Jennifer - Favorite Books for Organizing

Here are some of my favorite books for organizing. I've also updated the website links with great sites for the 2010 project.

Jennifer - 12.30.09

1. Becoming Lean & Fit: weighed today. I actually have lost about 4 lbs since school let out. I've sampled a little of everything this holiday, but I did not pig out. I need to walk daily though. I wish it would stop raining. 
2. Purge & organize house: all Christmas decor is purged and neatly stored. Entire house is "clean" and picked up. Now to work on some organization projects.
   
3. Frugal Living: made monthly budget for Jan 2010. Now to stick to it.
   
4. Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps: paid bills online for Jan, budgeted for savings
   
5. Organize photos/memorabilia: none today
   
6. Purge/organize household files: none today
   
7. Medical/dental objectives: none today
   
8. Hanging out with Damian: we went and saw Avatar, he's been wanting to see it for 2 wks now.
   
9. My quiet time: reading my book "The Gift"
   
10. Cars assessed and fixed: none today
    
11. Celebrations / Traditions: emailed siblings about 2010 collaborative gifts for parents (waiting on responses)
    

Jennifer - 12.29.09

I decided to try to get a head start. Here is my daily progress. The night is still young so I may get even more done.

1. Becoming Lean & Fit: - nothing
   
2. Purge & organize house: - took down all Christmas decor, organized, purged holiday items
   
3. Frugal Living: - wanted to go shopping but I stayed home instead
   
4. Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps: - paid bills online for Jan, budgeted for savings
   
5. Organize photos/memorabilia: - nothing
   
6. Purge/organize household files: - nothing
   
7. Medical/dental objectives: - set up dental cleaning & exam appts for Jenn & Damian
   
8. Hanging out with Damian: - he stayed to himself today, I need to change that
   
9. My quiet time: - nothing
   
10. Cars assessed and fixed - nothing
    
11. Celebrations / Traditions - emailed siblings about 2010 collaborative gifts for parents
    

Jess - my list

So already off to a delayed start....
My list of goals (not in any particular priority order):
1) not to procrastinate
2) Lose 5lbs a month at minimum
3) Do 30-45mins cardio at least 5 days a week (gym or elliptical at home), and strength training at least 5 times a week.
4) Start walking/running
5) Eat more healthy, count calories, log in to Sparkpeople.com daily.
6) Learn something new everyday to increase my knowledge to do better at my job
7) Deep clean and organize my house really well at least once a month, clean and laundry on weekends, pick-up daily
8) Catch-up on Holly and Mitchell's photo albums
9) Spend quality time with my children
10) Go out and have fun with my friends, or even just by myself.
11) Mental health - being happy with myself, reaching goals, meditate, move on from Jed, consider maybe dating once I lose weight.
12) Debt - consolidate little debts and start paying off and improve credit.
- meet with financial person Wed Dec 30th to do just that!
- March - consolidate student loans and either start paying
or defer until fall when Holly is in school
13) Savings - start saving for an eventual down payment for a house....don't want to rent for ever
14) Budget - stay on budget every month and stay on time with bills
15) Be held accountable for the above goals and blog daily with my beloved sister :)

This all shall commence Jan 1, 2010 and be completed no later than Dec 31, 2010!

Jennifer - 2010 Project Daily Template

This morning I talked with a wonderful friend who understands my obsessive need for control, organization, and planning. During our conversation, I realized that I need a "template" of sorts to help me detail my successes and pitfalls as I journey on this 2010 project. I've decided to use a bullet-ed list with the title of the particular goal and just detail the good, bad, and the ugly for each item. If I know I'm being held accountable, then I know I need to post "something" daily for each goal whether I worked it or not.

Here is the template below. Each item is list and a space is left for the daily details. YIKES! I've even added  new goals. That's a total of 11... I don't think I need anymore than that. :)

1. Becoming Lean & Fit:
2. Purge & organize house:
3. Frugal Living:
4. Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps:
5. Organize photos/memorabilia:
6. Purge/organize household files:
7. Medical/dental objectives:
8. Hanging out with Damian:
9. My quiet time:
10. Cars assessed and fixed
11. Celebrations / Traditions 

Jennifer - My 2010 Resolutions

Well, here they are... I may edit them some in the next few days. They will be finalized by Dec 31st. 

1. Lose 5 lbs each month by exercising 30 mins / day & following insulin-resistance meal plans. Eat at least 5 fruits and veggies a day; less carbs, more protein, more milk. Get ideas and support from Sparkpeople.
2. Purge and organize every room and closet in my house. 1 kitchen, 1 living room, 1 loft, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and 5 closets = approx. 2 areas purged/organized per month.
3. Live each month as frugal as possible. Strategies: borrow items or purchase as inexpensively as possible; spend money only on necessities and reasonable creature comforts; follow Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps to becoming fiscally fit.
4. Organize all photos and memorabilia by year/month/date or event. Scan in all hard-copy photos and merge all digital ones. Create photo books of each year and order a photo CD of each year.
5. Spend time several days a week just hanging out with my son.
6. Spend some quiet time just for me at least one day a week.
7. Purge, scan, organize and archive all household files.
8. Get our cars assessed and fixed
9. On / near 25th of each month - work on birthday, gifts, holiday stuff, etc.
10. Take care of all medical / dental needs that have been put off. 

Jennifer - Thoughts on 2010 Resolutions

Today as I sip my coffee and take care of household cleaning, I will be pondering what my goals for 2010 entail. My ultimate goal is a leaner, fitter physical body; a leaner, fiscally fit financial portfolio; and a purged, simplified, efficiently organized home. Today I will be thinking about what this truly looks like. Where am I at now? What do I want the end results to be? How small of mini-goals do I need to break up these larger goals?

In my 20's I spent 10 yrs doing whatever impulse seemed okay at the time. For the past six years, I've lamented about many of my unwise choices. I'm not 36 going on 37. It finally time to grow up, put on my big girl panties, and clean up my life. My immediate deadline is Dec 31, 2010. My final 2010 deadline is by the time I'm 40, I'll have completed this project in its entirety.

I'm thankful for my sister who will be joining  me on this journey of discovery, self renewal, and change. I know that together we will kick butt and finally turned all the shoulda, woulda, coulda's into been there, done thats.