This Year I Resolve To

For 2014, I am going to have slightly different new year resolutions.

Work Smart

After a year of feeling like a hamster on a wheel (basically working my ass of and getting nowhere), I plan on putting a full stop to this. I don’t know how, but I am reclaiming my weekends this year – I am going to fill them up with fun activities with kids, more movies, more books, more everything basically, and maybe also some exercise.

To do this, I realize, I need to work less overall. My situation is such that I’m putting in too many late nights working leaving me tired, listless, and snappy on weekends. I then spend hours dreaming about vacations and breaks, which I know are impossible in my current situation.

What I need to do is plan my time better, prioritize better, not jump when called on all the time, and basically be more smart the way I work.

Keep in Touch with Friends

I’ve been a horrible friend all of last year. The too much work and too much tired played a part I’m sure, but it’s ridiculous just how out of the loop I became. Some of my oldie (best) friends haven’t even met Piglet yet. Thankfully, I keep up with them all through Facebook messaging/What’s app/phone etc. but a real person to person meet is long overdue.

Get More Sleep

4-5 hours of sleep a night is not doing me any favors. Too many people have commented on my red-rimmed eyes, and no amount of eye-drops can cover up a chronic case of sleeplessness. Piglet has had a huge role to play in this (see here, here, and here for my rants on Piglet’s sleep issues).

Piglet is better these days with his sleep. However, when he wakes up in the night/early morning, it takes ages to get him settled again, and by this time, I am wide awake, the day has begun, and it’s time to get the breakfast and snubnose ready for school.

I should probably put sleep as a wish list item, and not a new year resolution, I think

.

Finally get around to furnishing my house

Here I am with this gorgeous new house we moved into earlier this year

And, I have done nothing with it. Absolutely nothing. OK, I hung up a few paintings (art work by the snubnose), and I bought a lampshade. Yup. You understood that right. That’s the only new thing in my house. I have managed the super-awesome feat of moving from a 2-bed apartment to a 4-bed independent villa without buying any new furniture or furnishings, or anything

. High time I do something about it.

Take care of Myself

All the good stuff. More exercise. I really want to run more often, I love how head-clearing it is. Also actually remember to take the time to brush out my hair properly and put on some lipstick before I head to work. Baby steps really

, and maybe head to the parlor a weekend a month to get a mani/pedi, and do some basic grooming? I think I am reaching too high with my goal here, but the basic intention is to feel good about myself (without resorting to chocolate).

So, these are my resolutions for 2014. What are yours? What do you plan to do differently in the new year?

Btw, I just looked back on my old 2013 resolutions post, and I am pleasantly surprised that I managed to meet 2 of my 3 resolutions (cook more and keep calm). The fitness one still needs a lot of work though. I think I may actually have slid backwards in terms of fitness levels

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