One done and one more to go...

As much fun as the holidays can be, and I had a great Christmas this year, I am ready for them to be over.

For one thing holidays mean a lot of forced socializing. Sometimes that can be good, like catching up with relatives, but sometimes it just drains me off all of my energy. Since I am pretty big introvert, constantly being around people feels like it sucks the life out of me and I need alone time to re-group and re-energize. Last week was a whirlwind of activity and I look forward to a few evenings at home alone at the beginning of this week.

I also don't like getting off of my regular eating schedule. Turns out that eating 5 small meals a day, helps my IBS considerably and prevents my stomach from getting upset. When I eat big meals is when it flares up. After a few days of going too long between meals and then attempting to make up for it by eating larger meals and eating foods that arent very healthy, my stomach has startd to rebel. I think the popcorn I had for dinner last night was the tipping point, bad idea.

In conjunction with the food, it has been difficult to hit the gym like I usually do. I only missed 2 days last week but I have had to cram my workouts which means I havent been able to enjoy them and spend the time exercising that I want to. It is unbelievable how much my workouts effect me mentally. If I even go a few days without physical activity I notice I get crabby and grumpy and start feeling depressed. As soon as I get a workout in though I feel happier and considerably less stressed. I should be able to get back on track most of this week and now that I have Wii Fit when I can't make it to the gym at least I can do something.

And finally I really do like the idea of a fresh start with the new year approaching. Even though it really is an arbitrary date in regard to making changes in your life, I always take the time to assess what I like about my life and what I dont and decide to make changes. As cheesy as it is, the start of the new year gives me a little hope that something big and exciting will happen for me this year. My focus this year is on getting my finances straight, pay off the rest of my debt, and start saving money myself instead of relying exclusively on my IRA for my retirement. I don't want to be 40 and have nothing to show for it and I dont want to be 85 and still working so I would also like to learn more about investing my money.

So thats whats been on my mind, I have been a bit melancholy lately but thats ok, I have a lot to be grateful for.