I’m not really into the whole “New Year Resolution” thing, which is probably why I just came up with mine and it’s already the 9th of January. Resolutions feel ‘fake’ and chummy to me, especially when you stop and consider the small percentage of people that actually follow through with them. But I’m determined to be one of those people that makes it through to January 2013 with dedication to one thing….allocating 10% of my paycheck earned every month to my savings account. I’ve been fairly organized about my money and where it’s gone in the past year. I use Mint.com and try to avoid those red bar lines as often as I can. The 1st of the month is a success and a letdown all at once, but at least I have been able to pay those darn bills and feel good about the money that I can spend on fun things at the end of the day. But I want to save up and make sure I’m being wise about the future.
When I want to do something, it has to happen. That’s the way I work. No ‘ifs, ands, or buts’ about it.
I worked really hard last year to accomplish my running goals. And this year shouldn’t be any different. I have a feeling it’s going to be just as tough (if not tougher) to have a certain time goal in mind. On that note, my goal is to run a half marathon at or under 1 hour 40 minutes. My current PR is 1:43:48, so I’ll be focusing a lot on speed in the next few months. I’ll be running three half marathons before the end of April and I can’t wait.
These kinds of goals mean that I either succeed or fail every month. And to be honest, they’re probably the type of goals that breed failure more often than success because they demand true commitment. But I think it’s also important to stop and think about goals that maybe can‘t be measured. There are things I want to ENJOY this year. Rather than being a slave to accomplishing these things, I’m hoping I can take a step back and attribute time to doing things I love with people I love.
Here’s my short list:
- Enjoy reading a good book every once in awhile– the easiest way to do this is to read when I’m on the train and right before I go to sleep each night.
- Take the time to cook more meals at home and perfect easy recipes–it might take dedication but it always makes me slow down and enjoy my meals more often.
- Don’t be afraid to say “yes” OR “no” to someone–decisions can be hard but I shouldn’t feel guilty about deciding either way once I do.
- Write down my “moment” of the day every night before I go to bed–something that made me happy, something that made me chuckle, a deep thought I had on the train, a wish for the following day…anything! The goal is to be mindful of the good things in life.
It’s a short list, but it means a lot. What will you accomplish this year?
We Wander And Ponder 
This is awesome. Thanks for the email! I completely agree with you about the not feeling bad after deciding yes or no to someone. I feel like its hard balancing when to go out, when to stay home with my family, or even when to know its time to dedicate to myself! Also- I thought I was the only one deep thinking on the train! Lol.
It’s crazy to see how successful you were running this year, and all of your dedication to training really paid off at your marathon. You seriously rocked it out! I’m sure that 2012 will be amazing for you, and I want to let you know how much you’ve inspired me to be more diligent and push myself toward being as healthy and determined as I want to be.
Kate! Hello! 🙂 As you know, all deep thoughts happen on the train. There must be something about confinement and a screechy train car that get our minds going, haha. I love following your cute life! Here’s to 2012– who knows what will happen next?
I love this post. I’m gonna write a “goals” post this week too – better late than never right? And your short list? Brilliant. The “moment” of the day is something I should do too. A chance to reflect on the positive instead of the negative. Thanks girl!!! Hope all is well! 🙂
Hey Briana! I think I forgot to do my ‘moment’ of the day yesterday! Woops! Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Totally with you on not really doing resolutions, but goals! It’s all about I think breaking down resolutions – a whole year to accomplish something just seems like forever to get it done! Can’t wait to follow along in your achieving a sub 1:40 half – that’s really awesome and we have the faith in you!
Awww thanks! I really appreciate your support! It’s so much easier to accomplish things when you break it down 🙂
Those are great goals – we’ve got some similar ones! Books, cooking and savings – must be a runner thing?! Or a mid-twenties thing? Ha, we all wanna cook, read and have a little money put aside.