2017 Resolutions

Resolutions 2011 // Word of 2012 // 2013 // 2014 // 2015 //  Summer 2015 and Summer 2015 eval // 2016

WORD FOR 2017:

DISCIPLINED

My goal for the year is to schedule more activities in advance and to be intentional and disciplined about how I spend my time. I was thinking about this recently when I realized I needed a haircut and color and when I called the salon, my stylist was booked for weeks (of course). Initial Veruca Salt reaction: I WANT IT NOWWWW! Second reaction: Why don't I make these appointments in advance? (For one thing, my work schedule is different week to week and is created about 6 weeks out -- great for flexibility, difficult for planning). Maybe a more accurate word of the year is proactive rather than reactive. Nothing new here -- the previous six resolution posts revolve around the same goals - more cooking, more exercise, more planning -- but life is getting more chaotic and if I don't plan and organize more effectively, running behind on the activities of daily living will shut out any time for personal growth projects.

Examples:

// Scheduling my personal training sessions a month at a time with Courtney (Hi Courtney!!!)

// Schedule swimming lessons (in the works) to achieve my goal of lap swimming. (I want to start tennis lessons but haven't found time to go by the club for a tour - doesn't bode well).

// Buy a monthly massage membership. (I like this resolution)

// Schedule my 15-30 minutes of yoga a day (the app allows to add classes to your calendar).

// Amanda and I are going have dinner and attend one cultural event per month. (January's outing is already planned: dinner & dancing with someone else dancing --> Pastaria and Big Muddy Dance Company's Menagerie.)

// Set aside time for meal prep on Saturday or Sunday - actually write it down in my Get To Work Book. I'm very excited to start cooking regularly again. (Here's something I don't need but really want: the All-Clad slow cooker with browning function! To decrease number of pans to clean? I'm sure I'll find a reason).

// Schedule Sunday suppers with friends - very low key, no stress get togethers that require only a quick tidy-up and takeout.

// Reach out to people I don't know (or don't know well) but want to get to know because their work is interesting, they're doing cool things, etc. Come to the suburbs and tell me about your project! I will feed you!

image via

Personal growth projects:

📷 Shoot Along camera course starting next week.

🏊 Swimming lessons. I've been wanting to explore lap swimming for a long time and squandering the opportunity of living next to a heated indoor lap pool is ridiculous.

📚 Read at least one book a month (sounds very easy - but weeks like the last one happen, in which I fall asleep next to a sick kid every night).

😬 Personal un-growth project: I want to lose 20 pounds before our big vacation this year. UGH. This requires that I plan menus, make almost all of my own food, log everything in myfitnesspal, and - horrors! - give up carbonated beverages. Low Carb Land, here we come.

image via

🏋  In addition to working out with Courtney, yoga to mitigate the damage of a desk job, and swimming (and tennis?), I'm resolving to watch my shows on my tablet on the stationary bike or elliptical (better than sitting still) - I bought the second season of Outlander (going to have to find a bike situated out of the line of sight of other gym goers -- some of those scenes are NSFW(out) 🔥🔥🔥) Luke has opted out of The Man in the High Castle and The Crown - those will be gym shows.

Same goes for magazines. I was using the Texture app on my tablet but it crashed and froze so much I cancelled it and just today treated myself to the print issues of magazines that I look forward to reading - Real Simple, InStyle, Rachael Ray, Oprah, Bon Appetit and BUST (which I've never read before, but definitely want to support "a magazine and website that provides news, entertainment, celebrity, lifestyle, and fashion from a feminist perspective.") To guard against clutter (the reason I used Texture to begin with) - I will deposit these in a gym-bound bag upon receipt. Cycle, ellipticize, peruse. 

We're rearranging the house a bit and I'll be able to use my TRX (and RIP) trainers at home too. Obstacles are crumbling, excuses are evaporating...

I've learned from experience that a little mindfulness - or follow through, or organization, whatever you want to call it - in one area of my life reinforces positive behavior in others. Went to the gym in the morning -- eats a nourishing breakfast. Got to bed before 10:30 - easier to wake up early. Spent an afternoon in the kitchen cooking and catching up on podcasts -- intellectual satisfaction tied to gustatory satisfaction and the contentment of opening the fridge to containers of delicious meals for my family for the week.


For a post on a theme of discipline this has been a scenic ramble through motives and aims and hopefully some measurable outcomes. 2016 has been a great year for me personally but in 2017 I want to be productive.

Here's to a great year, friends!

May Goals

My April goals (with a really perfect gif):

// Read one parenting book. CHECK. I read No Drama Discipline and took a four week hiatus from Outlander. When I get in a gym groove (which I did - 18 times in April!) waking up at 4:30 precludes most tv.

// Make a photo book. CHECK. Yes, I did it using only Instagram photos and an app, but I did it.

// Get rid of a bunch of stuff when Elise is here. CHECK. I have the bookshelves to go.

// Have 15 days of <25 grams of sugar! Errr, no.

// Two dates. Escondido and Harry Connick Jr.


Our time in Texas is quickly drawing to a close! Things are ramping up moving-wise so I'll have to keep the goals simple and antithetical - go to the gym a lot and eat as many still-warm flour tortillas as possible. And:


// Read other parenting books.

// Get more than 6 hours of sleep per night, something I don't do according to my Fitbit.

// Cull cookbooks and [all the rest] books.

// Do a little bit of research for our fifth anniversary trip - I want to make the most of it! At this point booking some lodging and a way to get there would be good.

take it away, Lyle!  

March/April Goals

In March I said I'd:

// Keep up with meal prep and gym attendance/yoga/TRX sessions
// Read those parenting books
// Make a photo book
// Read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

And now I'd like to present a series of excuses explanations!

First, this is my life:

via GIPHY

Luke's show schedule picked up last month and lots of hand-off parenting - he takes them to school, I do the pick-up/dinner/bedtime - means almost nothing happens besides the care & feeding of those little girls. Laundry doesn't even happen because the machines are in our detached garage. Lately the bedtime routine has been draaaaaaaagging on  - Josie scream-cries in protest, C demands another book - suddenly has to pee again - needs "my cow, my little cow, he's in the kitchen!" I cannot manage a project or even vaguely intellectual endeavor after this. They've also been staying up later ... ughhhhhh.

New month, new plans.

My leg is a bit sore still from my laser procedure (buh-bye, greater saphenous) so I'm taking it easy. Hopefully I'll be back at the gym soon.

// Read one parenting book, watch an episode. I've been putting off the reading I need to do because I'd rather zone out at night. Putting myself on a book-for-TV program.

// Make a photo book. A slapdash, minimally captioned photo book. I'll be so happy I have it.

// Get rid of a bunch of stuff when Elise is here. I've taken two days off this month for projects.

// Have 15 days of <25 grams of sugar! Ugh this is going to be tough. My daily carbohydrates are in the range I'd like -- but still too much sugar.


via GIPHY

// Two dates.

March Goals

First week of March - time for a rundown of my February goals.

// 15 gym visits.YES! Excellent iron class attendance this month.

// Yoga 15 times and TRXing. Not even close.

// Two dates. We went to a play and one brunch date.

// Weekly meal prep. Doing great here which is having profound impacts on my stress level and mood.

 // Read one child development/parenting book a week. Sorry kids, Mommy would rather focus on her own brain development and read the New Yorker.

via GIPHY
 

// Make a photo book and order prints. I ordered prints for myself and my grandma with Social Print Studio.

// Wear the makeup I purchased in Seattle. A bit. Really liking Robin's favorite of 10 years, Prunella eyeliner.

I'm really, really annoyed at the yoga/TRX not happening. But here's how most nights go: C is in bed by 9:00. I try to pack their lunches while I'm making dinner because there's just something a little soul-crushing about this particular task at night. Ideally I'd be in bed by 9:30 so I can get up at 4:30 but no - dishwashing or Instagramming or laundry folding happens. Blah blah blah I've already talked about this. Nobody has any time so I don't know what I'm complaining about.

March goals are pretty modest due to two upcoming trips and vein ablation which requires that I take two weeks off from vigorous exercise.

// Keep up with meal prep and gym attendance. One lesson I gleaned from Gretchen Rubin's Better Than Before was the careful maintenance of good habits because of their fragility. (Also: the seeming unshakeability of bad habits). Though I can't lift weights or run after my leg procedure, I plan to get up at 4:30, go to Alamo 180, don a reflective vest, and walk (this is what I did in December after my right leg was zapped) to stay in the habit because it is REALLY EASY to not wake up so early.

// My procedure is in the third week of March which means I should get in plenty of yoga and TRX sessions beforehand! Wouldn't it be great if I could stop talking about this?!

//  Read those parenting books dammit.

// Make a photo book. As in, the easiest photo book ever. So often I let perfect be the enemy of good and have such analysis paralysis that nothing happens at all, much less something short of good or perfect. I'm embracing Alison's 2016 motto:

via The Alison Show

Just pick some photos and print it out. I'm going to love it regardless of effort expended! (ps Alison's IG feed is hysterical).

// Read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up to prepare for Elise's visit. (The book I have downloaded is The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do -- sounds like a better read, no?)

January Goal Recap

Here were my January goals:

Go to the gym 15 times. I fell one session shy here because I had a procedure on my leg in late December and couldn't exercise vigorously or lift weights for two weeks. Still, not bad.

At least 15 minutes of yoga on 15 days. Four times, maybe? I'm having a hard time with this one and it's unclear why because this is something I enjoy doing.

Cook for the week each weekend. Check check check! Meal prep is making food preparation so much more pleasurable and mitigated the nightly food scramble -- there is no scramble! After we've been at this low carb thing a bit longer I'll share my strategies. ("Strategy" is an oversell.)

Read one book. I listened to four audiobooks, does that count? I also finished Carrie Brownstein's Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl. I can't recommend Edward St. Aubyn's Patrick Melrose novels enough.

Two dates with Luke. We stayed overnight at Hotel Emma and went on three breakfast dates.

Map out my study plan and complete December and January's topics. Errrr, this is turning out to be more ad hoc than I'd like.

Take two days of vacation and de-clutter while the girls are at school. I took this time and mostly did fun things but I did manage to get a big bag of stuff together for the Goodwill and cull Josie's clothes for Ava.

January was a great month. Luke was home a lot which accounts for most of that, but meal prep, those breakfasts dates, and regular gym attendance worked wonders for my mind and mindset.

Here's another thing that made a big difference:

Imagine an alternating stack of grey and black sweatshirts and sweatpants.

This was my great breakthrough of January 2016. Usually when I come from work I peel off my uniform and pull on whatever seen-better-days pajama pants are nearby. This isn't cute and it isn't even comfortable. I went to Lucy and bought a few more pants and leggings and tops and stacked them, top & pants. Now I pull on my ready-to-go outfit and am ready to cook, ready to run an errand if necessary, ready to not duck out of photographs, and ready to do my 15 minutes of yoga. (These pants are not very flattering but they are SO SOFT and SO COMFORTABLE).


Like having meals ready to go, this small act of preparation eases the frantic afterwork/afterschool time where I'm not at my best -- I'm at my energy nadir precisely when I need the most fuel to engage emotionally and get ready for the next day. Better living through sweatpants. It's such a small thing and it's made such a disproportionately large impact on my well-being -- why didn't I think of it sooner?


via GIPHY

    FEBRUARY GOALS

// 15 gym visits.

// Yoga 15 times. I'm wearing the clothes! I enjoy doing it! Where's the problem here?!

// I bought my sister's TRX kit today and I'm so excited to use it when it arrives. We use rings frequently during iron class and I took a TRX class in STL (classes are always better). Can I will myself into being a home exerciser??

// Two dates. One is already scheduled -- seeing my Alamo 180 friend in a theatre production. I can't wait!

// Weekly meal prep. A tad behind here because I was out of town this weekend. I put a roast in the slow cooker this morning and should arrive home to some Korean barbeque porky goodness. I'll roast some brussel sprouts and a pork tenderloin and catch up with mini-meals.

// Read one child development/parenting book a week. Behind here, again, but I should complete No Drama Discipline and The Whole-Brain Child this week. Our pediatrician recommended 1-2-3 Magic (citing that it worked well on her husband, um ok). Top of the list is My Toddler Talks - Josie should have more than 30 words and she has three (and that's generous).

// Make a photo book and order prints. I ordered some prints already (Social Print Studio app, so easy!) and will work on a book on my new computer!!! A laptop, finally, and a Mac - "I'm so glad you're back in the fold." -- Luke.

// Wear the makeup I purchased in Seattle. I learned a new trick of applying cream shadow with a compact brush and diffusing it out with a fluffy brush. Thanks Rachel at the Tom Ford counter at Nordstrom Bellevue!

June Goals

Time to settle down and get back to day to day life in SA. I'm usually daydreaming about traveling but lately - it might have been when C's poorly positioned, saturated diaper led to my lap being utterly urine-soaked for the last hour of our flight from Las Vegas to SA that I thought, I'm really looking forward to being HOME and doing HOME THINGS.

Here's my list of things to accomplish in June.

// Attend ten fitness classes. I bought the Memorial Day military appreciation half-off unlimited monthly pass at the barre studio 0.7 miles from our house. Streeeeeetch. I was doing so well with regular gym attendance until allergy season descended in March and left me with nonstop congestion and headache - truly, a low grade headache most days and most of every day - for eight weeks. DIE TREES AND GRASSES DIE! It was truly truly truly a miserable spring.

// Ride my bike five times (ie to barre class). Charm passersby with my hamburger bell.

// Prepare five meals from One Pot.

// Prepare two dishes from Genius Recipes before its library due date. I gave this book to my May birthday sistas and am waiting for reviews from them.

// Prepare three meals from Healthy Slow Cooker from America's Test Kitchen.  I bought a digital copy of this book a while ago but haven't cooked from it yet. (Maybe I shouldn't buy digital cookbooks?) Very frequent cooking schedule for me but I want to...

// Have ten days this month without any processed food (talking about you, cheese; going to eat you, whole foods.) I love the concept of Whole30 and long term clean eating but I lack the organization, ability to grocery shop frequently, willpower, and [more excuses]. One day at a time will be much more achievable.

// Buy two houseplants to instill some cheer. Green is good.

// Tidy up and organize my office. Add a plant or two there. I have a Pinterest page devoted to plants, specifically hard-to-kill varieties.

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// Plant two fabric bag beds. My containers are doing well - watching the watermelon plant grow has become a daily highlight - and I looked around at raised beds but decided against that purchase due to expense, reluctance to buy yet another clunky object, and poor track record of sustained gardening interest level. At $25 a piece, the Big Bag Bed Jr seem like a great starter project. 

// Rock a different look. On the weekends I normally roll out of bed when the girls wake me up (read: no shower, no makeup besides an application of sunscreen). I'm pretty sick of catching sight of my bedraggled, eyelashless, droopy-eyed self when we're out and about. Because the bedhead look is not going to change, I'm going to fully embrace it with matching heavy-eyeliner-and-mascara -- it's not dishabille, it's rock n roll! I ordered this kit along with the sun safety kit that I wait for with bated breath every year (thank you, Brady, for letting me know when it's released!) Planning a favorite sunscreen and makeup post (much like plants, I enjoy the latter in theory yet very little in practice).

Keep me accountable! See you July 1.

 I'm trying out Amazon affiliate links for books, etc. Waiting greedily for the pennies to roll in :)