New Year, New Me?

Allie's New Year's Resolution: Get sweeter every day!

I've been going back and forth trying to decide whether to make New Year's Resolutions and share them or not. I HATE New Year's resolutions! Why? Because I never keep them! I would love to lose weight, eat healthier, get my house organized, be more environmentally friendly, and about 20 other wishful things. But if I write that list out and share it with the world, isn't that like jinxing myself? If no one knows I made them, then no one will know I failed, right?

All that said, it just seems natural that every new year I should set some goals for myself. My wonderful mother-in-law gave me a subscription to Woman's Day magazine, and I've found some great tips for making changes this year. One article suggested taking on one challenge each month. That sounds interesting. And difficult. I tend to have about 7 things going at once, and none of them getting finished! Maybe I could succeed if I focused on one change per month. Here's a site I found in WD that has given me some downloadable charts to use to plan out menus and keep a food journal: TheProjectGirl.com. (Look under Top 10 Posts on the right-hand side.)

So do I do it? Do I write out my resolutions here for all to see? I think I will! Except I'm not going to call them New Year's resolutions. That just reeks of doom. A few days ago in my quiet time I started a list called "What do I desire in this new year?" Then I thought I should add a second column to that list titled "How can I achieve this?" So here it is - my desires for 2010, with ways to make those desires happen in parenthesis:

1. To have a closer relationship with Jesus (daily quiet time, prayer, reading Bible, scripture memory)
2. To be the best wife I can be (Sometimes I focus all my energy on being a good Mommy and wife gets overlooked. Spend quality time with Brian, be an encourager to him, make my love for him characterized by the qualities of 1 Cor. 13:4-8 that I learned in my last Bible study -if anyone is interested I can write more about this later)
3. Develop friendships (pray about it, be active in inviting others to do things)
4. Get healthier (Doesn't this sound much better than lose weight? Make better food choices, exercise, keep a food journal)
5. Organize my house (Make a plan, get everyone on board with the plan, list where things go, stick with it daily)

There it is! Out there for the world to see. Luckily I know you guys would love to support me in this venture, not laugh at me if I fail. I don't expect to lose 15 pounds, become a social butterfly, and have a junk-free house by March. I think I have pretty realistic expectations. I just plan to take it one day at a time. Feel free to leave me a comment asking how I'm doing. I would love it! And I would love to hear if you have any desires for yourself in 2010. Share them in the comment section if you dare!