Bring It On 2009!

It's now time to put my new years resolution down in writing so that I can commit. I rarely stick to them so I'm not sure why I even try but I think it's a good thing to try and do. Last year one of my resolutions was to read more and to meet new people. I actually accomplished that and stuck to it all year long. I read 26 books and was able to accomplish both resolutions by joining a book club. Considering that the year before I may have read only 2 books this was a huge success. While I am very goal-oriented and I love to "compete" with myself (yes I'm very competitive I know) I actually got so much out of setting these goals than I ever imagined.

So what am I going to strive to accomplish this year? Well I decided that there are many things that I want to work towards and so I decided to pick one word that would encompass all of my goals. My word for this year is BALANCE. This word ties into my goals both personally and professionally. Below are just a few of the things that I want to strive for in 2009.

1) Keep my work at work, and let it all go when I get home. Be present where I am. This will probably be my biggest challenge which is why I've listed it first.
2) Make time to cook more at home. I HATE grocery shopping so if I can get Dave to shop, I would be happy to cook. To go along with this I want to eat healthier and bring exercise back into my life. Yes I know, the almighty goal of losing weight and KEEPING it off, which is the hardest part. Please note that I am titling this goal differently than just "lose weight" because it's not about that. I have been on a 17 day vacation from work and I have been sick twice during this time off. What is going on???? Am I allergic to rest and relaxation? I haven't been sick all year.
3) Go somewhere different with my hubby once a month. After being together for 10 years you can get a little complacent and we want to explore the city that is so close by more often. This would always us to spend "quality" time together outside of the normal day to day.
4) Submit scrapbooking layouts and cards to magazines for publishing. I know this is a huge stretch but I'll never get published if I don't try! If anything it will force me to continue to create and stay on top of all of my scrapbooking. To go along with this goal, send more handmade cards to family and friends. I'm off to a good start with this goal since I made 6 cards last night while sitting at home on New Year's Eve while coughing and blowing my nose.
5) Take a photography class. I really want to get better at taking pictures and would like to take a class online or through a local school. Not sure what will work with my crazy work schedule.

I'd love to hear from you what your "word" for 2009 will be. When I asked David he said "Happiness" but I really want him to find a more specific word because I think this is a bit generic but what do I know?

Cheers to a Fantastic 2009!!!