Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reflecting a lot on 2013.  All in all, I think this has been the hardest year yet for me.  It has been filled with lots of major life changes and lots of obstacles, but it’s also made me a much stronger and wiser person.  This year has shaped who I am probably more than any other year.  And as much as I’ve learned in 2013, I’m ready to close that chapter and roll on into 2014.

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I’ve never really been one to have New Year’s Resolutions.  It’s easy to get excited in planning your resolution, but the actual execution is much more difficult.  In a way, I guess I’ve always felt that making resolutions in some way sets you up for failure in the new year.

But this year, I’m changing that.  They say that it takes 21 days to make something a habit.  That means that the first 3 weeks of January are crucial to getting your year on track.  I debated whether or not I should be so honest, but I believe that accountability is a great motivator!  So here goes…my New Year’s Resolutions.

1. Get Healthy.

It’s awkward to put this out there, but this is the heaviest I’ve ever been.  It would be easy to blame it on the crazy cocktail of meds I was on for a while for my migraines (which added about 30 pounds—less the exorbitant amounts of hair that fell out), having surgery, the stress of all the major events in my life this year, or just getting comfortable in marriage and not really caring anymore.  But that wouldn’t be the truth.  The truth is that I do really care, that it’s something I think about almost every minute of every day, and that I just got lazy.  So no more excuses.

I know most people make some version of this resolution each year, and the vast majority fail.  That’s why, as awkward as it is, I’m writing about it.  Now I have to be held accountable.  And I’m not just talking about losing weight.  I want to get healthy…mind, body, and spirit. I’ve picked out a few of my “favorite” pictures of me in the past as inspiration, and to remind me that my goal is attainable!

October 2011 June 2010 March 2012May 2010 May 2012 October 2010

2. Stick to a Budget.

As an accountant, I like to think I’m pretty good with money.  But to be honest, I spend too much.  Really, don’t we all?

Charles and I have some hefty student loans to repay, and oh yeah…we have a mortgage now.  And we’d love to have kids someday in the not-too-distant future, and those suckers are expensive!!  (No one freak out…not-so-distant future is sometime in the next 5 years!)  So the bottom line is that we need to stop spending and start saving.

A few weeks ago, I put together a little trend sheet of our spending habits over the last few months. (Yes, I love spreadsheets. Don’t judge me.)  And I’m here to tell you…it was painful.  It’s so easy to just throw down a debit card or credit card and not think about where your money is going, but when you lay out the cold hard facts, it’s a little embarrassing.  Which I suppose is why I’ve put it off for so long.  So we are going to cut back on regularly eating out, shopping, and traveling.  It’s going to be quite an adjustment, but I know we will be so happy that we went on this “spending diet” in the future.

Here’s a few things that I’ve been reading to help get us started…

The one year saving schedule

Dave Ramsey‘s envelope system

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Easy ways to save each day

How to save on groceries

How much to save before having a baby

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Well there it is.  My two major resolutions for the year.  There are plenty of other smaller resolutions, like cooking more, cleaning more, reading more, helping others more, etc.  I’d even love to check a few things off my bucket list.  But for now, I think my plate is full with the first two!

So as the clock ticks down tonight, just think: 21 days.  21 days until you form a habit.  What will you do with your first 21 days of 2014?