Building a Better You

I love New Years. Mostly because I love starting out on a clean fresh slate. It's like the first day of school. None of the teachers know you yet, your pencil is still sharp and pointy, and your pearly pink eraser doesn't have any of those unsightly black marks all over it.

This year is going to be "the year of Kate". See, 2006 was "The year of the Wedding," all thought processes were geared towards preparation of body, mind, soul for that date in August.

2007 was "The year of the Dog." Aha! Caught you there, didn't I? You probably thought I was going to say the year of the Bar. But its all in perspective. See, I could only get the dog after I took the Bar, and I therefore the Bar was just something I had to hurdle in order to achieve my goal.

2008 will be the year I really focus on myself, something I'm not very good at doing. Its far easier to ensure that everyone else in my life is happy and content, often letting my own needs fall to the wayside. In light of this, I have created a list of "resolutions" guaranteed to work, from the inside out.

The Inside
Mostly maintenance. Last year I resolved to drink more water and get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. I've kept up with the water thing, but since December have been less strict about the 8 hours. I really liked the changes these little things brought about and so I resolve to continue my water drinking and work harder at getting 8 hours.

In addition, in November I started a new workout plan. The workout itself isn't new, its the same one I used to get in shape for the wedding. I love it because it really helps me feel stronger and its neat to see the definition in my muscles. But the plan? The plan is a new one. It involves waking up at 5 and driving down to San Diego so I can get a workout in before work. Then, when I start to crash around lunch time, heading down to the gym in my building for a little cardio to get me through the day. It's rough. I can't say I wouldn't LOVE to continue sleeping when my alarm goes off at 5, but I do love the traffic free drives, and I do love the energy I have to get through the work day.

My first new thing in this area is to be better about getting to the doctor. I'm terrible about going in for physicals, dental, or eye exams. I'm going to be a lot better about making appointments and taking care of my body.

My second new inside resolution is to start treating Chrismtas with the inlaws differently. Jon and I jokingly call this the "kinder, gentler Kate" resolution. It's no secret I hate Christmas with the inlaws. However, this year I realized what a brat I am and how much it probably ruins Jon's Christmas. Christmas is not my holiday - it's his. It doesn't matter that we never leave the house; it doesn't matter that I'm bored out of my mind; it doesn't matter that I'm not having a good time. It's not about me. It's about them. So next year I vow to stop being so selfish and let Jon enjoy his holiday with his family.

The Outside
For those of you who don't know me, this is going to seem incredibly superficial. Those of you who are close will understand better. Since college, I have done a really terrible job of "keeping up appearances." I hardly ever get my hair cut, my nails are attrocious, I have the same glasses I've had since high school and they're scratched, chipped, one of the nose pieces is missing, and the ear pieces have been melted down by an unfortunate encounter with nail polish remover. My wardrobe is old and many of my clothes don't fit, have holes, or stains. This year I'm going to give myself a "makeover." It's not really a makeover, there won't be drastic changes, but new glasses, regular trips to the waxer, hair salon, nail salon will be implemented. In addition, I've already started working on my wardrobe - I spent most of yesterday buying all new undergarments and throwing away the old ones.

The Environment
Nothing messes up a good vibe like a mess. This year I was pretty good about Sunday being "cleaning day" to really get things under control. I feel better in a clean enviornment. I can think better, and it makes me happy. I used flylady to help organize and clean. In the past month, with the introduction of the Christmas Tree, our home has gone into constant dissarray. Flylady, flew out the window. I want to get things back under control so our home looks more like a home and less like a storage closet.

I also want to go one step farther than last year and actually decorate our home. I always love having fresh flowers, but this year I really want our home to be festive, a place we enjoy coming to. This means decorations! Wait till you see what I have in store for you!

I also want to reintroduce my weekly dinners with friends. I loved doing that over the summer and felt like it really helped keep me in touch and gave Jon and I more of a social network. I love entertaining, and I love having people come to us, so at the end of the night we don't have to go anywhere. I'm really looking forward to this one.

So that's in folks, new year, new chances to make things better. I'm looking forward to it - any "resolutions" you're making this year?