Resolutions for 2013

So I decided a while ago that my list of resolutions would going into effect after the Twelve Days of Christmas were over, mostly because I wanted to eat the rest of the Christmas cookies and my mom's special stollen (a Christmas bread) at my leisure, but also because it usually takes me a lot of thought to make my list.  Epiphany was this past weekend, so it's really time to get down to business.  Last year I tried to put my resolutions in order of importance.  I'm not really doing that this year, but the first few are definitely more important to me. 

1. Hardest effort ever at a couple months of speed training, then hardest effort ever training for an early fall marathon. The idea is that this work will lead me to a marathon PR by 11 minutes and 30 seconds in Berlin in late September. 

2. Cook at least 52 real dinners from recipes.  Crockpot is fine.  Hopefully with enough leftovers to cover at least another dinner as well.  There are too many nights we rely on the microwave for things like heat-and-eat Indian food, store-made heat-and-eat things, veggie burgers, just throwing things together, etc.  I want 52 meals from recipes. 

3.  Quit Facebook.  Not actual facebook suicide, I'm leaving the profile up, and I may log in on weekends to check for messages and/or invitations, and I'll probably check if I'm tagged in a photo by someone else just to make sure it's not horrifying, but no more daily reading what's going on with friends.  Especially after the elections of 2012, I felt like facebook was making me almost hate some people I thought I liked.  But it's also a waste of time and I don't enjoy it as much anymore.

4.  New to me country (a repeat resolution, since I'm not sure I really achieved this in 2012).  If all goes as I hope, the new country will be Lichtenstein, and that will be on about October 4.  I've heard there's not much to do or see unless you want to do some banking, but it will be fun to check it out.  If I don't go to Lichtenstein, it seems unlikely I'd go anyplace really new to me in 2013, so I really should push to make that happen.  And without having read anything about Lichtenstein, I'm curious about it -- what's the landscape like, what do they use for currency, does it seem more German or more Swiss, etc. 

5.  Study Italian at least once a week and attend an Italian conversation class regularly.  Then hopefully:  don't sound like an idiot when hanging with my husband's family in October.  This may mean putting vocabulary flashcards in ziplock bags in the shower again -- something I did many, many years ago, and those words stuck! 

6.  Weight management.  I usually weigh myself most mornings.  I faithfully write down that number every year on Jan. 1 and on my late summer bday, I've done this for more years than I can count.  Since Jan. 2010, I've been also noting the number on the first day of each month.  For the last three years, every single noted number (about 10-11 numbers per year) has been within a 10 pound range.  When I look at my strongest 10-12 months of running, the number each month was always in the bottom half of that range, usually right at the bottom.  Right now I'm sitting just over the halfway point of the 10 pound range.  I want to get to the bottom half, ideally the bottom, and stay there. 

7.  Entertain at home at least 6 times, at least 3 times included people who haven't ever come over for dinner before.  A repeat resolution from the last couple years, but one of my favorites.  It's easy not to do this, but when I focus on making it a priority, I have the best time and I feel like we make wonderful memories and deepen friendships.  It will also count toward my 52 meals! 

8.  Finish our wedding scrapbook.  Repeat resolution from 2012, the year that saw the book's progress go from about 33% to about 66%.  2013, which will mark 4 years of marriage, will be the year it goes to 100%. 

9.  Less procrastination at work.  The three big areas where I drag my feet are voicemails, reports, and reviewing records.  I need to check voicemail at least once a week (we have a log, so I can see who is calling, so I answer the calls I want, and let the "ugh" ones go to voicemail, then I suck at checking messages).  I need to do initial case reports within 3 weeks of it hitting my desk (for most my cases, it's actually easier to do it sooner, rather than later, because the later I wait, the more information I have that I need to include).  I need to review records within 60 days of receipt (I sometimes let "not urgent" stacks sit for way too many months). 

10.  Update our stairwell photos through the end of 2012.  The stairs between our first and second floors have dozens of framed pictures.  One wall is how this started -- matching frames of photos of me and my law school roommate.  Then in 2005, the opposite wall started -- matching frames of photos of me and my husband.  The frames are still available, but the last pictures I hung were from about 2010.  My husband really wants me to finish the wall of us together, then start replacing the ones with Toni to be photos of him and me together, instead of me and her.  This means choosing the photo, getting it printed, putting it in a frame, and getting it hung.  I could probably do 2 years worth in about 2 weekends, I need to just do it. 

11.  Sunday organizing time.  My husband almost always works on Sundays, and I'm used to it, and I enjoy having the day to do my long run, go out for breakfast with running buddies if I want, come home, and have the day to myself.  I can run errands, I can organize, I can cook, I can stretch or do yoga, I can work, I can make plans with friends, I can spend the day on the couch with lifetime or a law & order marathon.  That won't change, but I need to set aside at least one hour every Sunday before 6:00 p.m. to prepare for the coming week -- that means making my lunches in advance (with the current running commute plan, I have to bring Mon-Thurs lunches on Monday), planning my outfits (including shoes and jewelry), packing my outfits (including laundry bags), and pulling together any "other" stuff to bring to the office on Monday (usually bills that need to be paid, greeting cards that need to be mailed, etc.).  Lately I've been deferring way too much of that until Monday morning, and it makes for a very late arrival at the office.  No more. 

12.  Regular non-drive commute to work.  I'm nervous about this one, but technically, I'm leaving it open to biking or walking, though both of those strike me as VERY unlikely.  Right now, running to and from work three days a week is awesome.  Then one day of driving, one day of working from home.  But as my mileage with my friends climbs, this might be tough.  And if I got hurt, same thing.  But it's worth a shot.  As Bella quoted, "the odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it."