I hate doing resolutions, really hate them. Growing up, I always felt like they were silly; why are all these people making these lofty promises that they couldn’t keep even if they tried?! However, being online means I’m assaulted by wave upon wave of resolutions from every corner of the internet. They are still (usually) crazy and out there resolutions, but they make me think about what I would like 2016 to look like for myself. So here is a small list of realistic goals (I refuse to call them resolutions) that I would like to accomplish in 2016.

1. Graduate with my AA in Anthropology! This is happening in May 2016 once I can get registered for my last class.
2. Be better about meal planning. Dan and I do try to plan our meals, but lately we’ve fallen way out of practice. I would like to start sitting down near the end of every week (Friday, probably) and planning out the meals through the following Sunday. Then we can come up with a grocery list and buy groceries sometime that weekend. We do really need to do this with my health and for financial reasons. Hopefully, we can get back on track.
3. Exercise in some fashion three times a week. I don’t mean do a full on work-out, I haven’t been physically/medically capable of doing a “full workout” in years! What I mean is to make a point to get some exercise three times a week. My plan is to do Pilates two days a week (Monday and Wednesday), and to then go ride the recumbent bike at the rec center on Fridays for a bit. When it’s summer, maybe I’ll be able to switch to riding my own bike. Exercise for me can also mean going to the zoo or museum, since walking is so difficult with the POTS sometimes, or just doing a gentle yoga routine at home on bad days. I need to get up and be active three days a week. It’s much better for me.
4. Spend at least an hour twice a week painting or crafting. I really enjoy it, but I’m really bad at actually sitting down to do it. If I plan for it, then it’ll be a lot easier.
5. Have a blog post for every day. Spend some time at the beginning of the week figuring out when I won’t have time to write out posts, then schedule a few so that there will be a post that day. I may skip posts on Sundays, so then it’d be posting six days a week, but we will see which ends up being more realistic.
6. Get back into creative writing. Start writing creatively more often. I don’t have a set goal, but I do want to do more. I’m probably going to start with editing some of my old stuff to get back into the mindset and practice of creative writing.
7. Get the house painted, inside. We’ve picked out pretty much all of the colors, we just need to do it! The ceilings need to be scraped and textured first, but once we start doing that it shouldn’t be a problem. Dan promised it would be done by my graduation, so here’s hoping it happens! It’s a big job, but I’m planning a “one room at a time” type of approach to keep from getting overwhelmed. I can’t wait for it to be done and feel like my house!
8. Finish the deck setup once it gets warmer. The deck needs to be resurfaced, it’s horrible! We’re thinking we’ll get interlocking plastic tiles from Home Depot (or similar) so it will just be done! It’ll be nice to be able to walk around barefoot without worrying about splinters. Then we need to get my hammock hung up on the pergola Dan built. After that, it’s just the weird spot between the deck and fence that needs something. We’re thinking of getting free pine mulch (from Christmas tree recycling) for now. If the mulch isn’t satisfactory we’ll probably do either pavers or gravel.
9. Get started on the master bathroom remodel. Both bathrooms need to be remodeled… well, kind of. We aren’t going to change the floor plans, but everything needs replacing (except the toilets, we already did those). We’ve picked out new vanity cabinets (pre-made from Home Depot), and we need to get new tubs and their surrounds (they are tub/shower combos). We also probably need new flooring, since we know the existing linoleum doesn’t go under the vanities or the tubs. Right now, the master bathroom shower/tub can’t be used because the tile is pulling away from the wall in spots, so starting in there will ensure we still have a fully functional bathroom. I would love to be able to take a shower in our bathroom by the end of the year!
10. Remember to love myself. This is very hard, but I’m working on it. Hopefully, exercising three times a week will help with this (no, not as a weightloss goal, but just as in a “I’m stronger and can function like a human” type of way). I really think this will help me in tons of areas of my life, so it’s something I’m going to put a lot of effort into.

What are some of your realistic goals for 2016?