Every year I try to make a list of things to accomplish during the year. I don’t see them as resolutions as such, but rather a “to do” list. This year, it’s fair to say that I sucked.

In August I did an update on the progress of my resolutions, and absolutely nothing has changed since then. The update was as follows:

Dentist

I haven’t done a daaaaamn thing about this one. I hate Dentists. But I’ll do it by the end of the year. Promise. I just know it’s going to cost a s’load and it’s gonna hurt. So why rush into that?

Get neck and back sorted by the Chiro

DONE. Woohoo. It’s been probably about 6 months now since I went and saw the Chiro, and I’m still having regular visits. I think this will probably continue on for a long time, mainly due to my scoliosis to ensure the muscles in my back aren’t constantly having to over compensate for a crooked spine.  It’s just been extended to 4 weeks between visits for the first time, which is huge for me. From twice a week, to 4 weeks, that’s an accomplishment. But I’ve never felt better, and I don’t suffer daily headaches. Totally worthwhile. Oh, except now I’m having problems with my shoulders, a ripple effect from my muscles compensating for my back now not having to, thus my shoulder slips out of place. Hurrah! Apparently it’s just a matter of re-training the muscles what they’re meant to do. This is the time where I should do a motivational speech, and say:

I have a dream, that one day, I will NOT be broken!

Get second Pap Smear

See the part about dentists, but apply it to gyno. Hurray for health.

Get ears checked out

So I did this, and got referred to a specialist because one test showed normal hearing and one showed a slight favouring towards the right, although the doctor was fairly sure there was nothing wrong. I never went and followed it up with the specialist, partially because I was scared of having to pay for that when I was in the middle of another health scare (hmm…which I should post about). So technically this resolution is done, they WERE checked out…. *grin*

Get back to a healthy weight

Shall we say this is in progress? Mat and I have started cooking again, and making our lunches for work every day. Without really trying I’ve lost a kilo and a half, and my friend and I have just set a challenge for ourselves. Hopefully by the end of the year I can say I’m 10kg lighter, but will keep you posted. My target weight for “healthy” is only half that (5kg) so I’m pretty sure this one should be complete by the end of the year.

Go diving with the sharks

I haven’t really done anything about this, and given it’s been winter I haven’t really felt the urge to jump into water unless it was of the shower kind. I expect I’ll do this around October/November.

Get rid of one credit card

Technically it was done, but then undone *grin* We paid off one credit card, then promptly went and bought a couch, putting more money back onto the card. But I am not letting myself get off lightly on this one, so I will say it’s incomplete at the moment. However looking at our finances overall, Mat and I have figured out we’ll be totally debt free by the end of the year (excluding car loans) so this one is on track for being complete.

Get a spray tan

This was only ever going to be done after the healthy weight one, so not complete as yet. Stay tuned.

Get at least a credit in the Queensland Criminal Code TAFE module

DONE. Throughout the term my grades ranged from Distinctions to Credits, ending with a Credit overall. So this one is definitely done, and I’m very proud of the marks I achieved, was a lot of hard work.

Write the resolutions before February

Done, and the proof is in the original blog post, so hurray!

I want to play the sympathy card, and say that shortly after this all my knee problems began which left little time for anything else, but I know that’s not true. There was definitely time I could have gotten a pap smear, or get a spray tan (although not really necessary). But I didn’t, so I failed for those tasks.

Overall, I scored 5 out of 10. Not good, given there was 365 days to complete the job, or 8,760 hours, or 525 600 minutes. That’s a lot of time!

With 2009 I’ve been thinking about my list. I’m not going to carry anything over – since I didn’t manage to accomplish it for one year (two in some cases where things had already been carried over) I don’t have faith in achieving it in the next.

I’m also going to focus on making it an enjoyable year. 2008 I didn’t see as being a great year. It was the year of the health crisis, one after another. Neck and back, breast cancer scare, knee reconstruction etc. 2009 will be the year of fun!! Stay tuned for my list of things to accomplish in 2009…it should be up in the next few days.

Ok, so it’s only taken me a month to get this in order. Don’t care, the year is still in the first quarter, it’s still new (kinda). 30 day money back guarantee yeah? So 30 day resolution guarantee. *cough*. Anyway…..

Every year (for the past 2 years) I’ve written a list of 10 things I want to accomplish during the year. At the end of the year it’s really quite exciting looking back on the list, and feeling like you haven’t really wasted the year floating around. To feel like you’ve fulfilled your goals is a great feeling indeed.

This year I decided to focus on my health. I’ve really quite neglected it, and the two items health related last year weren’t completed. So 2008, it’s mostly about self improvement. Oh, except for one which I just wanted to throw in cause it would be FUN AS!

1. See the dentist – this scares me, but goddamn it I have to get it done *nightmares of drill noise*
2. Go and get my neck and back sorted by the chiropractor. I’ve been suffering from stiff neck, sore back, pain in the sternum, ribs etc for ages. Pretty sure it’s posture related but it has gotten so bad that if I sleep on my side in bed at night I wake up in the morning and can barely move my shoulders otherwise it feels like my ribs will break off from my sternum. Very painful indeed, it needs to get dealt with. It will also help with my frequent migraines.
3. Get my second pap smear - if I don’t write this I won’t do it, and it was the only way I managed to force myself to get a pap smear two years ago. Mind you, I did it with about 3 days left in the year, and it was the only one left to do. I had to get it done, and I suspect it will be the same for 2008.
4. See the doctor re: my ear drums & sinus – It’s always difficult to clear my ears, I have frequent ringing in both ears, and fairly certain my sinus has something to do with it. A few years ago I popped my ear drum and was assured that it was fixed, but I’m still nervous about why I have issues clearing my ears when going up/down hills. This will be fundamental for one of my other resolutions as well.
5. Get back to a healthy weight – if 2007 was my fatty year, 2008 will be my “new leaf” year. I have every right to have a great figure, and the only thing that stands in my way is myself. Time to harden the f**k up, stop eating crap, do exercise, drink water, and look and feel great. Bring it on.
6. Go diving with the sharks – hurrah!! A non health related one! Woohoo. But, this comes with a condition. I’m ONLY going diving with the sharks if I get permission from the doc to dive. Last time I went scuba diving I popped my ear drum, and I’m certainly not in the mood to repeat that. But I think this would be soooo much fun, Mat’s coming with me.
7. Get rid of one credit card - a rollover one from 2007, I need to sort this out.
8. Get a spray tan – this was another roll over from 2007, and one that will be my “reward” for number 6. Looking forward to it.
9. Get at least a credit in the Queensland Criminal Code tafe module – I did this because I had no plans to study this year, and this module was one that I was particularly interested in. I can’t wait. TAFE starts up next week, and I’m dancing like I’ve got ants in my pants I’m so excited (how sad am I!)
10. Write these bloody resolutions before February - seriously, did I have to slack on my blog for so bloody long? I have been working on this one without writing down for the whole month. Kept saying “you HAVE to have them done before February”. So yay me, I have completed one already.The internet better not die before I post this.

So there’s my list, feel free to comment with your own list. I know a few of you wrote a list last year, how did you go with it? What was your feelings about working on a list for the year, did you enjoy it? Would love to hear any feedback.