My 2016 word is...

This year I want to be Brave. It may seem like a strange word to focus on, but in reality it's exactly what I need to do. I go along with people all the time above what I prefer because I don't want to rock the boat. I want people to like me so I just say yes, even if I don't want to do something.

This year I want to get better at saying no or I don't want that or I am not comfortable with that. This to me takes bravery as I have to tell people whom I would normally go along with that I don't want to. I will lose friends because of this, but I have to be brave enough to remember the ones worth keeping, the ones who matter will continue to be my friend.

• I need to be Brave in saying no to eating out when I know my goal is to lose weight.
• I need to be Brave in saying no to myself when I want to skip a workout.
• I need to be Brave in saying no to buying that "treat" on the way home from work.
• I need to be Brave in trying something that can help me in my career rather than saying no.
• I need to be Brave in saving money for things rather than buying whatever strikes me fancy.

So many things to be Brave about this year, but I can do it. This is my mantra for the year and it is doable.

Do you have a word you're focusing on or a goal you want to hit in 2016? Tell me about it!

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January 2014 Recap

Stream in my front yard after one of the many snow storms we've had in January

How in heaven's name did it get to be the end of January? Seriously. I can't believe we are heading into February tomorrow. I thought it might be fun to wrap up the month and see how things went.

• I read 19 books. Not bad for one month. :) You can see which ones here.

• I ran 12 miles this month - 4 of them on the treadmill! 

• Lost 2.4 pounds. Way less than my goal this month, putting me 5.6 pounds behind schedule. Doh! It's ok. I'll readjust my goals to accommodate. A slight set back, nothing more.

• Started half marathon training for The Love Run on March 30th in Philly. Am pretty excited about this and for training!

• Started RunSmart online yoga sessions. I'm on week 2 workout 3. Hoping it helps with flexibility and core strength.

• Finally got back to spin class! Looking forward to having that as part of my workouts.

• Sadly, Higgy was diagnosed with cancer this month. He's doing really well considering. At this point, we're just loving on him and spoiling him rotten!

I love his cute pink nose!

•  We've started looking at our budget and finding ways of cutting back a bit. Hubby already found us $40! Come Monday, after a discussion with the cable company, we may be saving about $100 more. Fingers crossed!

• Both hubby and I were sick this month. Ugh. He had the flu and I had a cold. We were a lot of fun for two weeks. LOL!

• I had jury duty for 4 days...and didn't even sit on a jury! In my county, you are responsible to be there a full week. They let us go Thursday. Phew. Glad I don't have to do that again for at least 3 years!

How did your 2014 start? Read any good books? Start training for a big race? Are your New Year's resolutions still going strong?
 
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2014: Happiness

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.

~ Martha Washington ~

Today is the day we all share what resolutions we will tackle this year. Usually mine involve loosing weight, running faster, getting a better job, blah, blah, blah. This year I chose to do things differently. I am making a resolution to be happy. I have specific things I want to accomplish this year, but I honestly believe the only way I will reach them is by being happy.

I know the year won't be perfect. I know I won't be perfect. I know as much as I try, I will occasionally fail at what I want to do, but I vow this year to not allow it to effect my happiness. It's a set-back, not a reflection of my true self. I will be happy that whatever I failed at, I had the opportunity to do it.

So, this year I will make happiness a priority. I will let go of the negative things and people in my life to find ways of connecting with those people who have been supportive, to do things I love, and to just be me. I tend to not allow my true thoughts and feelings come out because I don't want to offend someone, but it never bodes well when I do that. It negates my sense of who I am and my sense of worth. If I want to be happy, I need to be who I truly am, not who I want people to think I am.

What are you vowing this year? Do you have specific goals?

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 My New Year's resolutions aren't all going as well I had hoped. I had a list of things I wanted to work on. It was a list of higher ideals for myself, not specific goals. I have those specific goals too, but I wanted to concentrate more on attitudes and beliefs. I hoped these would make the specific goals take care of themselves.

Since New Year's I have done exactly what I didn't want to do this year. I've focused on those specific goals and pushed aside the attitudes I wanted to adopt. So, I need to remember the goals are to make myself better overall. I can do that by concentrating on the following:

Happy

Confident

Fit

Follow through

Forgiveness

Adventurous

Courageous

Dedication

Perseverance

Worthy

I need to be confident I can be happy and fit. I need to follow through on my ideas and forgive myself when I stumble. I have to look at life as an adventure and be courageous in tacking it. I have to be dedicated and persevere in my goals of feeling worthy of my life. I have a good life and I am very lucky in my friends and family. I have to remember that.

So I'm starting today. I am going to ask myself, "Will this make me happy?" If the answer is no, well you know. If I can get into the habit of asking and answering that question honestly, I know I can have a successful year!