So, um, I just realized that three of the last four posts I've made have been ranting, and a full four of four have been complaining. Sorry about that, guys--I'll shape up. (If you're looking and going, "Um, no they aren't," it's because a couple of those were friendslocked. Sorry about that.)

Anyway, I wanted to post an update on the goals I set for myself a little while ago. So, without further ado:

Exercise: Take five walks per week, at least 30 minutes long each.

So far, so good! I have discovered that it's going to be hard for me to fit in walks on Tuesday and Thursday, just due to scheduling. (Impossible on Tuesday, actually, because of the Thesis Papers from Hell.) But that shouldn't be a problem as long as I walk on the weekends. I made a chart to keep track of what days I walk and for how long. I think I can handle this one.

Diet: Replace unnecessary snacks with tea.

This one . . . not going quite so well. I said before that I snack primarily because I'm bored? Apparently that's not true. I'm hungry. ALL THE TIME. Not ravenous, just . . . hungry. So, I've actually been snacking a lot, but my snacks have mostly been a crate of clementines I picked up when I made my soup. I figured healthy snacks could be an exception, especially since my diet very much needs more fresh food. But, the clementines are almost gone. I'm not sure where to go with this one--I am attempting to eat a little better, but sometimes I'm just hungry.

School: Keep up with my homework, both weekly assignments and long term projects.

Oh, I am so all over this. I'm doing the readings. I'm translating. I'm prepared for class! It feels great to be prepared for class! BUT . . . good Lord. It takes time. By the time all the work is done, I get maybe an hour or an hour and a half of free time before I crawl into bed. LAMESAUCE. Which leads me to the last one . . .

Relationships: Get on instant messenger regularly and actually talk to people.

I've got the first half down. It's just that, by the time I finish work, it's 11pm, give or take. So, sometimes I'm catching people online, but sometimes I'm just not. It's closer, though. And there are still weekends.

I know, I know, everybody says New Year's resolutions are silly. I've always kind of agreed. But, I'm in college, and my new semester happens to coincide with the New Year, and since I have a few goals, I figure I may as well state them so that I can stick with them.

Exercise: Take five walks per week, at least 30 minutes long each.

Two reasons for this: first, like most Americans, I want to lose some weight. I hadn't worried about it before last fall, when I realized I weighed about twenty pounds more than I thought I did (!). If I can make those 20 pounds go away, I'll be happy. The other, more important reason, is that I need to make a habit of being more active. Left to my own devices, I would sit inside all day every day, and that's just not healthy. Five is a good number because I can try to hit them on weekdays, and if I miss a couple, I can make it up on the weekend. I'm not sure how much any of this will actually help with weight loss, because my walks are more like strolls, and I tend to stop frequently to birdwatch or examine interesting tracks, but if nothing else, I know that getting out regularly will make me mentally healthier. And it couldn't hurt physically, anyway.

Diet: Replace unnecessary snacks with tea.

This worked so well during finals last semester that I'm going to continue it. I figure, now that I'm not sweeting my tea at all, if I drink a mug of tea every time I get the urge to snack, I'm bound to be healthier. Since the main reason I snack is because I'm bored, not because I'm hungry, the tea ought to satisfy my need to occupy my hands and my mouth without adding unnecessary calories.

School: Keep up with my homework, both weekly assignments and long term projects.

This ought to be taken for granted, but I've managed to become super lazy over the years. Last semester, I briefly discovered that I really am capable of not procrastinating, but I fell off the wagon as soon as finals rolled around. I'm going to redouble my efforts this semester. I've already staked out my table in the library, and I know that if I can just make myself get away from the computer and go there, I'll be able to do my homework. I'm taking 18 credits this semester instead of my usual 15, so it's really important for me not to fall behind. I've got at least one research paper this semester that I need to get on sooner rather than later.

Relationships: Get on instant messenger regularly and actually talk to people.

I miss all my Internet friends, and I don't want to fall off the face of the world again like I had to last semester. The goal this semester, then, is to fix my schedule so that I'll still have time to relax online with my friends regularly, even if it's only on the weekends.

I don't need to set goals for knitting or anything like that, because the knitting WILL happen, whether I want it to or not. I feel like I probably should set some blogging goals, but honestly, it's not a high enough priority right now. I'd like to keep my blog updating (the other one, not this one), but before I can start doing that successfully, I need to sort out the rest of my life. Basically, the theme this semester is balance--finding a balance between work and relaxation that will let me become a healthier person with healthier relationships. I've come to recognize the fact that doing my work will allow me to do my play, not the other way around. Let's hope it works. I'll keep you posted!