A Fresh Start!

It is the first Monday of the new year...2010...of a new decade! I am so excited, I could harldy sleep last night! Time for a fresh start! I spent the past couple of weeks thinking about my accomplishments (and failures) of 2009 and my hopes for 2010. It occured to me that all of my disappointments of 2009 and all of my resolutions for 2010 boil down to one thing; self-discipline...or lack thereof. Diet, exercise, budgeting, less television, no gossiping, more time playing with the boys and reading to them, building a stronger relationship with my husband, giving more to charity of both time and money, spending more time in prayer and Bible study...it all boils down to self discipline. Self-discipline means not giving in to laziness and the immediate, yet false and fleeting, feelings of satisfaction, but rather working towards delayed gratitude. Work. Self-displine requires work. But nothing feels better than accomplishing a goal! And that is what New Year's Resolutions are all about; self-evaluation and setting goals. Somebody once told me that the difference between a dream and a goal is a time-line.

To start my journey of improved self-displine I am starting mostly on my diet. For me, it is probably the hardest area. I love food...and wine. If anything, the holidays have reinforced to me that when I eat badly and drink too much I feel bad. My clothes don't fit and I don't have energy. Laziness sets in. Then more bad food and the cycle continues. I find when I am disciplined in my eating then everything else falls into place.

So here it is, for the next 12 weeks:
*Log food daily. Everything I eat.
*1500 - 1600 calories on exercise days
*1200-1300 calories on non-exercise days
* 30% protein, 50% carbs, 20% fat (good fat)
*NO alcohol during the week (except the occasional girl's night)
*Wine is allowed on the weekends as long as it fits into my calorie count above.
* 2 free meals per week

Exercise: 5-6 days per week

And here are my other personal goals in self-discipline for the month of January:
1. No gossiping!
2. Start and end each day in prayer
3. Read at least three books to Luke before nap and bedtime
4. 20 minutes each day reading or studying with Jay
5. No more than 1 hour of television during the weekdays
6. No more than 2 hours of television during the weekend days (except Superbowl Sunday)
7. Purchase only "needs" no "wants."
8. Find a local charity I can start giving myself too. Not just my money but also my time.

Re-Evaluate my goals the beginning of each month and write down my accomplishments from the previous month.

So, here it is, in black and white all areas I personally feel I need improvement. I love feeling starting fresh and feeling hopeful for change! Here's to 2010. Now it is time for me to turn off this computer and go be with my kids who just woke up.

Happy New Year!