Resolution Roundup - 2011 Reveal

So here are my 11 resolutions for 2011 - this is really going to suck around 2040. The thing I'm learning about doing this is to make them a specific as possible - which makes them easy to accomplish. I've also decided them into categories this year - so we have Personal Fitness, Finance, Professional, Family, and other.

Personal Fitness
1) Do P90X at least once this year: Yes, I would really like to try it out, I'm somewhat addicted to the infomercial so we will really see if this works and if I can get back in shape by my birthday.

2) Learn to Jog: This can't be too hard can it - I mean it is only jogging - it should also help with my depressive periods I go through every couple of months.

Finance
3) Go to a cash-based only system for at least 3 months out of the year: The basic idea of this, is that if you pay cash for something you have a finite resource and therefore you won't overspend - we sometimes have this problem due to the joint checking account, which leads to bank fees, which I in turn despise with a passion.

4) Don't eat out for at least 3 months of the year: This is another money saving attempt to spend a little less - granted with the way things are going it will end up in the gas tank instead.

Professional
5) Publish an article from my Ph.D. dissertation: This is something I have been meaning to do for the last two years and other things have intervened. I should have this done within the next couple of months though.

6) Organize a symposium for a meeting: I'm thinking that this might be an interesting thing to go ahead and try and do.

Family:
7) Sunday Dinners: It has long been known that sitting and eating together as a family is good for their dynamics but with J leaving to tutor in the evening it can be difficult - so what we are going to do is intistute Sunday dinner. A dress code will also be required. So button down shirts and slacks for the boys - tie for Dad, skirts or dresses for the girls. That we can dress up and be like Fancy Nancy - one of C's favorite characters at the moment.

8) Spend one on one time with each child, each month: This is important, so it might be going for a walk, having tea, playing hot wheels with S, it can be anything but I think it will help strengthen my bond with each child.

Other
9) Begin writing a novel: So I have an idea for a good story and would like to write it down - I also like to write so we will see where it takes me.

10) Blog at least once a week: I realize that I haven't been the best blogger for the last six months so I resolve to try and be better about posting - I missed some prime stories last month like #aaafail kerfuffle regarding anthropology and science and Michal Pollen and his tweet linking to the death of complex disease genetics, among others. I do spend more time over at twitter as it is useful for scientific communication or at least dissemenating info to a large audience in 144 characters or less.

11) Read 13 Non-fiction books this year: Yes inspired by Geknitics, I will try and read at least 13 non-fiction books this year and blog about them to increase scientific literacty. First up is Darwin Voyaging by Janet Brown, which details the early part of Darwin's life.