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11 Resolutions for 2011

My 2011 resolutions in a nutshell? Improve my spiritual, marital, financial, physical, and academic health, and enjoy life more.

1. Pray every day. The importance of prayer has become very real to me in the past week or so since a friend of mine was in a terrible car accident. But I know I should pray during the good times as well as the bad times, so I want to make this a habit.
2. Read the Bible in 90 Days. I managed to make it through a few weeks last time. This time I will not be moving in the middle of the 90-day period, so hopefully that will help me stay on track.
3. Have one date night a week. We’ve had date nights since we moved, but we need to make them sacred. It’s too easy for date nights to get canceled or to turn into “hanging out with friends night.”
4. Read Love and Respect. I’ve been meaning to finish this book for a long time and I just haven’t done it yet. But I know this book will be good for my marriage, so I’m making it a priority.
5. Create a monthly budget and use it. Matthew and I intend to make a new budget every month at the beginning of the month and review it weekly. My ultimate goal is to pay off our debt (except student loans) and establish an emergency fund.
6. Log 8,000 fitness minutes. I will be using SparkPeople to track this goal. This breaks down to a little more than 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. I can break it down even more—15 minutes twice a day, or 10 minutes three times a day—if I need to make it more manageable to me.
7. Plan meals weekly. Planning ahead saves so much trouble and ensures that we’re always eating something good rather than having crackers for dinner or having a pizza delivered. I might try Once a Month Mom.
8. Get homework done early. After way too many stressful Sundays and all-nighters, I have resolved to get my homework done earlier than the day before it’s due so that I don’t give myself an ulcer next semester.
9. Rest on Sundays. Last semester, I felt tired and burnt out all the time. Every day of the week was a work day for me, and I know I need more rest than that. So this year, I’m going to relax on Sunday.
10. Take a photo every day. I attempted to do Project 365 last year and quit after a month or so, but I think it will be really cool to finish the entire project this year if I can.
11. Write every day. Getting into this habit will definitely develop my skills as a writer and will help me when NaNoWriMo rolls around. Even if all I write is a haiku, it’s still something.