Making Those Resolutions

I am one of those who likes to really enter the new year with a fresh start. I like to make resolutions and am usually pretty determined to complete them. I am a competitive person by nature and resolutions fall into the competitive category. Last year Tom and I decided to complete the Great American Apparel Diet. This meant we would go a whole year without buying any clothes (this does not include undergarments and shoes). We knew from the outset that this would be a greater challenge for me than for Tom. He decided we could buy one item per quarter. Here's how it went:

December 28, 2010: Went to the outlet mall at the Lake of the Ozarks and bought some last minute post Christmas sale essentials :)

March: Traveling with my team was HARD. We always go shopping, but no purchases!

May: Received an Ann Taylor gift card for my birthday. I took it with us to Colorado because there was an outlet mall down the street from our condo. I went to the Ann Taylor shop and treated myself to one item. Score!

June and July: Off work, visited friends, traveled. It was HARD, but no purchases were made. I did purchase one really fancy dress to wear on one really special day :) That helped.

September: The change in the seasons was hard. LOTS of cute cardigans were calling my name. I withstood the temptation.

December: Bought an adorable dress while Christmas shopping.

All in all I really made just 2 purchases all year. The Ann Taylor purchase was a gift. I only bought a "fancy dress" and a bonus Christmas purchase for myself. It was good and totally helped to change my mindset on shopping. I actually sort of hate it now. I realized I don't NEED all those things I used to think I did. I am letting up a bit but I still won't be a shopaholic.

For 2012: Tom has jumped on the resolution bandwagon yet again. This year we are going month to month with our resolutions. Each month we are going to decide a goal for the month and stick to that together. Our January goal is to do 5 days a week on the Ultimate Fighting Champion Trainer he received from my mom for Christmas. We have side goal to walk 500 miles together this year. And another goal to get married :)

Should be a good 2012! Cheers.