2010 Resolutions

I can't really embark on this year's resolutions without reflecting back on last year's and seeing which, if any, I've achieved. Well, I feel I definitely kept my promise to myself to stick to my rehabilitation exercises for BP. I've seen real progress this year and it's been mainly down to the hour a day of work I've put in (less in the last couple of months). I think I've procrastinated less, but there's still room for PLENTY of improvement on that front. Being more careful with money... on the small-scale front I feel I've done ok, managing not to impulse buy, but on a large-scale front I've had one big financial failure involving signing up to some really dodgy mortgage deal with my bank, resulting in my payments being higher rather than lower than ever in these times of low interest rates :-( That said, I've learnt a serious lesson there; never trust the banks and never sign anything without having it checked out by someone in the know first and perhaps most importantly - never feel rushed into making quick decisions. I have definitely phoned my family more in 2009, so I can tick that box. As for keeping fit though, I've failed miserably (my feeble excuse is that I didn't have time to do an hour of rehab a day plus go to the gym). So, all in all, could've been better, but could've been worse.

And what about this year's resolutions? Well, I need some time to think about them before making any rash promises to myself, but one key resolution is definitely to be less impulsive. I've never though of myself as an impulsive person, partly because I find making decisions very hard, and it always seemed to me that the 2 qualities are somehow contradictory. However, recent events (including the aforementioned mortgage fiasco) have led me (and others) to see that sometimes in the face of indecision, I  never see 'not deciding anything' as an option and sometimes end up rushing rashly into things because I feel under pressure to do so. I can't say that being spontaneous has brought me nothing but ills, but I can't deny that certain key decisions I've made in life, e.g. buying a lousy apartment, or getting diddled on my mortgage have been a result of making decisions alone under pressure. Unfortunately I've lived far from my family for most of my adult life and have had to make some very difficult decisions earlier and in a more solitary fashion than many of my friends (meaning I couldn't really rely on them for experienced advice) and that combined with the fact that I can be a stubborn little miss and don't always taken people's tips on board, and that in British culture people tend to tell you what you want to hear rather than plain facts have lead to a couple of dodgy choices in recent years. Anway, no excuses. I have come to realise that making no decision is better than making the wrong one. So, this year I'm planning to be more measured and careful in my decision making, to sit back and take my time, and not be pressured by circumstances, people and most of all myself into deciding anything that could have a big or small impact on my future.