Personal Goals for 2010

OK...so, it's time to start thinking about personal goals for the new year.  Let's see...has this EVER worked out for me before?  I'll go ahead and answer that...nope.  Not once.  I've never actually accomplished the things I've set out to do at the beginning of a year.  HOWEVER, (and we all knew that was coming or I wouldn't be writing this entry) this past year -- 2009 -- was a very different year for me.  I didn't set out at the beginning of the year striving for change, but change is what I got.  In the past 6 months (after discovering couponing), I really have changed.  I've become one of those people that I've read about who say that blah, blah, blah...I've realized that the most important things in life can't be bought...blah, blah, blah...my kids are learning the value of a dollar...blah, blah, blah and a yada, yada, ya... I won't bore you the details...just know that I really have made a change in my life and it's been a blessing.

Now, on to the personal goals for 2010:

1) At the beginning of each month I will set a challenge for myself which will make a positive change in my life. 

That's it...just one.  Can't go wrong with that, can I?  (Actually I can, but we won't go there right now.)

They say it takes 30 days to develop a habit, so engaging in a challenge once a month should provide me with 12 positive changes throughout the year, right?  We'll see.  Here's a non-complete list of some of the challenges I'd like to set for the year, although I won't make a decision until near the beginning of each month.

Eat from the pantry / freezer only

Read an entire book from my book collection...no purchasing or borrowing a book to read

Engage in 30 minutes of physical activity everyday (walking up the stairs at work DOES NOT count)

Beautify my yard using non-purchased manual labor only

De-clutter and create positive organizational spaces (get back to FLYing with the FLY Lady)

Finish my group exercise instructor certification

Learn to use a budget
Teach my kids things they will use for the rest of their lives

So, there's the beginning of my list.  As I've already posted, the January challenge is Eat From the Pantry.  Wish my luck!