First, let's just to state the obvious....I'm a bit behind on the New Year post. I really wanted this written and up on Tuesday but I was super busy and that just didn't happen. Bad blogger. And speaking of bad blogger, you may notice there are a few missing recaps. I never got around to sharing my first race experience with the Savannah Bridge Run, nor did I share any Christmas stories, or anything about my trip to Atlanta, which I sadly never even mentioned. Talk about awful. They're coming all in the next week. Don't mind the delay. I'm working on it.
And while I could share one of those stories today, I'm instead going to share some goals I have set for myself for the new year. Some are running, some are personal, and some re blog-related. None the less, I feel writing them down and sharing them with you will help in not only seeing what I want to accomplish, but also hold some accountability for myself.
Health & Fitness
Last month I signed up for 1000 Miles for Smiles set up by the fabulous Victoria Runs. It's a challenge to run 1000 miles in 2013 and the money used to register is donated to a charity. There are prizes, winners as well. You should definitely check it out. For me, this is going to be HUGE and TOUGH! I didn't even come close to that last year, and while I don't know if this is a goal I can actually complete, I'm going to try. I signed up for the challenge to give me motivation to run more and because the cause is great! Realistically, if I can complete 450 miles, I'll be ecstatic, but I'm using this challenge as a push to do more.
I want to get fitted for running shoes. I've never done this but I know how important this can be. I know I will need new running shoes in the next couple of months so this goal should be crossed off then.
I want to run at least 3 races, hopefully 4, one of which is a 10K. I know this doesn't sound like a lot but while my husband is in school and only working part-time, we have a budget. If we can fit more into our budget, that would be great. I really need to start looking at which races I would like to do and sign up.
Eat healthier and get my family eating healthier. While I ate a lot healthier last year, I still have lots of room for improvement. My family, especially my husband, isn't as big on the healthy eating kick, but is willing to try. With his help, I hope to keep junk food out of the house, and only have healthy snacks on hand for all of us.
Strength train 2-3 times a week. I admit, I'm awful when it comes to strength training. I know how important it is, but I just don't do it like I should. I need, and want, to be better and stronger. This is a must.
Lose that last 15 pounds. I have hit a stand still with my weightloss but I am deermined to lose this last 15.
Personal/Family Goals
Organize my house and keep it organized. This involves so much, including having TJ and the kids help. I want to start small and focus on one room and go from there. I also would like us to go through our stuff once a month for 20-30 minutes and see what we can get rid of that we don't use. I think these small tasks will help in the long run
Make a budget and put it on paper. This year, my husband and I want to work on paying off a few loans we have and saving some money. Change is in our future. Not in the immediate future, but in the future and we have to start planning for those changes now, even if they won't happen for a few years. We want to start planning and saving for when the time comes to leave Savannah and move on somewhere else. And what better time to start, then now with a budget to help us do that.
Become more consistent with my meal planning. I meal plan now, but not every week and sometimes I'm just not in the mood to have what I have planned. I want to become better at it.
An active family day. My kids get outside but not as much as I would like. I want to take one day a month (to start with and then work towards more later) where we plan to spend the day as family outdoors doing something active. It doesn't have to cost a lot but it could be as simple as a day at the park running around, or a day at the beach swimming in the ocean. We could make it educational and head to Ft Pulaski, or walk around downtown. I just want to do something that gets all of us moving more and together as a family.
Blogging Goals
Begin to consistently post. I work full-time and when I get home, I sometimes just want to spend time with my family or relax. But since starting this blog, I have realized that I enjoy to write and share my life experiences, whether good or bad. The days I post I feel more positive about myself and have found an inner peace. I hope that if I can post more consistently that inner peace and positive energy will stay and that I can also begin to grow my blog into something that I strive for it to be.
Come up with a new, more personalized design that better represents me and my blog. I have been thinking about some ideas for a while now. I just know I need a little help in getting it all put together and out there. Do you know of someone who can help me with that?
Post some informative and helpful posts. I post mostly about my personal experiences but I would love for people to be able to come here for information as well. And maybe I'll throw in a few recipes in there too!
Comment on my favorite blogger posts more often. I do what I can but I know how I appreciate every time I get a comment, I would like to do the same for them.
Career Goals
I have been slowly working on building a portfolio to start my own photography business. It's slow going, but I want to make sure I do everything correctly and don't fail in my first two years. Finishing my portfolio would be a great step to help get me started. Do you live in the Savannah area and want some pictures taken? Go ahead and shoot me an email and we'll meet up, I'll show you some of my work and see what we can work out. You help me, and I'll help you! ;)
Get all the paperwork I need to file for my business license in Savannah.
Get my business running by the end of the year. I plan to start out part time (I need to keep my current job as a steady source of income) but hope that once I grow and have enough clients, I could go full-time.
Well I guess that about covers it! It seems like a lot but I fully believe every single one of these goals will be doable. They won't all be easy, and I know there will be times when I feel like they will be impossible, but I will just have to keep telling myself all of these will be worth it and make me a better overall person.