2021! For awhile there, it sure didn't feel like 2020 was going to end, but it did, and we mostly survived it's wrath.
If you are expecting a New Year, New Me, you came to the wrong place. New Year, indeed, same me, just ready to improve. This is the first time in my adult life that I have not made a New Year's Resolution. Did you know almost half of all adults who do make resolutions, fail at them? Crazy!!! That's why I decided, no resolutions this year, goals instead. I have BIG goals, such as get to my goal weight and SMALL goals, including earn biceps and wear a bathing suit to the beach ( :) ). I have SHORT TERM goals, like being able to run a 5k in 35 minutes, and LONG TERM goals, such as running a 10K for Thanksgiving. All set out, and written down for me to see. Once I made that list, I decided to utilize my calendar. I thought mapping out an entire year may be daunting, so I started with January. I know I want to work out, I know what days of the week I have available, and the time frames and so it's all there in black and white and in my hand. You know what? It felt good to write it all out and see it. I almost have to question myself for not doing this before. (My best friend is doing the I told you so dance, right now)! It has made it easier for me to see my vision for myself and set expectations. If I find that something is not working along the way, I can tweak it and change it for the following months, but just to see what I am working towards, is a huge improvement.
That brings me to my word for the year: "discipline". If you know me, you know I have the tendency to march to the beat of my own drum, which is great in a lot of ways and a lot of times, but it also my greatest weakness. My Basic Military Training Instructor once told me "if you don't follow the rules, you won't succeed." And, while that may have proved true of the Air Force, civilian life allowed me more flexibility, and individualism, which has mostly served me well. Knowing all this though, I want to be able to spend less time debating whether to indulge in bad behaviors. I want to make positive decisions, more easily, and to really take control of my habits and choices. This applies to showing up even when I don't want to, doing the workout I am supposed to be doing, not the one I want to be doing, closing the kitchen after dinner, and alcohol intake. It even goes beyond fitness as well. I hope to spend more time blogging/vlogging this year. I also hope to read even more than last year, and put more time into my gardening. At work, I will be starting a new position in a matter of days, so I hope to master that, and be able to push my boundaries as a professional, also. I have a lot happening in the coming months. I'll be turning 40, (it's fine, I'm fine), and my oldest will be graduating high school and turning 18 himself. My youngest is back to travel baseball, and I really hope to spend more time with my family, especially my nieces and nephews, as they are getting older and are starting to make their mark on the world.
I'm not going to start declaring 2021 my year, just yet. After last year, I am bit skeptical of proclaiming anything but I am looking forward to this next chapter and what it has to offer. There will be weight loss, more races, more strength, more knowledge, more like minded people and overall just more living life in the moment. Just the thought gets me excited. What are you 2021 goals? And, are you ready to tackle them?