New Year, New Resolution

This 2012 series was originally posted at the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog on February 7th, 2012. 

By Tami Brothers

For the New Year, I decided to expand my 2011 year of changes to include my own physical and spiritual growth.  My plan was to start 2012 minus a few bad habits.  You might remember my excitement in adding a Starbucks fund to my monthly budget.  For too long I had given up the sweet coffee I loved and was more than thrilled to be able to add a cup or two back into my weekly routine.  That quickly got out of hand.  I found myself ‘borrowing’ from my book, clothing and (when my local Kroger opened a Starbucks in their store) my grocery fund to fuel this consuming habit.

Another problem I noticed was my increased intake of sodas.  Diet Coke to be exact.  Where I would pop the top on a can of soda maybe three times a week, I soon found myself drinking three and four a day.  This too was quickly getting out of hand.

With my new physical and spiritual goal in mind, I decided December would be a great time to give up Starbucks and sodas completely.  Cold Turkey.  Good-bye bad habits.  Start 2012 out on the right foot.

What was I thinking?  That was the month we sold our house, set up a (temporary) single-wide trailer, moved2,200 sq feet of STUFF into 900 sq feet, oh and don’t forget about all the holiday hoopla.

Oh man was this a toughie. BUT I DID IT!!! I did NOT drink anything from Starbucks (not even my favorite Eggnog Latte) and I did not drink one single soda, caffeinated or otherwise.  I felt great! I faced some very tough roadblocks and came out ahead. 

I was pumped. Right up until January 2nd.  That’s the day I drank a Diet Coke while eating out with some friends.  After that, I found myself falling back into a pattern of drinking more than one per day.  We even took The Kid to the Coca Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia and I happily tried a drink of soda from every part of the world.  Some were great, some not so great.  But it was that ice cold glass bottle we were given at the end of the tour that pulled me (not even kicking and screaming) right in.  Man did it taste good (excuse me a minute while I run to the fridge for another one).
Okay, I’m back. Mmmmmmm…  I can’t describe how good this Diet Coke is.

The only good thing about all this is that I have NOT ventured into a Starbucks.  I’m actually afraid that if I do grab one small cup of Cinnamon Dolce Latte that I won’t be able to stop. Kind of silly, huh?  After all, I made the resolve. Why not give myself a bit of freedom? Why not give up something else?  Heck, why not even change this next year’s goals completely?

These are arguments running through my head as I struggle through my current month’s goal (you won’t read about this one until April).    This would certainly be the easy thing to do.

Instead, I look at a piece of paper tacked above my computer stating exactly where I want to be by December.

You remember my post last month with the pictures of the 6 big goals I want to accomplish by July?  If I don’t stay on the path I’ve lined out, I won’t make those goals.  If I don’t make those goals, I won’t be able to see the conclusion I’m aiming for.  See the links?  Kind of hard to snap one piece without watching the whole chain come unraveled.

This is the beginning of my year of physical and spiritual growth.  Not exactly the start I envisioned, but a bit of progress none the less.  Check back with me Tuesday, March 6th to see what made me sit down and draw out a more detailed plan for 2012.

Tata for now! 🙂