Reflection on 2011 Resolutions

I am in complete denial that 2011 is almost over. This year has gone by incredibly fast and has been a year of busy schedules, lots of traveling, and the usual ups and downs of life. I looked back to my original new year's resolutions post on January 1st and it is always interesting to see if I followed through on my resolutions. I also posted a resolutions update in April that outlined my progress for the first part of the year. I have not posted updates on my resolutions since April, but here is my summary of how I did on my goals for 2011. My original post on resolutions included four important areas: stay healthy, save money, live simply, and have fun... here is my report card for 2011's new year's resolutions.

1. Stay Healthy: I have made a lot of progress in this area and I have lost 15 pounds since May. I am working on keeping my nutrition balanced and exercising at least 3 times each week. I have also cut down significantly on drinking alcohol, eating out, and have successful reduced my Starbucks intake to only twice a week (this one is often the hardest).
2. Save Money: This year was a spendy one with all of our trips and activities throughout the year, but I was still able to save for retirement (reached my goal of $15,000 saved in January) and I was able to pay for Christmas in cash this year. There is always room for improvement in this area and will continue to be a focus for me in 2012.
3. Live Simply: The progress in this area is often hard to measure, but I do know that I have been able to focus more on the simple pleasures of life like a home cooked meal, a cozy night on the couch with a good movie, and have limited the buying of "stuff" throughout the year. I want to continue to focus on the principle of 'doing more with less' and plan to practice this more often in 2012.
4. Have Fun: This year was full of multiple trips to visit family, friends, and attend sporting events. I have also enjoyed every book club gathering, party planning for baby showers and birthdays, and the multiple craft projects I have worked on throughout the year. Our plan for 2012 is to find more fun and events in our local community and to enjoy watching the new minor league baseball team coming to town (we have season tickets!) 

Overall, I would have to say that 2011 was a great year and I stayed on track with my resolutions more than I have in the past. The key for me is to pick a few things that are really important and focus on those instead of trying to tackle 20 resolutions in one year. Over the next few days I will be compiling my resolutions list for 2012 and I will be sure to post it when it's ready!