2015 Resolutions

My photo from the Revel in Atlantic City, NJ

 

Happy 2015! How are you? Did you have a nice holiday? Mine was lovely - Christmas, 13th wedding anniversary, and New Years. Not a bad holiday season at all.

I've been thinking a lot about what I want 2015 to be. I hit a milestone birthday this year {which I am not happy about - I don't like birthdays that end in a 0, no matter what the first number is}, so I want to make this year special. How? Not sure yet, but I've got a few things I'm thinking about.

But, for now my big goal for the year is to lose weight. Yea...yea...I know. Everyone has that as a goal. I always have it as a goal, but I realized something last week and I think things finally clicked with me. I'll share what another day, but for now I have a goal of losing 50 pounds. I decided to do it in 5 pound monthly increments. That seems reasonable.

And 50 pounds is a pretty lofty goal, so I'm breaking my large goal into smaller monthly ones. Here are the ones I have for January:

As posted in my calendar

 1. Lose 7-8 pounds. I know I want 5 pounds a month, but I figure I can swing an extra couple pounds the first month. Hopefully...
2. Run 48 miles. Currently training for two half marathons in March. 48 miles are for my training runs.
3. Follow meal plan. I wrote up a monthly dinner menu because I fail so much at healthy dinners. I figure having something planned out gets me off the hook.

4. Read 10 books. I had a goal of reading 100 books in 2014. I reached that goal with 36 hours to spare. If I had planned out my reading a bit better {hello only one book in April}, I wouldn't have had to read 10+ books in December.
5. Post ESP photos. For my 13th wedding anniversary hubby and I went to Eastern State Penitentiary, where I took lots of photos. I want to edit and post them to my photo blog. I have been neglecting it. I want to get back to taking photos and posting them.

These are my goals so far. I know I'll be adding to them.  But, these are a start. I want to be flexible throughout the year and take advantage of opportunities as they come up.

What are your goals? How are you planning on achieving them?

Follow @NeverTrade2013

Motivational Monday

The last few weeks I have been focused on one thing - reading. I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read 100 books. Yes, 100 books. Just a few. Recently, I heard a reader will read an average of eight books a year, so to set a goal of 100 is kinda crazy. But I did.

And for the last few weeks I've been reading my bootie off! I am this close to my goal. I reached 96 books last night, which ties me for how many books I read last year {2013}. Four more books to reach my goal.

But, how is this motivational? Well, I suppose the fact that I set a goal in January and I'm almost there is motivational. I had months where I did really well {19 books in January}, but also had months where it didn't go so well {one in April...if I had only read a few more books that month!}. Now we're 12 months into the goal and I am almost there...I kept at it even when I had months that didn't go so well. I made up the lack of April in other months.

What I'm trying to say is this, while I love to read {your goal might be something else}, it is motivational staying the course, finishing a goal. Reading may not seem like a goal to some, but to me being able to say I read 100 books in one year is incredible. I was able to do something I love and feel accomplished. I read some amazing books {and some not so much}, but I followed through. I did what I said I would.

That's what motivation is all about. Setting a goal, following through to the end through the highs and lows of it. Some days you feel like you'll never reach your goal; other days you can't believe how easy it is. But, day after day you slog on in the hopes that at the end, you will accomplish what it was you set out to do.

So, by December 31 I will be able to say I read 100 books. That is my goal and that is what I will accomplish. And by doing so, I prove to myself I can do what I set out to do, no matter what obstacles {internal or external} come my way.

There are 16 days left in 2014, what goal will you accomplish before then?

Follow @NeverTrade2013