New Years Resolutions

I'm a big fan of goals, but not much for resolutions. However, I have been thinking about what I want to get out of the coming year and so it seems appropriate to write about it.

1. Spend more time with family. With my family so spread out (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, Montana), it is difficult to visit everyone as much as I'd like. But I want to make seeing family - both immediate and some others who I haven't seen as much recently - a priority.
   
   

   

   Simon and Nathan, Thanksgiving 2013 in Cleveland

2. Remember to put myself first and not feel bad about it (I stole this from my friend Kim - hee hee). This actually has played out a number of ways already recently. For instance, me deciding to go on short term disability for work - that was something I would have had a very hard time doing in the past. But I did it! With no remorse. But there will be more difficult choices ahead...especially if things don't improve a lot from where they are now.
   
   I need to learn when to say no to friends, trips, hockey games, all of it. I just don't have as much energy as I used to. I've gotten better about this but it's still not easy. And I need to keep this in the forefront of my mind and know that it is something that will pay off in the long run even though it sucks in the short term.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Continue on with Project Simplify. Project Simplify is what I am coining my massive house purging/organizing/tidying efforts that have been going on. I have gotten rid of a ton of stuff that I don't use or that I was hanging onto for the wrong reasons. I want the meaningful stuff that I save to truly have meaning, and that doesn't happen when it's mixed up with a bunch of other junk.
4. Get paperwork in order: get both of our wills and powers of attorneys taken care of; know each others wishes for after we are gone. It sucks but it has to be done.
   
   

   

   Some volunteers at Safe Haven for Cats...I see more kitty time in my future!

   
   
5. Spend more time with kitties. I don't think it's possible for me to spend any more time with my own kitties than I already do...although that's always something to strive for! I would like to look into possibly volunteering at Safe Haven for Cats one day a month. It all depends on if they have something that is a good fit (i.e. no cleaning kitty boxes but maybe something with writing or their website?)
6. Try to make good choices, but when I don't, don't beat myself up about it. I don't know any good that has ever come from beating yourself up about something you didn't do like you wanted to. Today is a new day! Treat it as such and move on.