New Year’s Goals

Here we are at the end of February. Don’t blink cause you might miss it. The year has been off to a speedy start but there is so much to be thankful for. Last month I was listening to a podcast with Brendan Burchard and Rachel Hollis. They are both excellent and I would highly recommend them. Something that Burchard brought up had to do with the idea of New Year’s Resolutions – everyone thinks of resolutions as something to fix. I want to lose weight, I want to be more punctual, I want to eat healthier. He suggests that we should change our mindset and instead think of it as New Year’s goals. This got me thinking on another book I enjoyed but hadn’t yet put into practice, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

What if I could implement these two things together? So I went ahead and came up with a list of goals I have and ways to introduce them slowly. Instead of focusing on my weight or exercise, I gave myself the goal of running a half marathon in January. It had to be specific. It wasn’t just to run but to sign up for it and follow through. I had already been running but forced myself to make it more of a habit and signed up. This was a major feat for me. I am athletic but was not a long distance runner. I see people outside, running, in a zone. I was not one of those people. I am panting, struggling to complete a couple of miles. People talk about mind over matter and for me, running is definitely a mental struggle. However, I made up my mind and on January 27th, I completed my first half marathon. While I was running, I saw people with disabilities being pushed by rockstar runners, athletes pushing themselves on wheelchairs, a person missing their arms, running their hearts out. I had told myself for so long that I was not a runner meanwhile, here are people who were likely told by others not just themselves that they were not runners and they were doing it. It made me feel so grateful that I have a body that makes it easier to run and I had so much admiration for these incredible athletes. Running became something that I did for myself. It did not help my kids or my husband. It allowed me to just focus on me. Now, I can say to myself that I am a marathon runner.

Of course, I am a bit behind here. We are at the end of February. Not that it is an excuse but we bought a house and I am working on a whole new business venture. More of this to come. However, my goal for February was to focus on my relationships. This meant that I would make sure to be more present with my husband and kids. Because of these new expenses, my husband and I decided that we would not purchase each other gifts this Christmas. In an effort to continue to focus on my goals, I decided to create a Christmas gift that would not carry a huge cost but encouraged time with him. Therefore, I grabbed 12 envelopes each to be opened on the 1st of every month and include specific dates with him. So for instance, one month might just be to go for a hike. Another might be a movie night. Groupons were extremely helpful because I purchased tickets for a local comedy club or neighborhood bike tour that maybe I would have never discovered. When he opens the envelope, we try and pick the day we will have our date and make sure we arrange sitting. I think he has really enjoyed this gift. I often become so entangled in my children and their schedules that sometimes I lose sight of focusing on us.

March will be here soon enough and I look forward to incorporating my next goal while continuing to work on my health and my relationships. It is not a perfect equation but it has worked better than a New Year’s resolution that lasts a few weeks and ends. I like that when just focusing on goal’s, I feel that you could really start them at anytime. My mind is not thinking it is something that begins on January 1st. It helps me focus on the big picture and that if I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will get there.

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