Some spring resolutions

Unlike most people, I like to start resolutions at random times throughout the year. With the upcoming arrival of spring (?--my thermometer says 36, but anyway) I made a list of goals to begin on March 21st and continue through the spring of 2014.

I read the book "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin last year and am in the middle of reading the sequel: "Happier at Home." I was struck by the goals she set for herself with the end goal of attaining happiness. I realize that a lot of things that will ultimately make me happy won't actually be all that fun during the process (organizing medical records) but will bring me a sense of peace which will equal happiness. 

So without further preamble, here are my goals for the upcoming spring to spring year: 

1. Be more up to date on current events. Last night at church, I realized how woefully behind the times I am on the topics that polarize our country. I can tell you the top five ways to calm a crying baby or the arguments for or against "Ferberizing" or "attachment parenting" but I honestly could not discuss foreign policy with as much knowledge. I always said I didn't want to be a mom that completely lost herself in her kids to the point where she had no outside interests. So, while politics doesn't really interest me all that much, I think I need to know enough to be able to carry on a conversation that doesn't revolve around the best place to buy/method to wash diapers. 

2. Shop my craft closet. I have a habit of buying all the materials for a project, starting, then either losing interest, finding a substitute at a garage sale for some ridiculous price like a quarter, or moving on to another more pressing project and forgetting to go back. I want to finish up all those projects in my closet like the twin size quilt that was supposed to be a Christmas present, then a birthday present. Maybe it will be a Christmas present this year. Other than fill-in-the-gap supplies, I want to challenge myself not to buy any new supplies until my birthday (which is approximately six months from now and an easy way to remember).

3. Read one fiction and one non-fiction book a month. I kind of have a head start on this as I have been doing it since January, so this should be easy for me to follow through.

4. Complete one major renovation project a month. Notice I did not say one ROOM a month. At a different time in our lives, this might be possible, but for now I would like to set a goal to just finish one big thing. Our goal is to be completely finished by the end of 2014. So, toward this end, I've already started this goal as well. Past "big projects" have included painting my kitchen, removing 12x15 feet of old tile from our guest bedroom, and fixing damaged drywall in the same room and painting the walls gray (see previous post about my $12.50 paint). 

There are more resolutions but I'll save those for another post. These are definitely the more interesting of my goals, while the others revolve more around budgeting and organizing.