Resolve

This time of year feels so full of possibilities. I usually don't make New Years resolutions but I feel like a new chapter has opened in our lives. Our family is completed in that there will be no new children coming along. Honey is considering new career paths. Brother is getting evaluated to help him do better in school. I personally want to start living up to my own ideals a bit more. Like being more environmentally conscious. Being a better parent. Taking steps for my whole family to be more healthy so we can have longer, happier lives.

I wanted some concrete resolutions. I work better with firm actions that support a concept. For instance:

Resolution #1: I want to grow a garden of edibles this year. - This will get me out of the house and be more active. This will provide healthy, organic produce for my family. This will cause us to buy less produce at the store that may have been shipped from who-knows-where and will therefore be better for the environment. I recently read a pretty good website lately that was encouraging. I always feel like it is an insurmountable task, given our poor soil and flooded yard. But the site was saying: Start where you are. Here are ways to accomplish your goals without spending a bunch of money. If you can't go 2 feet, just go one foot. Bloom where you're planted, as it were.

Resolution #2: I want to choose more whole foods to put into my grocery cart and body and family. More fruit. More vegetables. More whole grains. Less McDonald's french fries. Amen.

Resolution #3: I am going to buy a pair of Saucony Original Jazz shoes. This is because A) I love these shoes and B) I want to start C25K. I can relegate my current shoes to gardening work.

Resolution #: I am going to abide by the golden rule more when it comes to my children. Do I want them to be more kind with their demands? Then I should be more kind with mine. Do I want to punish them for shouting at me? Well, perhaps I should set a better example by not shouting at them. Seems elementary, but still so hard sometimes.

I think I can do these things and am really inspired by what you guys are going to do in 2011. I love Devan's idea of a word of the year (I think mine would be Protect.) And I think I will print out the concrete actions, like Swistle recommended, so I can remember what I have resolved to do. Happy New Year all!