February will soon be coming to a close, so it seemed like a good idea to peek in on my New Year’s Resolutions and see if I’m still in line. Surprisingly, it looks like I’m actually doing pretty well, or at least staying on target. This, despite having a weird, lingering head cold for the last two weeks, plus living through Mardi Gras and Super Bowl madness.

Here’s what I said I’d be doing with my year…

1) Grow my personal freelance business. Back in January, I said, “I want to have a website, pricing structure, service list, and detailed portfolio put together by the end of February 2013…It would be great to be making at least $45k by the end of the year.” I’ve almost got the website set up, and am still working on the pricing structure and portfolio. I think I should have them done by the end of the month.

2) Expand my marketing prowess. I wanted to, “Become a member of the AMA. Sign up for a social media scheduling and analytics program like Sprout or something similar…Blog about marketing daily.” I’m not all there yet, but I have signed up for Sprout, and my company just won an ADDY Award. We’ll find out on Saturday what the award was for, and hopefully it was something to which I contributed my time and ideas…I’d love to have an advertising award under my belt!

3) Declare a new personal style. I opined, “It’s time for my clothes to reflect my place in the world. Stat.” I’m still getting there. I’ve decided that I’m going to give it one last major push at dropping a dress size before spending money on new clothes, but I’m still spending here and there to update the products I use to make myself presentable. I’ve been reading this awesome book called How to Look Expensive, and have been stocking up on recommended beauty buys that are slowly but surely turning me into a polished, glamourous girl. It’s pretty awesome that I’ve got the Kindle app on my iPhone, because every time I go shopping (Walmart, mostly) I flip through the book to see what products are recommended and see if I can buy one. I’m getting one product at a time, sticking with the least expensive buys, and then I’ll budget for the bigger purchases (I’d rather go cheap on my eyeliner and splurge on anti-wrinkle creams).

4) Start seeing a personal trainer! I’ve been seeing Eric Capers at Pro Fitness Trainers of New Orleans for about a month and a half now, and my arms are definitely seeing some difference. I’m not losing weight or seeing results as quickly as I should just because I’m not giving myself enough time to get to the gym and yoga like I should, plus I’ve been really sick all this week. That’s changing, though. Tomorrow I start back at the gym and it will be non-stop, no-holds-barred action.

5) Join a marching krewe/dance team. I haven’t joined a marching krewe yet, but I talked briefly with a friend of mine who marches with the Pussyfooters and said she thought she could get me in. Plus, Eric (the personal trainer) trains a Pussyfooter who might be able to get me in if my friend can’t. So it looks like a serious possibility! Now that Mardi Gras is officially over, I’ll get in contact with my friend in the next week or so and find out what my chances are – I’m ready to lace up my pink corset and shake it!

6) Read more. I’ve read a few books already this year, and since my goal is to read a couple a month, I’m doing OK. I still need to find time to dedicate to reading marketing materials, though. I guess it’s time to make a very detailed life schedule and stick to it (boring, but necessary, I guess).

7) Write more. Sucking at this one. What’s weird, though, is that I met a published fiction author the other day who invited me to come out and join his writers’ group. Hmmm…is the universe trying to tell me something?

8) Pay off my credit cards. Have I mentioned lately how much I rock? I paid off not one, but TWO, YES TWO, credit cards last week, and put a substantial amount of money into a third card. I still haven’t gotten paid out for those stocks yet, but as soon as that check comes in I’ll pay off a third card and then all I’ll have left is one more. I can’t imagine how much nicer it’s going to be to not have credit card debt! I’m never ever EVER putting purchases on a credit card again unless it’s a dire emergency.

9) Stop letting my relationships define who I am and how I act. Taking care of this nicely. It’s always an uphill battle…it’s strange to be so strong and yet so very weak, especially when the other people aren’t trying to control me at all – it’s all me, making up boxes that I have to then fit into.

10) Travel more! Buy a car! Run longer distances! Downsize my physical possessions! Excel at speaking to people about my professional capabilities! Learn to do something new! Make things! Take my cats to get their teeth cleaned! Go back to Pagan school and learn more!

I will! Could happen! Already happening (signed up for a 10k in March)! Just got rid of two boxes of crap today! Just worked on talking to people about marketing today! Not yet, but soon! Starting a once-a-month craft group with friends! Ooops, need to do this! Signed up, now to schedule it in!