Tuesday, April 3, 2012

How are those New Year's Resolutions working out?

I'm probably very similar to other people in that I make big plans and goals on January 1st, only to let them fade and be forgotten. This year, I have a public record of my 5 New Year's Resolutions. Three months of this year have already passed. It's time to check in on my progress and see if my goals are being met. I've decided to give myself a report card.

1. Write a weekly blog. I'm going to give myself an A on the blogging! I set the goal to blog once a week, even said I'd post them on Tuesdays, and I've done a pretty good job of sticking to that! Only once did I miss my deadline when I had a post wiped out because of computer problems. I still got that one posted the next day that I was on the computer. The only problem I have with the blog is my nasty habit of procrastination. Sometimes I feel like I'm back in college with a paper due at my 8:30am class on Friday. I tend to wait and whip something out Thursday night. (Back in my day, we had to have the thing printed and neatly presented for class. We didn't have the luxury of emailing it to our professor by a midnight deadline!) You can often find me right here, typing away on a Tuesday night to meet my self-imposed deadline. I very well know that if I had started earlier, with more time to rethink, revise, and edit, the end quality would be better. Still, I'm satisfied with the work I'm putting out and think I should pass the class. =)

2. I'm going to give myself a C on my health goal. I wanted to lose weight, exercise more, and eat better. I haven't really lost any weight, just maintained. I do exercise pretty consistently, and better now that the weather is warmer. My diet is my weak point. I love yummy food. I don't do well with portion control, especially when it comes to my favorite yummy foods. Probably my biggest weakness would be my love for sweets. I love desserts, especially chocolate. My best strategy is to record the foods I eat. As long as I have to write down everything I eat, and how much, I feel more accountable and better able to resist temptation. I started out the year writing everything down, but haven't continued with that. I prefer to just eat whatever I want. I do realize that's not best for my body and will try to improve in this area.

3. Bible Study. I'm going to be honest and give myself a D on Bible Study. While we've done pretty well with Church attendance this year, and we uphold our daily prayers and walk with God, I've been pretty bad about reading my Bible! I'm going to move the Bible to the top of my pile of books by the bed and try to improve on this. This goal only takes a few minutes a day to achieve and certainly shouldn't be the area where I'm failing!

4. Organization. I get a B on this on! I've actually made some improvements in my life to get things in order. Paperwork has been my big nemesis. I have piles of paperwork everywhere. You name it: bills, papers from school, 4-H stuff, ASCA club stuff, and tons of dog papers. I went and bought 4 portable file boxes. One is for 4-H, divided up by the different projects the girls do. Another is for the dogs, one folder per dog. I already had a file system for them, but this one is updated and easier to keep handy. Another file is for each litter and the breeding program. I have a folder for the paperwork involved from each litter, as well as for my stud dogs, and one file for all of the paperwork that goes into the puppy binders. The last file box is just mine. It's a miscellaneous collection of all of the paperwork that sits around and has nowhere to go. School papers, club papers, bills, and on and on. I'm very happy with my new system. I also made up new dog binders, organizing all of their registrations, health clearances, titles, etc. That makes it so much easier to find everything. I still have a long way to go in getting my life and house organized, but I am happy with the progress.

5. Goals with dogs. I get a B+ on this one! I have several goals in training and certain titles I want this year. The main four titles I'm after are 4 big ones! I want a MACH, ATCH, ASCA CH., and AKC CH. It's the first of April and while I haven't achieved any of those titles yet, I have made some good progress!! Ryder got a major in AKC, meaning he just needs a 4 point major to finish his CH. Quinn picked up a major in ASCA, meaning he just needs 2 point to finish his CH. I'd have to look, but I know Glory has earned at least two QQ's so far this year towards her MACH. We haven't had any ASCA agility trials yet, so no progress on the ATCH yet. I'm always happy with progress, it takes me a step closer to the goal!

We're only a fourth of the way through this year. I've already seen great things happen and am in no hurry to see this year rush by. My goals are just that, things that I strive to achieve. If I reach the end of the year and haven't accomplished them, they can be next year's goals! For now, I'll continue to work on my resolutions, they give me focus and bring me joy, peace, and satisfaction. They cover many different areas of my life and can only help me become a better person. I'll check back in a few months and see how things are going at the halfway mark. Until then, carry on and keep reaching for those goals!

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