Goodbye, 2006.

Where have you gone? It seems like only yesterday I was making resolutions. Now, you’re drawing to a close, and I can’t imagine what happened to the time…Happy New Year, everyone. Well, Happy New Year’s Eve anyway. Before I start the obligatory list o’ resolutions for 2007, it would probably be a good idea to recap any progress I made towards my goals this year. And so I shall:

  1. Be a better father.If I did one thing right this year, it was this. I spent less time at work to spend more time with my son (and wife). The result? A spoiled one-year-old that cries everytime I leave the room. I can’t complain though. I wouldn’t trade him for the world.
  2. Be a better husband.I made moderate progress in this area. Work was always an area of contention between my wife and I, and cutting back a little on my hours has helped our marriage immensely. Now if only I could work more on #3….
  3. Lose weight.I actually did lose some weight this year, around 40 lbs to be exact but it didn’t stick. I know this will stay on my list of resolutions for 2007, only I need to get more serious this time. As I grow older it’s going to be harder and hard to shed the weight I have on me.
  4. Excercise more.I really need to get on the ball with this. And stop making excuses for myself. Being tired just doesn’t cut it. Not having enough time just doesn’t cut it. I need to get off of my lazy arse and get moving. Or I’ll have heart problems, heart attacks, etc. to look forward to.
  5. Grow closer to God.I was baptized in February of this year. Kim and I joined Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church in June. Tyler was baptized in July. I think I made progress in this area. But I need to dedicate myself to prayer more, and try to get more involved at church.
  6. Read through the entire Bible this year.Sadly, I didn’t complete this. I blame #8 on this list. I’m still notorious for procrastination and this is definitely a weakness of mine that needs to be addressed and taken care of. UPDATE: Luckily, the ESV website offers a number of RSS feeds to help with this goal.
  7. Finish books I’ve started and not finished.I actually did make it through a number of books this year. I’ve read more than I’ve ever read in quite some time. Honestly, the last time I read this much was because I had to (for school). It’s nice to read for enjoyment and education.
  8. Stop procrastinating. (Maybe tomorrow?)I so have to do something about this one. It’s my Achilles heel.
  9. Stop being so impulsive.I made some progress in this area this year, but still have some difficulty with it. Especially when it comes to food. I need to hunker down, stop feeling sorry for myself, my weight, etc. and do something about it. If it means not using a checkcard anymore, eating breakfast at home, packing my lunch, etc. I need to do it.

I made some progress this year, but I could have made more. I won’t make excuses for myself. I was lazy, and that’s something that has seriously got to change.

Now onto 2007…

  1. Take control of my weight and do something about it.
  2. Stop spending money on frivolous crap.
  3. Fulfill obligations in a timely manner.
  4. Pay off some of my/our debt.

It’s a short list, but a lot of work. I’m looking forward to the coming year, but realize there may be some hardships ahead in trying to achieve the goals I have set forth for myself. Anything worth doing is never easy.