Making a Comeback!

Resolutions.  I don’t like them.  Actually it’s not the resolutions I have a problem with, it’s the word resolution.  I don’t know what to make of it.  I can read a definition of the word and understand exactly what it means, but my brain wants to break it down.  I see the word solve which means that there is a problem.  I also see the prefix re which means again or backward.  So either I’m solving a problem again or I’m solving the problem by going backwards.  This doesn’t seem productive at all!   I know I’m not looking at the word correctly, but even so I can’t get past my made up definition.  So instead of resolutions I am making a few lifestyle changes.

1.  My health.  I have completely been lazy about taking care of myself lately.  I did a fairly decent job this summer and into the beginning of the school year, but lately I haven’t even really thought about it.  My health goal will incorporate losing some weight, taking the dog on daily walks as exercise for us both, drinking more water, and possibly cutting back on Diet Coke.  I’m not planning for that last part, but if I drink more water, maybe I’ll naturally drink less Diet Coke.  Here’s hoping!

2.  My finances.  I was once nicknamed the Budget Nazi because I used to plan down to the penny where the money was going.  I loved seeing things being paid off and savings accounts growing.  The past two months have been a bit of a stretch for me financially.  I paid the bills and then had to dip into the savings account for a few things.  I know that some of that money is considered my emergency fund, but I definitely used it for nonemergency purchases as well.  I am a huge Dave Ramsey fan when it comes to ideas about money, and I agree with his theory that if you don’t tell money where to go, you won’t know where it went.  And the past 2 plus months, I haven’t budgeted at all!  I paid the bills and then haphazardly spent.  Starting with my first January paycheck the Budget Nazi will be making a comeback!  I look forward to being that strict about my finances again!  It is honestly more freeing to know that you don’t have the money to buy extra goodies than to have the internal debate with yourself over whether you should buy something or not.

3.  My creative side.  Over the past few years, I have seen my creative side wax and wane more than normal.  I went from writing daily on one blog or another to barely taking the time to write at all.  I also have pinned several fairly simple projects to pinterest and then promptly forgotten about them.  I want to create again.  I plan to tackle a project a month.  I also plan for all of them to be fairly easy.

Ok…now that I look back on my goals for the new year, I see myself using the words again, once, comeback, and lately and I’m realizing that maybe resolution is the perfect word for what I plan to do!