Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Old Lang Sine, Revisited

I get this way this time of every year. I want a change, I want to resolve to do something outrageous, I want to revolutionize my life! I want to lose 100 pounds and write the Great American Novel and get rid of every speck of clutter in my house. And I have a whole YEAR ahead of me. I can do it!

This year I'm really trying for some more down-to-Earth resolutions that will have a more lasting and realistic impact on my life.

1. I want to read all of the books that Sharon at Casaubon's Book has listed in her last couple of posts.

2. I want to figure out how to be a really good teacher. It may not be my life's work, but I can't shake the idea that it might be after all. In one form or another.

3. I want to make some basic preparations this year, because I have this undercurrent of worry that 2008 is going to be the year when we can no longer pretend that everything is going to be okay.

4. I want to take better care of myself and my family. I'm talking about our health. My father-in-law has had a heart attack (when he was only in his 50s) and he has just found out that he's diabetic. My family has a strong history of cancer. My kids deserve a foundation of health.

5. I want to write the book that's been in my head for nearly two years. I need to stop being afraid of it. I'm actually not afraid of it. I'm afraid that I'll get it written and no one will care.

I'm starting with a list of three things I want to do every day in 2008 and three things I don't want to do at all in 2008.

To Do:

Exercise everyday
Write everyday
Get eight hours of sleep every night

Not To Do:

Eat red meat
Drink soda
Yell

If I can just do (or don't do) those six things, what sort of an impact will it have on my life? Will I be healthier? Will I finish my novel? Will my family be happier? God, I hope so.

3 comments:

Honi said...

Hi Shaunta stumbled upon your blog... linking it to my sidebar so I can visit often... I taught preschool and worked with kids from 18months to 18 years old... for 15 years... If this is something u want to do.. be it subbing or teaching... do not .. I repeat DO NOT.. even think they (kids) can win.. they like to test you .. and see what they can get away with.. but if you lay down the law at the beginning of your teaching time.. then they know that you mean business.. Before you take class.. I would see if you could talk to the actual teacher.. find out what she does.. find out what she says. To me a REAl teacher has a plan of action.. and knows her kids.. Someone just looking for paycheck just babysits.. So don't let the kids think they have you beat... Also great goals..

Shylah said...

I cut out red meat from my diet almost entirely last year when I discovered turkey. I know - me, of all people, right? I hate turkey. I've found, though, that I like it as long as it doesn't taste like turkey. I don't eat beef or pork hardly at all anymore, thanks to the turkey substitutes I've found (ground turkey, turkey cutlets, turkey sausage/italian sausage/polish sausage.. the list goes on.) You'd be amazed at some of the stuff - I even managed to serve the cutlets to a friend's seriously carnivore husband and he didn't know they weren't pork chops. Score!

I am resolving not to yell this year, too. But I'm not resolving to lose weight. I'm already on that track. I'm down 45 lbs. I joined the gym (and Sparkpeople once I saw it on your blog, but I don't think you've been there since I joined) and have been working out regularly. I'm doing well and I don't think I need the resolution to keep me going there. We'll see how it goes in the new year.

Shaunta said...

I haven't been back to Sparkpeople. Isn't that awful? What's your name there and I'll get back on. It's a great FREE site. I haven't been exercising. The nearest gym is 15 miles away and it's FREAKING COLD here. Which are excuses, but still. It's five degrees, I can't walk. I can't even breathe.

I read a book a while ago whose name I can't remember. The point of it was to decide if you are a ruler, cone, spoon or hourglass and then workout for that body type. I'm a ruler...nearly identical measurements for bust, hips and waist. The workouts are straightforward and HARD. For rulers it's a ton of situps and ab exercises to tone the waist. I just ordered the video that goes with it, and me and Adrienne are going to be aerobics queens this winter.

P.S. I'm so proud of you!