Goals of the New Year

Well it's a new year. And after lots of holiday fun it's back to the grindstone. I tend to be all over the place with new years resolutions and I decided that I really don't like the word resolution. So instead I'll talk about some new years goals. Sure we all make and most of us fail to maintain a lofty list of aspirations for the coming year. Perhaps it's silly, perhaps we are doomed to failure but who cares. It's good to set goals, to try to better oneself and to work toward something just for us. And sometimes these aspirations do manage to work themselves into our permanent routines. I read somewhere that it takes 60 days to make something a habit. And it is in that spirit that I make the following new year goals:

1. Frugality: 2012 brought a substantial increase in income for Chris and I. This has been such a blessing.  However just because we have more money doesn't mean we have to spend more money. While today we both have good jobs we also have over a ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars of student loans that helped us get where we are. We'd really like to pay those loans off and we have a pretty ambitious goal to do so in 3 years. So this year I aim to be frugal, to stick to our budget and to work on paying down debt! To help achieve this goal I'm going to use a new budget system, use a cash based system and spend 5 minutes EVERYDAY balancing my check book and reviewing my budget.

2. Not gain weight: while so many Americans start this year with a goal to loose weight I have an even simpler goal to just not gain any. I've lost all my post baby weight and then some and am currently at my ideal weight. But I also just weaned and I'm dreadfully worried that the lack of breast feeding combined with my chronic lack of exercise and love of butter is going to do a number on me. I think this goal can be pretty easily achieved as long as I don't eat too much or snack. To help me I'm going to simply jot down everything I eat. I heard on NPR that this can be incredibly effective at maintaining your calories since it provides some accountability. I will also try to walk to all my meetings no matter how hard it's raining. But I will not give up my butter intake. There is only so much I am willing to compromise:)

3. Keep my office more organized: This is pretty self explanatory. I'm not sure how I am going to achieve this one but damn it I 'm going to try. I also blocked off every Friday afternoon to clean out my email, clear my desk and sort my piles.

So how about you? Did you make any new years goals or resolutions?