I don't necessarily have New Year's resolutions, but I do have a few things that I would like to see/make happen in 2013.
I want to be in better health. As a nursing student, I have seen that many nurses that work in hospitals don't practice what they preach. I want to be a healthy person that is a role model for my patients. I also want to be a role model for my family, if we decide to have kids in the future, and for my family right now, as both of my parents are trying to get healthier and avoid chronic disease. I want to do this by mainly focusing on eating, while also continuing to exercise. I am a consistent exerciser, but I often eat poorly, especially while I'm in school. So I want to eat more whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and less fast food. I feel better when I eat healthier, and I think eating better is a way to manage my stress in the upcoming school semester.
I want to take up yoga. Partly because it helps my running by making me more flexible, making my supportive muscles stronger, and decreasing pain in my knees. But also because it can help with my back pain, which has been horrible ever since fall semester finals. I also want to do more yoga because it can help me to decrease my stress levels.
I want to run a marathon (again). And I want to run it faster, and I plan to run it solo. A 10-11 minute mile translates to a <5 hour marathon time. And that's what I'm shooting for. I'd like to run around a 4:30-4:45. I want to be more consistent with my training, and more dedicated during my long runs. I also want to start running in the mornings to avoid the Colorado summer sun (I will do most of my training in the summer, because the marathon is in October), and I MUST wear sunscreen. I'd also like to log all of my miles, and see how many I run in a year. I'd like to run 1000+, and I think that's possible with training for a marathon.
I want to get A's in my classes. I have 2 classes next semester, one is Med/Surg which is worth 10 credits, and the other is Nursing Leadership which is worth 3 credits. I guess I am also taking Pilates but I'll probably drop that. I want to be ahead in my school work. There are 7 chapters we are supposed to read before the first day of school and I want to have them read and study guides made before school starts. I want to be dedicated so that I can do well in clinicals. The more I know, the calmer I am and the better the care I can give. I also need to focus on managing my stress, and I think regularly reading my Bible and praying often, along with exercise and good eating habits will help with this.
I want to focus on saving money. We hope to buy a house within the next 3 years and we are trying to save up for a downpayment. We're also saving so that we can have some money to do some small-ish renovations on the house right when we move in. The money that I make at my part-time tutoring job is the money we call "fun money" that we split and can spend on whatever we want. And this next semester I am only going to be working 5 hours a week at the most, so there won't be much fun money for us. I think I often focus too much on shopping and buying things for the house or for our dog, and I just want to cut back on spending money overall.
I want to make our home a peaceful and restful place. I think Husband and I need to work on keeping the apartment clean, and cleaning up as we go. I also want to de-clutter and clean out my closet. I'd like it if all of the food in our kitchen actually fit into the food cupboard. I also want to reorganize my living room and dining room area to make it more functional and to make more room for a recliner.
I want to be a better wife. This is a constant goal of mine, and I really want to focus on it as I move into an incredibly busy semester. I need to focus on making time for dates. I want to focus on finding ways to serve him and to care for him. I want to be kinder and more giving with him. I also want to read a marriage book or two (does anyone have recommendations?) so that I can find other ways of improving our marriage. I just want to make his life better for me being there.
I want to reconnect with God. These past few years have been distant with only short bouts of attending church and regularly reading my Bible. My prayer life has significantly decreased. And all of this has left me feeling disconnected from God and to a certain extent, from my life. My days feel purposeless. I feel like a liar and a fake. I just feel guilty. But I know where to turn when I feel guilty. I want to show Jesus' love to my husband, my family, and my friends. I want to be a light again.
I'll watch the glint in my eye
Shine off the spring in my step
And it could be blinding depending on the amount of you that I reflect - (RK)
