One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things.

-John Burroughs

I have never been big on New Year's Resolutions. Quite frankly, I can't remember a single resolution I made last year, so they couldn't have been that good! This year, however, I am making them, I am writing them here, and I am doing my best to uphold them. 2011 holds a LOT of special potential for me, and I feel like I ought to pay my respects to it with a few resolutions:

1. To be more organized. Most of the time, I appear extremely organized and type A. However, certain pockets of my life are what I like to call "organized chaos." Such as my email. I never delete anything, or file it, or sometimes even read it for that matter. Until today, my gmail inbox had 837 messages, 246 of which were unread. HOLY SMOKES. No more of that. I am going to use the tools that gmail gives me to organize it. I will file away things in their appropriate folders if they need to be saved. I will delete the Groupon email the moment I decide not to indulge in it's wonderful deal of the day. I will not have more than 10 items in my inbox at a time (This is big.). mark. my. words.

I will even do the same with my school email. and if I get really organized, I will forward my school email to gmail to allow me to better organize it. Because outlook is not nearly as nice for such things as gmail. lets be real.

I will also organize the office (Matthew- this one is for you babe!) I will no longer have piles of school notes mixed with coupons mixed with bank statements. I will put the school things in binders and the statements in the file box. Immediately. Not 3 weeks after I receive them. I will throw away the coupons I know I will not use. I wont keep things I know we don't need!

I will also organize my sim lab drawers- I will no longer spend 10 minutes digging through junk I don't use or need everyday (hammer, pres/res dentoform, rubber dams etc) just to get to the things I know I always need. I am cleansing and organizing it all!

2. Make more time for quiet time and prayer. & spend less time wasting time on things like facebook! I have a new devotional book and I am going to make a point to devote time to that everyday. and maybe even journal too.

3. Pass NBDE Part 1 Boards. The 1st time. This one is self explanatory, but I would like to get it out of the way sooner rather than later and with as little undue stress as possible. I am also resolving not to freak out about it, and I am accepting that I will not know everything. period. I will put effort in and pass and move on to treating patients!

4. To not stress about the wedding. It is too easy to get caught up in all of the stress of every little detail, especially with all the other things going on in my life as I try to plan this wedding. But I resolve to not stress, and to remind myself that the only truly important thing is that at the end of the day on August 13, 2011, Matthew and I are married.

5. Be under budget. My fiance is an accountant. So naturally, we have an elaborate and very to-the-decimal-point budget. Yet, I still have a knack for going over it from time to time (or all the time...). This year, I'm going to pay attention to the budget. I'm going to be better about needless spending. I am going to try my hardest to stay under budget, rather than trying my hardest to pretend the budget doesn't exist. I will even make more coffee at home and drink less Starbucks. This may be the hardest resolution yet...

6. Be healthier. Overall. I have done a decent job with this this year, but there is always room for improvement. I am going to skip the gym less and skip the sweets more. I will drink more water and less soda. I'll take the stairs, not the elevator. I will get more sleep. I will take my vitamins more than twice a week. I will eat a good breakfast everyday. I will stretch. I will put my health before my studies!

So there you have it, my resolutions for 2011. So enjoy the last days of 2010, and think of your own resolutions for the new year. It is sure starting to look like it will be a good one!