New Years Resolutions

A  few days ago I shared that I created my new years resolutions based on where I want to be a year from now. Come 2012, I'd like:

+ to have my master's degree
+ to have strong relationships with friends, family, and Neill
+ to be financially secure
+ to be healthy
+ to be happy

I want my resolutions to go farther than just simply stating my intentions though. I want my resolutions to be a plan for how to get there. For example, it is easy to say that I'm determined to be financially secure in 2011. But, this doesn't speak to what this means or my plans for achieving this goal. So, I've created a few action steps to help me reach each goal.

In order to have my master's degree I will stay committed to my research. This means that I will work on it at least once every week, even if this means not getting my classwork done. It is more important to me to finish my thesis than to get straight As (although those are pretty fun too), so when necessary I will put my own research first.

In order to have strong relationships with friends, family, and Neill I will work on creating more time for my VIPs.  I'm pretty good at giving Neill lots of face time, but I need to work on staying connected to my friends and family. This year, I plan to renew my efforts to keep in touch with my friends and family. For example, I'd like to invite my father over for dinner once a month. Besides making more time to see people, I want to work on being a better friend. This means showing up for the important events and returning phone calls-something I'm terrible at! 

In order to be financially secure we will pay my credit cards off in full every month and save a minimum of 10% of all of our income. Because we are supported by Neill's income, I want to make sure we maintain an 8 month emergency fund. Plus, it is my personal goal to make the maximum contribution to my Roth IRA ($5,000). Furthermore, I want to learn more about finances. In 2010 I read two of Suze Orman's books (I love her) and this year I plan to read more on the topic. These are some lofty goals, but Neill and I take our financial security very seriously.

In order to be healthy I am going to focus on health--not just weight. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I want to drop the weight I gained after Neill and I tied the knot. But, being healthy is so much more than losing the poundage. I want to be healthy not just to see the size on my jeans drop; I want to be healthy so that I can enjoy the rest of my life. To do this I want to focus on healthy eating, physical activity, and educating myself on these things.

In order to be happy I'm going to follow through on my plans! And when I stumble, I will be kind to myself :)  Hot cocoa and marshmallows are surely the first steps to the road of happiness, right?