On New Years Resolutions

It's that time of year. Resolution time. I hate New Years Resolutions and, as a rule, don't make them. I feel like all it amounts to is hopping on a big sad bandwagon of broken promises. We say we'll do something, we persist in whatever good habit until about January 22nd, and then we forget. Every time we think about it we feel guilty. To make matters worse, according to the flyers that come stuffed in my biweekly free newspaper, we, the little people with the high hopes for self improvement, are being taken advantage of. Ever resolved to lose weight or get organized? Ever noticed which two categories of crap-we-don't-need go on sale during the first two weeks of January?

So, in that cheerful, hopeful, positive spirit, I decided to make a few goals for the year. Not resolutions, because those never work out, and I'd be breaking my own rules. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. I'm not a huge hypocrite. I'm not.

• Double our savings. This is not an unrealistic goal, as we had none at the beginning of last year. I handle the finances in our home, and I have squirrelled away a modest but impressive sum. It's our future house down payment money. Theoretically.
• Write something that isn't a blog post or status update.
• Set a list of craft goals (soon to be appearing in the sidebar of the Everything Old blog). Follow it. Knit and sew almost exclusively from my copious stash of supplies - I'll post a picture soon, you'll see why.
• Read. Often. Try for one nonfiction to every three fiction.
  
• Improve my physical, emotional, and mental health. I've started exercising (I'm using Your Shape: Fitness Evolved. With the Kinect, physical activity is only a bit horrific.) and I'm trying to improve the quality and health benefits of my family's food. One thing needs to be said, because I believe it, and I want you to as well; I'm fat, and there isn't a damn thing wrong with that. However, my energy and fitness levels need improvement. I also want to disengage from activities and people that piss me off and cause me mental anguish
• Lay the groundwork for a crafty business of some sort.

 I'll check back in a year and see how I've done. I'm not expecting miracles, but I'm hoping for the best. 

Do you have goals for 2011? Can you believe it's 2011? I'm feeling a weird mix of "We're in the future! Where are all the flying cars?" and "I think I'm finally hitting the point where I should start to wonder if I'm getting old."

Happy new year Internet. May the next twelve months bring you joy.