My version of a New Year's Resolution...

There is an article in the January issue of Glamour about women who made small resolutions and decided to stick to them for 31 days. With this being the end of the year, of course everyone is full of New Year’s Resolutions, and for some reason, I really liked the idea of making a small decision and sticking to it for a month, rather than saying, “This year I’ll….”

In thinking about what my small resolution will be, I decided I had too many things I wanted to change. I mean, I want to move out of my parents’ house, possibly (hopefully?) to somewhere out of LA. I want a new job. I want to have a regular workout routine. I want to go out more often. I want to make new friends. I want to eat better and cook at home more often. There’s a lot more but I’ll save it.

So where do I begin? Where can I make small changes that will help me grow? It sounds so damn cheesy, but it’s true. I have to make some changes because the only way to keep living is to evolve and to grow constantly.

Still, I’m torn on how I can make a small change that will make a big change in my life in 31 days. So I’m going to make several small changes. Nothing major. Just simple. Although, it will be a challenge because if it wasn’t, then I would have to change!

Here it goes:
1. Read the front page of the newspaper. I usually skip the front page and go straight to the Sports, Arts & Leisure, and whatever the special features page is (Food & Wine, Travel, Book Review, Etc.) I usually read the headlines online and watch CNN when I can, but usually avoid the front page because it’s boring and long and almost always negative. Not to say that I’m not well informed, but there is so much going on in the world and I really need to find a way to keep up. Therefore, I’m going to read the front page everyday, even if it is online.
2. Update my blog more often. The last post I wrote was 10 days ago, which for someone who enjoys writing and wants other people to read her writing, is unacceptable. I will write at least three times a week, once before Wednesday, once between Wednesday and Friday, and once on the weekend. This way, I’ll have a lot of flexibility so that I won’t have any legitimate excuses not to write.
3. Make at least one meal a day at home, not including breakfast. I tend to eat out a lot because my schedule is so wonky. This way, I’ll save some money and eat better. If I’m making it myself, I am a lot better at moderation and knowing exactly what I’m eating.
4. Stop complaining about work so much. Yeah, my stories and rants are funny, but when I’m complaining about it on a daily basis, it makes me bitter. I might not be very happy with my life right now, but being bitter, angry, and whiny isn’t helping any. I’ll just save the rants for when I have nothing better to write! Or when I just really need to vent…
5. Last one. I am going to walk around the block once a day, at the very least. I run about 3 times a week now, but sometimes I do it three days in a row, other times I’ll do it at the beginning of the week then not again until the end of the week. This way, I’ll be getting out and exercising and this way I have a set distance that I’ll be going and if I want to go longer, I totally can.

Rather than waiting for the new year, I’m going to start tomorrow. That way, if give up before 2009, I won’t be disappointed in myself for the rest of the year.