

Family Time

I have a psychic connection to one of my cousins. When we don’t talk for too long our spirits become restless.  Despite the whispers inside…call, call, call, that telephone conversation doesn’t happen until one of us decides to stop and make that call.  My family means a lot to me.  We live far apart, so we love from a distance, but that’s no excuse not to call. Once per month, doesn’t matter when, I’m going to talk to my folks.  I’d be devastated if someone passes suddenly and I had it on my spirit to touch base with that person, and didn’t.  When friends fall away, there’s always family, unless they disown me.

Despite having a bedroom of his own, my son lives in my room.  He’s always trying to get me to play Chinese Checkers, Dominoes, Monopoly, or some card game he doesn’t understand.  He’s eight, and growing fast.  I need to capitalize on this time when he’s free and generous with his attention and love.  All too soon he’ll turn silent and unwilling to communicate.

Health Goals

For too many years I’ve been overweight.   When I say that, people look at me all bug-eyed, but  yes, I do have a bit of excess baggage in the trunk area.  A ten pound loss would make me ecstatic, twenty and I’d be walking and telling every cow ‘howdy’.  I’m gonna work on that.  I’m getting older and the old body’s slowing down.  This business of exercising in fits and starts has to change.

Also, I need some Ginko for my memory and I need more rest.  I’m not remembering stuff.  A case in point is the conversation I had with my son last night within an hour after I got home.

“You brushed your teeth, S.?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” (Insert air of impatience here.)
“When?”
“When daddy was downstairs reading the Bible and you were eating ham and vegetables.  D’you remember that at all?”
“Okay, fine.”

Yeah, definitely not recalling stuff.

Trimming the Budget & Cleaning Clutter

Wiser financial decisions are a must. I don’t know how much more I can cut from my budget, but with the new tax measures we’re facing, I must do some more nipping and tucking.  Enough said.

I have so much junk, it’s unbelievable.  Paper is my weakness.  I have more books than I’ll ever read.  Bills, old mail, receipts, articles printed and read…I have to do what I did last year…compile all the articles on writing and get them bound, tear up old bills, get rid of old newspapers, and the scraps of paper, which seem to breed and multiply at the speed of light.

And this clutter extends to my office.  I’m overrun by paper there too.  I clean up when I can’t stand looking at the files anymore.  Good thing is, I have them in those stand up magazine racks.  If I had them in piles, I’d have gone bonkers by now.  But seriously, some of this stuff is gathering dust and there is a school of thought that says if you haven’t moved (insert the name of your clutter here) in a year, then it can be put away or trashed.

I’m not gonna go overboard and take on the pile-up of years in one day.  I plan to sneak up on those buggers. Once each week, I’ll rip what needs ripping, store what needs storing, and free up some space.

I’m finished, you say?  Perish the thought.  I have my writing goals left.  See you in a couple of days, after I fine-tune that list.

Not to worry, it won’t be a long one.

More anon…