Happy New Year!

It's time for New Years Resolutions. I, like just about everyone else, make them and sometime mid-January, completely forget about them. But still I make them...even making an effort to better yourself for two weeks is worth it, right? Well, all that changed last year. I set a tangible goal, something achievable but not easy. I decided to run an Olympic-distance triathlon and in September, I completed a New Years Resolution! Because I set all my goals in threes these days, just one didn't seem like enough...

1) Expand my cooking and eating horizons. Believe it or not, but I've been cooking for five years and I bought my first steak the other day. I felt totally out of place, not knowing which to get, and Nick and I had to look up recipes to actually cook it. I can make chicken breast or ground beef like no other, but not so much else. So in 2010, I'm going to cook one recipe that wouldn't immediately, naturally appeal to me, but something I expect I might enjoy nonetheless. I'm starting with a southwestern soup. I love soup, but this has two different kinds of beans in it and is rather chunky (not my usual soup choice). Once a month may not seem like much, but I rarely cook out of a cookbook, so it might actually be challenging.

2) Run a 5k in less than 30 minutes. I just felt like I needed a fitness goal in there, too. My fastest time is 32:30-ish. As you know, I'm a slow runner, but I want to do this. I think if I work really hard at speed, I just might be able to do this. I mean, I'm cutting a minute off per mile, which seems like an awful lot to me. But...here goes nothing!

3) Finish my 2007 Year in Review scrapbook. It's 2010. It's probably about time. As of right now, I'm only in August, and I started it January of 2007. I will likely be swamped at work all Spring, but I might have some real time to settle down with it in May. I should be able to get this done...and I'm hoping to start a new one, but probably with a different theme because I'm so far behind!

That's all my resolutions. I have a few other things I want to work on in 2010 though.
-I want to try really hard to save 7.5 percent of my earnings each month, while spending another 7.5 percent to pay extra on my student loans. I'm paying the minimum each month, but this will be on top of that. I think this is a doable amount, but without knowing what life is going to throw at me this year, I don't want to make it a resolution.
-I've also made a list of about 12 races (from 5k to Olympic tris) that I could do this year that works in location and my busy schedule. I doubt I can afford them all, and I'm sure a ton more will come up as the year progresses. I plan on a doing a few tris, some 5ks for speed and the marathon relay in April. I'm pretty excited for this race season...I might start signing up next paycheck!
-Finally, I want to continue to be responsible and frequent with my bills, dishes and keeping my apartment clean. Plus, I've been staying away from fast food and a ton of junk. I've been doing GREAT for about a month, but with work picking up, it'll get harder. I just have to stay strong.

2010, a new decade, new possibilities, a new adventure. Don't waste it.