Becoming a Minimalist by Eating an Apple a Day

Welcome! This is an account of my account of becoming more of a "minimalist." As I was reflecting on 2011 and thinking about my goals for 2012, I realized that nearly all of the smaller things I want to accomplish tie into the over-arching goal of minimalism. I got this sort-of-silly-idea to eat "An Apple a Day" when I was thinking about health related goals. I read this article on it. Something that appeals to me about this concept is training yourself to "eat the good stuff first." The apple is symbolic, really. To me, this concept is really about prioritizing which (to me) is linked to what minimalism is all about (more on the definition in a later post). Although I do keep a blog related to family, I think it will be better for me to keep this blog separately as an accountability tool. I'm resolving to be frank, open, and honest as I tackle each resolution. I hope this blog will be a vehicle for accountability and inspiration. Want to to hear what I'll be writing about all year? Either way, here it goes...

#1 Eat an Apple a Day

This resolution is both literal and symbolic. I am literally going to eat an apple a day, preferably before a meal both to gain nutrients and in an attempt to avoid nutritionally empty calories by filling up on the good stuff first. It's also a symbol for me to prioritize not only in health, but in family and finances as well.

#2 Live on one income.

This is something that Hubs and I should have done from day one. I am no financial advisor, but this is the one piece of financial advice I would give to all couples about to tie the knot. Living on one income can provide an array of opportunities whether you are hoping to become a stay-at-home-mom, want to save for down payment on a home, or just want to build a robust safety set. For me, the first thing is to get out of all consumer debt, minus our mortgage. I do have plans on paying off our mortgage considerably early...more on that later. The second thing then is to build robust savings which will provide more flexibility for us as we see the close of 2012. I will update you on my progress.

#3 Live as frugally as possible

I know this is probably too vague for a "resolution" but there are so many ways in which I want to apply this concept that I can't list them all. Really, #2 could apply. One of the main ways I want to use this forum is to share creative ideas achieve fulfillment without spending a lot of money (which is what frugality is, isn't it?). I guess #2 deals more with the numbers and boundaries. Now that we have set the goal to live on one income, this resolution will be about living frugally within those limits.

#4 Exercise AT LEAST 3 times a week

Ideally I would exercise more than this. I completed the insanity work out series while being a wife, mom of 2, all while trying to balance a pretty demanding full time job as well. I know that there are others out there who are balancing all that I am and even more and still find time to work out more than this. However, I'm trying to do what is realistic for me. Insanity was 6 workouts a week, and it was tough. I often found myself stressed because I was running out of time to spend time with my family or just decompress. While working out will probably never stop being a balancing act for me, I do value it, but want to set up some realistic expectations. I struggle with guilt, and if I miss the mark, I will feel guilty. I've found that guilt is never productive for me. This year, the first series of work outs I'll be doing is Turbofire. It is more than 3 days a week, but I'll make it work for me.

I welcome 2012 and can't wait to start tackling and embracing my resolutions. What are your resolutions?