A Year of Reform

It takes a rare talent to break all of your New Year's Resolutions in the first week of the year. I blame my tendency to be overly ambitious. You see, I began compiling a mental list over a month ago, and as the days went on the list grew longer and longer until the goals seemed unobtainable and the idea of writing them down was tedious. It wasn't until the new year began that I finally gave myself a deadline. I decided my goals had to be selected and written down by the same day that I declared them last year and put into action the following day. I just checked and discovered that today is it, so here goes nothing.

1. Dedicate 30 minutes to my appearance each morning.
Currently my jeans are too baggy, my corded sweater is faded, my hair is too fluffy, and I have absolutely no makeup on. I shouldn't be permitted to go out in public like this yet I do every day and to work no less. A lack of beauty skills, determination, and time in the morning is to blame. At some point last year, after too many late nights and too many early mornings I stopped caring and it shows. Fortunately my little sister bought me the queen of all hair straighteners for Christmas and I used gift cards to buy all new cosmetics. After one date with that hair iron, my makeup bag, and a trip to the salon for an eyebrow waxing I was reminded that I really do clean up well. It's time I matched that face with stylish clothes and presented my company with the non-frumpy version of Katie. This means I have to wake up at 6:00 in the morning.

2. Get at least 7 hours of sleep every weeknight.
I can't get by on the 4 or 5 hours I've been giving myself for the last 6 months. My new bed time is 11:00.

3. Write on a semi-regular basis.
I went from writing every day back in 2000 to writing absolutely nothing for 6 years. Something finally broke me in June of 2006 and I returned, but not even on a remotely regular basis. And I regret those 6 years of silence more than ever now because I'm finally realizing that my memory isn't good enough to keep all of life's little moments in my subconscious record books. I don't have my wedding or honeymoon on record, and by golly, I don't want to miss anything else.

4. Walk the dogs every day (weather permitting).
When it was just Jack we did walk every day. He and I even visited most of the dog friendly Metro Parks in our area, but then we adopted Macy last February and I experienced one too many nightmarish walks consisting of tangled leashes, tripping, and all around madness. I've decided it's time to purchase a coupling harness and teach my dogs the proper way to walk, or at least teach them not to walk me.

5. Read 40 books by December 31, 2008.
I was probably somewhere in the ballpark of 20 books read in 2007 and it didn't feel like nearly enough, so I'm doubling it.

6. Perfect the art of time management.
I'll be spending more time sleeping, reading, walking, writing, and primping. Somehow I'm also supposed to do all of the bill-paying, laundry, cleaning, and cooking, and remain sane. I truly believe that where there's a will there's a way and I think it begins with not writing to-do lists only to procrastinate longer.

7. Finish the Damn Desk already!
A block of solid oak measuring in at 5 feet wide by 3 feet deep by 3 feet tall has gotten the best of me for three months already. The old oak desk that I pillaged from my parent's house has turned its temporary placement in my enclosed but unheated back porch into a permanent home and I won't stand for it any longer. The old finish has been removed and the desk has been cleaned entirely. Now all I have to do is sand, stain, and polyurethane, but I've been saying that for a month. I'm giving myself until March 15th to have the desk finished and transported to its real permanent home in the office.