January Wrap Up

As so many people do on New Years, I set out to rectify a handful of my many faults.  Where do I stand after one month?

New Years Resolutions

Diet:  “I will no longer treat my mouth like a garbage can and junk food will find its way to the trash where it belongs.  I will learn about healthy eating, teach myself how to prepare healthy meals and reduce the number of times I visit restaurants significantly.”

By and large, my effort to improve my diet this month has been a flop and the reason why is simple, laziness.  More times than not, it is far more convenient to go out to eat than it is to cook meals at home.  I did make a couple of attempts at trying new recipes including a Belizean dish and Chicken Gnocchi Soup from Olive Garden.  The Belizean meal was a complete failure while the Chicken Gnocchi Soup turned out just okay.

In February, I will begin tracking how often I eat out and how much I am spending.  By doing this I will be able to track my progress rather than making qualitative assumptions.

Finance: ”I will establish a savings plan to compliment my debt repayment plan.  In doing so, I will create a balance in my finances which will help accomplish both goals simultaneously.”

I have not established any formal savings plan to compliment my debt repayment plan.  Instead, I have been focusing on generally building up my savings account and have temporarily held off on debt repayment.  Since the beginning of January I have saved approximately $650, a solid start.  This has come at the cost of reducing my debt and ignoring a couple of personal obligations.

In February, I will establish a formal savings and debt repayment plan that will help accomplish both goals rather than further perpetuating this imbalance in my finances.

Fitness: “In order to refocus my attention on physical fitness, I have purchased a gym membership and have been exercising on a daily basis for the past couple of weeks.”

I have not continued my daily exercise routine as systematically as I had envisioned, though I continue to exercise regularly.  Now that school is back in session, my motivation to exercise has declined and it is easy to tell myself that there is no time in the day to go to the gym.

In February, in order to combat the excuse of time constraints, I will establish a regular exercise schedule that works with my school schedule.

Health:  “In an effort to correct my back problems, I have decided to begin seeing a chiropractor.  I will also schedule an appointment with a doctor to determine what might be wrong with my knee and learn what my options are to correct the problem.  I will also use this appointment as an opportunity for an annual physical examination…”

I have continued seeing my chiropractor regularly and am pleased to say that I have noticed significant improvement in my back pain.  I also made an appointment to have a physical exam.  My blood pressure was at the lowest level I can remember it ever being.  Before being laid off from my job, my blood pressure was consistently at pre-hypertension levels, at 25 and 26 years old!  I also asked about my knee problems and was given some simple stretches to help reduce or eliminate the cause of my pain.

In February, I will continue working with my chiropractor to further improve my spinal health.

Personal Resolutions

Travel: My recent trip to the Caribbean knocked off almost 5,000 miles of my goal to travel 50,000 miles in 2010.  In March I will be traveling to Germany (~10,000 miles) for a week to visit a friend and in May I will be landing in Reykjavik, Iceland (~6,000 miles) for a week of exploration.  After these trips, in order to meet my 50,000 mile goal, I will have to travel an additional 29,000 miles.  That is a large distance to cover but I have some thoughts in mind for Summer travel.  It is still early in the year!

Education: Last week I received a letter in the mail informing me that I had made the Dean’s List for the Fall semester.  This is the first time I have ever succeeded at this level.

Student Loans: I finished the semester with a 3.8 GPA and in doing so, earned a $2,000 SMART Grant for the Spring semester.  If I am able to keep my GPA above 3.0, I will maintain my eligibility for this grant for the next year.  My personal goal of maintaining a 3.5 GPA is now more than a personal goal.  It is a way for me to minimize my Student Loan debt.

A month in review, some wins and some struggles.  February brings 28 days of possibility!