Work Ahead

I already wished everyone a new year, we've all gone through the "I hope this is your best year!" dance and now it's time to leave that behind and really work on the year.  Well wishing done.  Work to begin!

How to start 2014?  I think this needs a list, not numbered because that could mean that each goal would have more weight than others and I don't want to start the year by stressing on deadlines.

• Less me-shaming.  Some of you know what I'm talking about, others will not.  Also known as fat-shaming.  Kellog's Special K website has an awesome video illustrating what fat-shaming is and how it's done when we do it ourselves.  A little ironic, many blogs, websites, media outlets, called Special K out on that but it doesn't make it any less true.  Thus, no more calling myself fat, comparing myself to friends/strangers, reading magazines that glorify thin over healthy, no more shame over an unrealistic image of what a woman should look like because I do not fit that image, and am not likely to.  Less me-shaming.
• Giving the whole part-time vegetarian thing another go because lets face it eating pasta with veggies is not totally vegetarian.  I need to try actual vegetarian meals that don't have pasta in it, love pasta but there is a limit to the amount of carbs I should be eating.  This by no means entails me giving up cheese, might as well kill me if I had to give up cheese.  However, I will try more vegan recipes from the book I got 2 years ago, I tried 1 recipe when I received said book.  This year I will try 1 recipe per month - at least!  This is only part-time because I love meat, so yeah part-time only.
• This year I am actually paying for the gym membership at work.  It is the gym that is associated with the university and I'll have to wade through young 20-somethings who are there for reasons other than exercise but that's where the less me-shaming is needed.  Remember no more comparing myself to others because I am not 20-anything anymore, I am just me.  Just exercise and the aforementioned diet changes.
• Re-start the whole budgeting process again.  In 2012, I was extremely good about keeping a budget, watching where my money was going but last year that went down the drain.  I just stopped.  I always said to myself, "I'm busy!  Who has the time?!"  No more, back to basics!  Definitely going back to the budget, it was so helpful!
• More gardening, less TV.  More reading, less TV.  More family time, less TV.  More knitting/crochet, less TV.  The point is LESS TV.  I have been watching several series for a long time and they take up a lot of time.  I didn't realize how much TV I was watching until I did a survey that asked me how much TV I was watching every week, the tally was not pretty.  Less TV.
• Simplifying my life.  I sometimes feel a little overwhelmed by the things in my life and sometimes the activities in my life.  This year I want to simplify that and feel a little more relaxed.  First I need to purge my home of things that I don't need.  Like the skirts from years ago that don't fit but I keep because every year I"m going to lose the weight and fit back into them.  Hasn't happened yet and I don't know that I'll ever be that small again, so moving on.  Goodwill will be receiving a lot of things this year, especially because all of that clothing is still in pretty good shape.  When or even if I lose the weight, I think new clothing would be better than hoarding things I don't use or need.  Shoes not included.  Simplify.

These are the things I want to concentrate on in 2014, if I did 2 of the things listed above I think 2014 will be a great year.