New Year

It is time for resolutions. New Year Resolutions, that is. I have several that I would like to make.

1. The first and probably most common for women is I want to lose weight. I know that I can succeed with this one. I discovered a diet online last year and it was easy to follow and I lost 30 pounds in no time flat. I even kept the weight off for about a year without dieting. Or even watching what I ate. Then I started gaining weight again this past spring. I just did not care enough to go back on the diet. It was not overly important to me to worry about it with everything else that was going on. So, I resolve to start my diet with the new year and lose the extra baggage. (you know, the saddle bags, spare tires, thunder thighs and all that!)
2. I want to finally get my house unpacked and organized. I have been in my house since March of 2007. I never did get around to unpacking everything, much less organizing. I hereby resolve to finish unpacking and getting organized, along with purging what I no longer need or use. I will create to do lists for each room of my house and check off things as I complete them to help give myself a sense of accomplishment. That way I can also create a list specific to each room so I can feel like I am in control and aware of what needs done and what I simply want done. But I will feel accomplished each time I can check something off, and that in itself creates motivation.
3. I will continue to hound. I will use hounding to save money. I do not think that I will find it hard to keep this resolution at all!! Hounding is fun and addictive!
4. I will save money this year for retirement. I started an IRA a year or so ago and since the initial deposit, I have not added anything. I do have a retirement plan at work through my paycheck, so I have not been neglecting my future, just not saving as much as I would like.
5. I will save money this year for an emergency fund. I have never had one of these. This is a good year to start. I may not be able to save the recommended 3-6 months any time soon, but it will be a start.
6. I will pay off at least one credit card. I have a loan and 6 credit cards with maxed balances. I used them a lot for atty and court related costs, and for my travels thinking they would get paid off as soon as I got my son back. Of course he is not home yet, so now I still have the expense of travelling, the expense of the new legal battle that we are going to have in my efforts to bring my son home, and all the credit cards and loan pmts. I think I will have to find another job....Actually I know I will, I just have not had any luck finding someone to hire me with the understanding that my visits with my son will come before any job. There just is not a plethura of flexible jobs out there. Not to mention I live in an economically depressed area.
7. I will join my library. I will read all different kinds of books (no hardship, I already do), and I will also check out books to read to and with my son. Also no hardship as he likes to read and be read to as well.
8. I will add one more resolution. I unfortunately have absolutely no control over this one. I am not in charge of it, nor do I decide it. I will bring my son home. I have hired a new attorney and we have a new strategy. This resolution will however be up to the skill of my attorney and the scruples of the judge to actually follow the law this time.

I am interested to see if I keep my resolutions. I know that most resolutions are dropped almost before the ink on the page dries. I resolve to be different this year.