New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year to everyone!  I love this time of year when people start to focus on self-improvement.

I have a few resolutions of my own.  This last year I have been bogged down and overwhelmed with PAPERS.  It sounds funny, but all those stacks of bills, letters, notices, store ads, articles, coupons...  I just don't know what to do with them half the time.  If I don't have time to deal with it right away, I leave it out so I'll see it later and take care of it.  Next thing I know my entire counter or desk or table or whatever is covered in papers I don't know how to deal with.  Can anyone relate?  So this year I am resolved to get organized.  I've gotten some stacking trays and labeled them for different sorts of papers.  Hopefully now things won't be getting lost and forgotten, and I can take care of things as they come.  I already feel a burden lifted as I don't have stacks of clutter anymore.

My other resolution: every time I write out a to-do list this year, I am going to write "study the scriptures" at the top of the list.  I too often let that go to the wayside on busy days.

I know lots of people are making resolutions for exercise, as always.

Here are some tips when you set goals:
1. Make it attainable.
Belle says her resolution this year is to keep her room clean every day for the whole year.  That is not really a reasonable goal, and I can foresee failure within the first week.  She hasn't mastered the skill of cleaning up one activity before moving on to the next.  For her a more attainable goal would be to put her dirty laundry in the hamper every time she changes or something like that.

2.  Make it measurable.
"I'm going to get healthy" is not as good a goal as "I'm going to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes," or "I am only going to allow myself one sweet treat a day."

3. Write it down to make it official.
Put it in your journal, stick a post-it note on your mirror, put it on your calendar--whatever.

4. Reward yourself for reaching the goal.
Make it a good enough reward that you'll want to push yourself in order to reach it.  Don't choose a reward that opposes your goal, like don't reward all your exercise with a big bowl of ice cream.  That doesn't make sense.

What are some of your resolutions?