Spring resolutions

Since spring is in full swing, it's time to come up with a few 'spring' resolutions.  They are like New Year's resolutions, but without all of the hype.  I choose a few things at the beginning of a season to work on or change.  I've done this several times in the past, and have been successful refocusing a couple of times throughout the year on obtainable and reasonable goals.

1.  Clean my desk and keep it (reasonably) straight.  It's a disaster right now.  I'm a relatively 'messy' worker, if you will, but it's pretty bad right now.  I'm not one of those people who will ever have a completely clean and clear desk - just aint gonna happen!  I have to finalize some Conference stuff and get it put away, and things will be much better...

2.  Clean my inbox, both work and gmail, and keep them that way.  I currently have 462 and 96 emails in my inboxes, respectively, so have my work cut out for me!  Things just get lost once they get down below the fold...I'll never be the type of person to have a completely empty inbox, or only 5 emails in there, or anything crazy like that...but the way it is right now isn't working for me either!  (see a theme?)

3.  Be nicer and more polite to strangers.  It's amazing to me how rude people are to each other.  I was in Starbucks over the weekend, and the barista made a customer 2 drinks, which she went up to get separately, and he thanked her twice.  Neither time did she say you're welcome, thank you, have a good day - just silence to him.  Then in the grocery store yesterday, I physically stopped, backed up, and picked up my cart to move it out of the way so another lady could pass.  Nothing.  Not excuse me, not thank you...just walked right past me.  Maybe if I'm nicer, and more polite, and speak in situations like that, then other people will as well...and people won't be so rude to each other!

4.  Wear what I own!  HA!  This is an ongoing issue I think for most women.  I have a (big) closet full of clothes, but I always 'have nothing to wear!'  I'm going to be better about wearing cute dresses to work rather than just black pants/skirt and a top and mixing and matching things more.  I am wearing a new dress to work today, and am loving it!

5.  See our friends more.  I got an email from a girlfriend in town last night inviting H and I to dinner.  She said in her email that she and her husband were going to make a better effort to see their friends, and it was like she was reading my mind.  We tend to get into routines either with our significant others or with a select group of friends, and never 'get around to' seeing the others - when all we need to do is to plan things involving the other friends!  A lot of times you have to be the one to reach out first.  I recently was in Chicago and saw 2 different friends - both of them thanked me for reaching out, in those words.  People get into their own routines too, and need a little encouragement to step off the path.  Plus, I have lots of close friends in Richmond who I rarely get to see because we're always so rushed and focused on seeing our parents when we're in town.  So I'm vowing to do better at this.  I'm trying to see a different friend on each trip to town - and just in the last few weeks I've already caught up with 3 of my high school girlfriends, met new babies and a new fiance!

So those are my 5 'spring' resolutions.  Do you ever do this?  Step back in the middle of the year and refocus?  What are you working on personally these days?