Writing about my goals has always been a part of this journal, which in a way is unfortunate because it’s very easy for me to search the archives and see how little I’ve accomplished. I’ve done stuff, sure, but there’s plenty I didn’t do or did and then let slide so it didn’t stay done. Maintenance is a bitch, and not the good kind. It’s tempting to not make any new goals so I can avoid failing to achieve them and thus avoid being bummed about that, but I remember how good it feels when I do succeed and want to feel that way again. So, new goals. Yes, I’m hopping on the New Year’s Resolution bandwagon. If this doesn’t work, I’ll get off and hop on the Valentine’s Day Resolution bandwagon next month. And then the Birthday Resolution bandwagon in March, if need be.

Thanks to Holidailies, I saw Kimberly’s take on hopes for the new year. That inspired me to simplify my goals to these two:

1. Weigh less and move more.

2. Keep less and organize more.

In the past I’ve set targets for things I’ll do anyway, both the fun (reading, seeing live performances, quilting, knitting) and the not quite as fun (working). I might not accomplish as much in those areas if I don’t have specific goals for them, but that’s okay. If get to the end of this year and find I’m sad about not getting more quilts made or socks knitted or paranormal romances read, I can make my resolutions for 2009 accordingly. But this year I’m focusing on my body and my possessions, getting both of them in better shape.

But how much better? What will I be happy with? On the body front, I’d be ecstatic if I could lose my age in pounds this year and do four 5K races, running at least one in its entirety. But I’m old enough where that’s almost a pound a week for the entire year, and I don’t know if my iliotibial band will cooperate even if I do the right exercises, so those specifics may not be very realistic. Since I lost no weight this last year (not that stayed lost, that is), any number of pounds down will be an improvement. For right now, I’m taking the first baby step of writing down everything I eat, even when that’s a handful of caramel popcorn from the break room at work. As for exercise, if serious running does not prove physically possible, there are plenty of other things I can do. Ideally, I’ll get in a good mix of aerobics and strength training and stretching. I haven’t figured out the baby steps there yet, but I will.

On the possessions front, there are so many opportunities for improvement it’s hard to narrow it down. I’d be delighted if there were no boxes where there shouldn’t be boxes (such as on the floor of my closet in the bedroom and stacked in the basement next to the shelves). I’d be thrilled if the cabinet under my bathroom sink weren’t a jumble of containers. I’d be overjoyed if I didn’t have to be very careful closing dresser drawers because they’re packed to the limit. I’ll just have to pick something, anything to start with and go from there. Stay tuned.

One year ago today, there was no entry here.

Two years ago, I made a quilt to do list. Since I still plan to maintain one, I guess I really am making goals for my quilting this year even though I said up there I wasn’t. And my Ravelry queue sort of fills the same function for my knitting. But I do not have a reading goal, promise.

Three years ago, I had a new alarm clock. I still have it, and we did figure out how to turn the beeping off.

Four years ago, no entry.

Five years ago, I wrote about my God jar. I haven’t kept up with that practice or pretty much any of the other habits I picked up from The Artist’s Way.