New Year's Resolutions

Like most everyone in America, I came up with a list of New Year's resolutions.

1. Stop biting my nails. I do this when I'm stressed, and December was a particularly stressful month for me, which meant my nails were down to the nubs. Even though January has started out on a stressful note (my mom had a stroke), I am pleased to report the nails are starting to grow out and actually don't look half bad.

2. Stop leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight. So far so good with this one and it is so nice to come downstairs to a clean kitchen in the morning.

3. Limit alcohol intake to weekends only. I found myself drinking a little too much vino during the week (one glass often led to two). While this isn't a huge deal, when you are trying to lose that last 10 lbs (and who isn't?), I figured reducing my alcohol intake during the week might help me win this battle.

4. Eat vegan at least one day per week. Health and environmental benefits with this one and really not that hard.

5. Track my eating. Harkening back to my Weight Watchers days, I do find I am much better about my eating if I actually write it down. And while I don't plan to really count points a la WW, the log helps me identify deficiencies in my diet (did I really not eat an entire fruit or vegetable today??).

6. Exercise 4 times per week. Started out with the best of intentions with this one, but when my mom went into the hospital after her stroke, it kind of flew by the wayside. Now that she is home and recovering, I will get back on track with this resolution pronto.

This was my initial list I jotted down in December, but as the year has gotten underway, I've added a few more goals for the coming year:

Goal 1: Complete a marathon or triathlon
I turn 35 this June, so I'm feeling the need to challenge myself physically. Not sure what that will be yet, but am kicking around the idea of participating in the Batavia Triathlon in June (on my birthday no less) or running the Chicago Marathon in October.

Goal 2: Live a cleaner life
In a nutshell, I'm removing toxins where I can (cleaning supplies, personal care products, etc.) and buying organic as well as cleaning up my eating. More to come on this...

I'm confident 2010 is going to be a great year!