3 in 30

My sweet friend, Meghan, at The Tuckers Take Tennessee has thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak. She and her friend, Ashley, have created the 3 in 30 challenge.

Accountability is not my strong suit. As much as I know it will help me, I'm more of the ethereal-float-around-my-colander-brain-goals type of gal. You know, if you can't nail down your goals (if you even have any!), then when you fail to accomplish them, you didn't really fail at all, because it wasn't exactly in stone, nor specific, and it's likely that no one really knew about it anyway. Right?

Um, wrong. Seriously wrong.

Safely low expectations. Not really a great way to live life, but one I sometimes default to. Okay, usually default to.

So now Meghan lit a little fire under me and while I'm not big on the whole New Year's resolution-thing (always destined to fail), I'm thinking that maybe three little goals (per month!) might not be so bad. Especially when they're accompanied by that accountability aspect. I figure I'll give it a whirl for January. If I can mange that, I'll go again for February. Like how I give myself a monthly out? Kind of fits the safely low expectations mentality.

Someone smack me already.

I don't know if we're supposed to share our three January goals yet, or not, but I'd better do it before I chicken out get distracted and forget to participate.

Beginning January 1, 2011, my three goals are:

1. Go to bed on time. Minimum 5 days in 7. What does on time mean to me? Lights out (no more reading or Angry Birds) by 11:00 p.m. Earlier, if at all possible. That means from an accountability perspective, if you see me dinking around on Facebook or Twitter after 10:30 p.m. (mountain time), you can officially give me grief, hold my feet to the fire, or just pray that God makes my computer lock up for being disobedient.

2. Drink water. I am horrible about this. Just ask my chiropractor and massage therapist. For a little chunk of time, I did drink plenty of water. They were both very, very happy with me for that. I suspect that my body was very, very happy with me, too. Contrary to my taste buds, pumping Dr Pepper through my veins is not the best choice. What does enough water look like for me? I'm thinking 64 ounces a day. If I can manage that, we'll see where things go. I think based upon actual formulas and such (as in the one our self-defense instructor gives us), I should be drinking more. But to go from the Sahara to some lush place with plenty of moisture, a girl's gotta start someplace. Feel free to ask me about it. Twitter, Facebook, blog comment, whatever. If I don't respond, well, it could be due to dehydration.

3. Create meal plans. Every week. When I have meal plans, I actually prepare meals at home (what a concept!). You know the drill here - we spend less, eat better, and have more time at home. It's a good thing all the way around. We do have times that we eat out (typically plans with others), but it's the other times in between when I just haven't pulled something from the freezer, or have nothing in mind for dinner that can become a problem. Yes, Domino's is totally cheap and delicious thanks to their new recipe, but it should be the rare occasion, not the weekly I-don't-know-what-to-have-for-dinner response. I guess I'll post my plans here and that way those who are a part of the accountability aspect of this challenge will have something to hold me to. For clarification, I say meal plans, but what I really mean is dinner plans. Breakfast is always at home. Lunch is mostly at home, but I'll throw that in there, too.

There'll be a weekly (Friday night) linky for everyone to get in accountability mode. Have something you'd like to achieve/accomplish in January? Need a little prodding, er, accountability? Come join us! You can even have a nifty little button for your blog:

Okay, I'm pushing publish before I have a chance to bail!