At the beginning of every new year, I like to reflect back on last year’s resolutions and see how successful I was at meeting my goals…

2011 Resolutions

1. Take a Photography Class. Met!… In 2011 I took three photography classes and then started a photography business with my sister Kiley that continues to grow! It was definitely one of the highlights of 2011 for me.

2. Waste less food. Met!… Meal planning and getting creative with leftovers definitely helped us to waste less food and save money on food costs.

3. Continue to save. Met!… Cory and I exceeded our savings goal and was able to purchase our new house!!! Perhaps the biggest highlight of 2011?!

4. Stay active with variable/fun exercise at least 3 times a week. Kinda met… I had good weeks and I had bad weeks in regards to my commitment to exercising. Working full-time at the hospital and starting a new business left me with little free time… and quality time with the husband or dinner with friends a lot of times won over yoga class.

5. Savor each moment- Umm… always a work in progress! Balancing everything in 2011 was a constant struggle for me. Sometimes the perfectionist side of me causes more harm than good and I end up stressing about things that are beyond my control. Cory can probably write a book about “How to Calm Down Your Stressed Out Wife!”

As for 2012…

2012 Resolutions

1. Finish decorating the house… The selection of décor in our house has been a slow and very thoughtful process. I want to LOVE everything in our house. Every rug, piece of furniture, vase, etc was selected after discussion and careful consideration (and some inspiration from Pinterest). Why spend money on things you don’t love?! Luckily, Cory enjoys helping me choose things for the house and we have similar taste in style so that helps! My goal is to finish decorating the interior of the house by the end of this year. We have big plans for the backyard space (think outdoor entertaining area, herb/veggie garden!) but that may take a couple years…

2. Exercise at least 3 times per week and stay physically active during the day. Although exercise may not be my number one priority (family and work usually comes first), it is still a really important tool to help me manage stress and stay healthy! I hope to consistently (on more weeks than not) exercise at least 30 minutes 3 times per week. Additionally, I plan to stay active during the day by taking the stairs at work, walking down to a coworker’s office to tell them something in person rather than emailing or calling them (when time permits!), etc.

3. Savor each moment (again!)… I’m a busy person because I pursue many interests and am very fortunate to live a very fulfilling life. The double-edged sword is when I try to do to fit in 35 hours of activity in a 24 hour day. This year I hope to recognize my limits and for goodness sake stop getting so stressed out! Daily reminders of how thankful I am for everyone and everything in my life may help. A trip to the Caribbean would also help!

Anyone have any advice or ideas on how to minimize unnecessary stress and truly appreciate the little (and big) things in life?

What are some of your new year resolutions? How are things going so far?

Thanks for stopping by! Till next time…

Kasey

I met about half of my goals for 2010…

1.  Practice yoga at least 3 times a week-  Kinda met… Some weeks I achieved my goal with yoga, other weeks I exercised at least 3 times a week just not exclusively with yoga.

2. Learn Spanish-  Fail!  Looking back, this goal was a bit ambitious considering half the year all my free time was devoted to wedding planning.  

3. Increase savings by 25%.  Definitely Met!!!  We have paid off all our wedding and honeymoon expenses and are well on our way to saving for a new house down-payment.

As far the new year’s resolutions, I plan to…

1.  Take a Photography Class.  I plan on registering next week for a photography class that begins this month!  I always had an interest in photography.  Growing up, one entire wall of my bedroom (floor to ceiling) was filled with pictures.  Thanks to blogging, my interest in photography keeps growing!

2.  Waste less food.  Nothing irritates me more than throwing out spoiled food/produce.  Over the last couple of months, I’ve been really good about planning out our meals for the week and sticking to a grocery list.  I plan on continuing to plan out meals and following a grocery list to waste less food and save more money!

3.  Continue to save.   Cory and I have created a budget for 2011 with the goal of saving over 18% of our income each month.  Hopefully, we will be able to buy  new house this year!

4.  Stay active with variable/fun exercise at least 3 times a week.  I’m the kind of person that wants to enjoy exercise.   Sometimes, I’m in the mood for yoga ad other times I want to dance!  My goal is to be active at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes with any form of exercise- walking, hiking, swimming, dancing, yoga, biking, etc.

5.  Savor each moment-  This year, I hope to live life to the fullest everyday.  Sometimes, I get so consumed by crossing things off my “To Do List” that I forget to enjoy the true pleasures in life such as savoring a cup of tea or spending uninterrupted, quality time with my husband, family, and friends.  Balance is the key! 

What are your goals/resolutions for 2011?

Happy New Years and thanks for reading!!!

Kasey

Will you succeed at meeting your goals 100% of the time? Absolutely not! We gain skills by trial and error and learn through our mistakes.  The key is to staying focused and getting back on the right track!

Will the change be easy? You would have already changed if it were easy.  Change comes with self reflection, preparation, visualization, patience, repetition, persistence, and time. Setbacks are normal and part of the process of change; the key is being adaptable and bouncing back.  Have faith in yourself that you can do it!

“Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t either way you are right.” Henry Ford

A good friend of mine emailed me the other day and asked if I had any words of wisdom or tips for staying motivated.  If I could bottle up motivation and sell it I would but motivation is going to be different for everyone.  I think with serious self reflection you can identify your motivation.  I gave my friend examples of other people’s motivation… such as my sister (who recently lost a significant amount of weight) is motivated to lead a healthier lifestyle for her two boys; she wants to be a healthy example for her family.  I also told my friend that “you control your willpower, not the other way around”.

Have you found your motivation?  What motivates you?

How are you doing with your New Year’s goal one week in?

Kasey

Here are some of my other grocery highlights…

- A Fresh Pineapple:  Juicy, tropical deliciousness!  Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of dietary fiber.  I definitely prefer fresh pineapple over canned any day!  Of course, you can eat pineapple as is but there are many other ways you can enjoy pineapple such as in salads, added in a stir-fry, grilled, or mixed with cottage cheese or yogurt.

- Bag of Clementines:  This citrus fruit is a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber.  For more information, check out Corrinne’s post on this fab fruit!  I usually throw one or two in my purse to have as a on-the-go snack.

- Green Monster Ingredients:  I’m still loving my green smoothies.  I have been fulfilling my green monster cravings almost daily so a big bag of spinach and bunch of bananas were definitely called for!  Spinach is a great source of beta-carotene and also provides fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, iron, and potassium.  Bananas provide potassium, vitamin C, folate, and fiber. 

- Kashi’s Pumpkin Pie Bars:  These are pretty tasty with some great nutritionals- check out the fiber!

 - SIGG Bottle Brush:  For weeks, I have been on the hunt for a long, narrow brush that can clean my SIGG.  Finally, I found a perfect fit!

Do you ever get excited about purchasing cleaning products?  I get excited over anything that will make my life easier.

New Orleans is having a consistently cold winter which is pretty unusual.  It’s not crazy for us to reach 80 degrees on a random day in January.  The weather forecast projects lows in the 20s this week!!!  I wonder if we might see some snow again this year… we had some last year; I was working all day at the hospital while everyone else was leaving school/work early to play in the snow.

Hope everyone is starting off the first week of 2010 on the right foot!  I have some yoga on my agenda this afternoon after I stop at the library to check out a “how to learn Spanish” book.

Have you made any progress on your 2010 goals?

Kasey

Have you set any New Year’s resolutions?  According to www.usa.gov, some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions include losing weight/exercising more, managing debt/saving money, quitting smoking, and reducing stress.  Several experts think new year’s “resolutions” may be a bad idea… especially if you set an unrealistic goal or you fail to plan out how to reach your goal. 

For example, deciding you want to exercise more is a start… but how do you plan on achieving that goal?  When will you exercise… mornings, afternoons?  What type of exercising… walking, jogging, weight training, yoga?  How often… everyday, every other day, two days a week?  How long will you exercise… 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 1 hour?  If you are currently not exercising at all, it is unrealistic to think you will work out every single day starting January 1st.  If you set the bar too high, you are setting yourself up for failure.  Instead, start with working out 2-3 times per week and build up from there.      

Of course, there will be setbacks along the way.  Don’t sweat it and get back on track; persistence is the key.

With 2010 less than 24 hours away, here are my personal goals for the upcoming year:

1.  Practice yoga at least 3 times a week-  Over the last couple of months, I have increased my yoga to 1-2 times per week.  I feel so much better and de-stressed after a yoga session.

2. Learn Spanish-  On May 29, 2010 I will become Mrs. Lopez.  With a last name like Lopez, people may be disappointed to find out I do not speak Spanish.  Plus, I want to be able to talk to Cory’s grandmother (who only speaks Spanish).  My plan is to start at the library and check out a book that teaches the language.  Once I pick up some basics, I plan to invest in some type of DVD/CD… maybe Rosseta Stone?

3. Save more money.  Cory and I have already drastically cut down our dining away from home this year. A year ago, we would eat out 2-3 times per week; now, we eat out maybe 2-3 times each month.  Also, this year we started an online high interest savings account.  Starting in January, I plan to increase my automatic savings deposits by 25%.

 What are your “resolutions” or “goals” for 2010? 

 Tonight, Cory and I are attending a party at our friends Christi and Sean’s house.  Happy New Year’s Eve!!! 

Kasey

“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man”.  ~Benjamin Franklin