2012 Goals

I'm not much for resolutions so I decided to look at my accomplishments of last year and set some goals based on that. So here goes. (These are in no particular order. Just splatting them out.)

1. Read more than 50 books this year. (Last year I managed to read 52 books... including several longer books that I read out loud to Alex.) Alex and I have just about finished the Peter Pan stories by J.M. Barrie. I can't tell you how special it has been to read those together! I can't get over how much Alex is understanding this Victorian children's lit story! And he's asking such great questions about the book and about my time as an English major in college. "You got graded for reading books and writing about them???!!"

2. Talk with friends more on the phone. In 2009, I made a goal to speak to all of my friends on the phone near and far at least once. In the last two days, I've had wonderful phone conversations with dear, dear friends and I hope to keep up that trend. I miss the personal connection you get from conversation.

3. Run at least 3 races. I've already registered for the Rock n Sole Run connected to Summerfest... it's a quarter-marathon this year. The race was a 10K that I managed to complete last year -- despite the poor execution of the event. They ran out of water and it was 85 degrees with a much higher heat index. I'd also like to do at least 2 5K runs, too.

4. Learn to knit. I'm really doing a great job with crocheting, if I do say so myself. I'll post some recent projects soon.

5. Learn to sew. I need to get a sewing machine... if anyone has suggestions for a decent, entry level sewing machine (e.g. one you can get at Target or Walmart) let me know!

6. More date nights! We really haven't done a good job of making time for ourselves. We do so many fun family things, that I want to make sure we're keeping those sparks going!

7. Declutter. I know this is a popular one... but I actually weeded through 9 crates of junk in our basement that was a mix of stuff amassed over more than 20 years or more. I threw out a bunch of stuff, but I've also started a pile of potential garage sale items. I need to tackle my closet and a couple more nooks and crannies in the basement, but I know I can do it!

8. Spend less. I'm a sucker for online shopping and deals. I am a hopeless impulse buyer. That's part of the reason I need to declutter. I'm definitely cutting back on my spending.

9. Blog more often. I know I will never get back to blogging every day, but I hope I can blog more than once a month.

10. Spend less time online. I know that seems to counter the previous goal, but I need to unplug more often. I'm on the computer all day for work... I need to step away from it at night.

How about you? What are your goals for the year?