Resolutions - 2025

Ten resolutions for myself, five for the kids. 2025 edition.

10) Continue to do one small thing a day to make the world better, to resist, to provide a little kindness, to help where I can.

9) Work out four times a week when able.

8) Read 12 books.

7) Push up challenge (1 added on each day).

6) Drink 8 glasses of water a day.

5) Get and keep the house clean.

4) Fix three things about the house.

3) Maintain a number of healthy friendships beyond work and family. Re-ignite at least three friendships I have let slide.

2) Continue to work on the deep-seated issues that prevent me from being a firm, steady rock, authoritative but kind, that my family needs.

1) Take some time every day to be centered. Stretching, meditation, rest with no outside stimulus, Chill Zone at gym, whatever.

Kids:

5) Firm boundaries and consequences for 75 percent of negative interactions, at least.

4) Enforce new chore schedule, ready them for adult responsibilities.

3) Work out how licenses and cars are going to go, and stick to it.

2) Get the girls dual enrolled, and SAT tested. Help them with college stuff.

1) Keep an open line of communication and honesty to the best of my ability.

Resolution Check-In, 2024

Every year, I make 10 resolutions for the upcoming year, and then never look at them again. Then I check in to see if I've naturally done any of the things I wrote down. I have an acquaintance who is into vision boarding. Think of this as the opposite of that.

Here's what I thought I could pull off last year:

Resolution time for the new year. 10 for me, 5 for the kids. Let's do it.

10. Read 12 books.

I read 10. Not bad, but not the goal. 0

9. Fix three things about the house.

I fixed two things. I redid the bathroom and put screens up on all the windows. 0

8. Make more money at one job.

I'm only making a little more that they gave me through annual raises. Still dropping money. I can't move jobs until the girls are in college though. For sure. 0

7. Figure my shit out.

Doing way way way better with this. In a much better spot. Still doing the work. Counting this. 1

6. Go out with a friend twice a month.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Okay, sure. 0

5. Get the house clean.

Half. I deep cleaned half the house. Yes, it took all year. 0

4. Gym 4 times a week.

I mostly did this. I'm counting it. 1

3. Give every interaction the honesty and brevity it deserves.

I forgot about this one! I worked hard on it and came a really long way. Giving it to me. 1

2. Better outer self care: hydration, skin care, nails, hair. Look put-together.

I mean, I guess. I cut off my hair that was annoying me. I think I look put together. Actual care, not so much, but good enough. 1

1. Do one thing that makes me happy every day. 

LOL OKAY. 0

TOTAL: 4/10

Kids:

5. Help each one further their interest: acting for Dulce, working out for Natalina.

I absolutely did this. Natalina has a gym membership and does pilates and rock climbing. Dulce has been in two plays and a musical, two student films which made it into festivals, and she made the state competition for this year. She's also set up on Backstage and works on sending in sides. 1

4. Save $10,000 more for them each.

Didn't make this, this year. I'm making less than I was, and everything costs more. Just coasted on what they had. I did finish paying off their college, though. (Those 529 plans or whatever). 0

3. Help them navigate life and be as happy as possible for the long term.

I'm giving myself this one. We had a VERY HARD year. But I worked and worked to keep them and their future selves safe and happy as possible. 1

2. Guide them through their learner's permits.

Done. Dulce is set to get her license in January, if she passes the test. Nat needs more practice driving, but she doesn't test until May, so we have time. 1

1. Increase their responsibilities. Help them be more ready for independence.

I'm going to go half on this. I did NOT increase their responsibilities at home. But Nat has a job, Dulce gets odd jobs when she has time, Nat is completing a lot of community service for school, both are looking to duel enroll next year. And starting January, we are going to increase responsibilities (and monetary compensation) and see how that goes. .5

TOTAL: 3.5/5

DITL - 2024

It's time for my annual DITL. Every year (save a couple in the middle there), I photograph an entire day of my life. I've been doing it since 2011. So, the girls were 3 when this started, and now they are 15. And we have a record, year by year of what an average day looks like through the ages. Here is 2024.

I wake up at 6 a.m. and I wake up the girls.

I make them breakfast and lunch while they get dressed and ready for school.

Carlos takes Fletchie for a walk and I throw in a load of laundry while the girls eat.

Off they go!

I get to work and check in with my boss. She's the best.

I get to my desk and make my to-do list. First thing today is a shoot at a wildlife conservation foundation!

We saw cheetahs!

And hyenas!

And tigers!

And more cheetahs! Babies! And then it's back to the office.

I work on a podcast instructional manual and sneak some food.

I attend a corporate zoom meeting, copyedit a community planner script, and copyedit a web story.

Then I check out a magnet program for Natalina. Didn't end up working out.

Station leadership meeting at 4 and I'm done for the day. (at work, anyway). But we have our body combat launch on this day, too! So I rush home to get ready.

Carlos was washing the car.

Natalina was snuggling the dog.

And I had to eat something before the launch because a handful of Life cereal wasn't going to cut it. Then I get ready and head to the gym.

Success! It was Mardi Gras themed. That brings us to dinner time.

Okay, laundry, dishes then dinner.

Tired but here it is!

Then I walk the dog, while the girls do chores and homework. And then finally. Finally.

It is time for bed.

I know this is VERY picture heavy for a DITL, but believe it or not, I pared this way down, lol. It was a long, varied and exciting day, for sure. Next year, I'm sure it will be boring. Here are all the years past, if you wanted to see what my life has looked like on Feb. 13 throughout the years.

2023

2022

2021

2020

2017 

2016 

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

Resolutions - 2024

Resolution time for the new year. 10 for me, 5 for the kids. Let's do it.

10. Read 12 books.

I got 11 last year, plus two half read each. I think I can do this.

9. Fix three things about the house.

I'm thinking the bathroom, a door, and one other thing, undetermined as of yet.

8. Make more money at one job.

This past year I dropped a lot of money because the rate I was working was not sustainable. I work 2 full time jobs and 2 part time jobs currently, to make the salary of what I believe 1 full time job should pay me. So, I'd like to do that. Be it a promotion or a new job, idk.

7. Figure my shit out.

I'm in the middle of some hefty inner work, It sucks a lot. I've made really big strides since I started in March of last year, but they've been deconstruction. I'd like to move to reconstruction. But I've a while to go yet.

6. Go out with a friend twice a month.

I didn't do this last year, and I really think it would do me good.

5. Get the house clean.

This is a lot harder than it appears. The house is big, we have a lot of stuff. At this point, I haven't dusted in years. More clean, less clutter. 

4. Gym 4 times a week.

This does take a lot of my time, but I'd like to keep it up.

3. Give every interaction the honesty and brevity it deserves.

I'd like my communications to be clearer, and I'd like to take up just a little more space for myself. Not automatically take on the blame for problems or the weight of mishaps, particularly the 95 percent of the time I have nothing to do with them. I don't need extra explanations or context.

2. Better outer self care: hydration, skin care, nails, hair. Look put-together.

I do some of this. I try to drink enough water, I would like to at least use lotion (the rest of skin care is beyond me), keep my nails good, maybe better than they are now, keep up with my hair routine.

1. Do one thing that makes me happy every day. 

I'll have to try to keep up with this, marking it down, day by day.

Kids:

5. Help each one further their interest: acting for Dulce, working out for Natalina.

4. Save $10,000 more for them each.

3. Help them navigate life and be as happy as possible for the long term.

2. Guide them through their learner's permits.

1. Increase their responsibilities. Help them be more ready for independence.

Resolution Check-in - 2023

Every year I do 10 resolutions for myself and 5 for my kids, and then don't look at them until the next year when I see if I actually did any of these things. Here's what I wanted to do in 2023. And what I actually did.

10) Get my hydration levels to over 50 percent.

0. I stuck at 48 percent at the highest

9) Exercise consistently 4 times a week.

1. Done.

8) Keep my nails nice.

1. Done

7) See two friends a month, and do two family activities a month.

.5 we did two family activities a month, but I don't think I saw two friends a month in a concentrated way.

6) Fix three things about the house

0. I looked into fixing the doors, too expensive. I looked into fixing the windows. I cannot. They don't sell window panes separately, and the whole windows would need double panes to keep up with new regulations. I set up to redo the girls bathroom, but that will happen in January. I DID get a landscaper to fix up the yard. Looks good.

5) Make $120,000.

0. I made $25,000 LESS than I made last year. A high-paying freelance client fell off. But working two full time jobs and two part time jobs plus doing all the family stuff still exhausted me.

4) Achieve something notable at work.

1. Huh. I forgot about this one. I got one of my staff a promotion and a fairly hefty raise to go with the title. (Still garbage, but that's corporate America for you).

3) Read 12 books

1. Okay, so technically I finished 11 books, but I'm halfway through two more, so I'm counting this. 12 books is a LOT for me.

2) Get this house clean

0. Nope.

1) Fix all landscaping and back deck.

.5 I did the landscaping, not the deck.

TOTAL: 5/10




For my kids and I, I resolve the following:

5) Help them navigate tween-teen years, be someone they can trust and love.

1. Doing the best I can. I think they know they can trust me.

4) Get them involved in more household duties.

0. They are still doing the same household chores, but at least they are doing that.

3) Save $10,000 more each for them.

1. Done.

2) Pay full attention to them when they ask me for something, but don't make them think the sun and moon both revolve around them.

.5 I have done a pretty good job with this.

1) Help them get involved in sports, extracurricular activities or something else they like and can consistently contribute to.

1. Dulce is in the school play, and Natalina is regularly going to the gym.

3.5/5