2012 Resolutions in Review: January

I set some very doable goals for 2012, and I'm finding it immensely helpful to go over my progress each week. I hope that as I learn to be more productive, I can share some tips with you along the way.

January was a very interesting month, because I've always set goals and worked to achieve them, but I'm learning more about what really works for me. I bought the Kindle edition of Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time when it was just $0.99 a few weeks ago, and I'm finding it immensely helpful in keeping me focused and on track. The two biggest keys I picked up and have tried to keep at the forefront of my mind in the last month are having a clear vision of my final goal, and doing the tasks with the greatest impact first.

One of my resolutions this year is to develop a new healthy habit each month. In January, I achieved my goal of adding a mile to every day to develop the healthy habit of exercise. I learned that it doesn't take a lot of time (less than 20 minutes!), and I can make the time if it's a priority. I don't feel like it's an ingrained habit, though, so I'm continuing it into this month.

But I'm also adding a new healthy habit in February, which is a mere 10 minutes of stretching each day. It's good for my foot, as I'm still struggling with plantar fasciitis (it's been over a year and a half and my doctor, who's had it himself, wasn't surprised). I'm also feeling tension in my shoulders and back, so stretching should make me feel better overall.

Another resolution in 2012 is to do one project per week. My weekly projects are going well - last week, I sorted and organized a couple of small areas that I hadn't gone through in a while. My project for this week is to clean my stove, since it really needs it. But I've also done and will do a few other smaller projects around the house as well.

Finally, it's not exactly a resolution, but I implemented a new housecleaning plan this year by doing one cleaning task each day. It's a habit I'm still developing, and I get my daily task done most days. I'm quite satisfied with how things are going in that area.

I'm looking forward to achieving more in February, but I think I need a much clearer picture of exactly where I want to be at the end of year, so I can get the most out of the months to come.