It's the middle of January: about the time that I get around to making resolutions. I take resolutions seriously, so I'm not going to just make one up December 31st. I've got to think about these and make sure they're reasonable, measureable, and worthwhile..able.

First, a recap of my resolutions from last year.

1. I will run a half marathon. Status: Done! I did this May 5th and got so excited that I signed up for another one for September 1st. Then Institute happened. And moving. And 100+ degree weather. So...the one in September didn't happen. But I did run one! And I actually ran a good chunk of it - 8 miles straight - before I had to walk.

2. I will make a budget and either find or design a way to record my spending. Status: Not so much. I didn't make a budget, nor did I find a way to record my spending. I did read a book about it. Does that count?

3. I will pay off my credit card debt. Status: Not quite. I overestimated my earning power last year, since for the first 5 months of the year, I made very little, followed by 3 months of making nothing. The last half of the year came out strong, though, and I have made a significant dent in it.

4. I will talk to each member of my family at least once a month. Status: Done! And I'm so glad I did it. It really made me excited to come home, as I strengthened my relationships, and being able to actually see each of them regularly the past several months has been awesome.

5. I will write and accomplish a Utah bucket list. Status: Halfway done. I did write it, and I did accomplish several of them. When writing it, though, I didn't take into account the fact that I was leaving Utah in May and a few of the things I put on my list were more summer-related activities.

6. I will read at least five classic novels before I begin teaching high school English this fall. Status: Done! I was a substitute teacher this past Spring, and I had A LOT of time to read, so I actually was able to read over 30 books in just a few months. I'd say about half of them were classics. Verdict: I still hate classics.

7. I will attend the temple at least twice a month while in Utah and at least once every other month in Indiana. Status: Done! I'm really glad I set this goal, because there were a few times that I only went because of the goal, but I was always glad I had gone.

8. I will read the Book of Mormon once through with a specific theme. Status: Done! I read The Book of Mormon this year once through with the theme Charity and Love. It wasn't quite as insightful as I'd hoped it would be, but it was still an interesting project.

Five and a half out of eight is pretty good! Oh, but it's only 69%. That makes me feel less good about my accomplishment... When I was still living in Utah, I had a little chart that I made and hung above my desk so I was always looking at my progress, which helped a lot. When I came to Indiana, I didn't put it back up and I think that stopped my progress a bit. I'll have to make sure I do that again this year.

Stay tuned for this year's list!