With a new start, comes new goals

So I swear that I didn't just post and run in March!  Life has been crazy but since things have calmed down, I am hoping to get into a rhythm of posting.  I'm aiming for once a week.

I also swear that I wasn't just talking smack.  I have actually started doing things to take care of myself better.  I meant it when I said I wanted to be healthier and I am really trying to do it the right way.

I still struggle with negative self-talk.  I think that may take awhile to give that up.  It's taken me my whole life to get to this place so I need to be patient with myself when it comes to what is going on in my head, too.

My goals for May are pretty simple:  

• Get started
• Set up accountability
• Be consistent

Simple, right?  So here's what I did to follow through on these 3 simple goals.

To get started, I picked up my bullet journal again.  I let it slip away while focusing on getting back into the swing of things at school but I'm back at it.  I scheduled time for my work outs, began meal planning weekly, and logged my measurements.  I'm not ready to share those with you yet but I'll get there.  Future posts will highlight my fitness tracking too :)

Accountability was fairly easy.  I found someone that I really enjoyed being with who was also looking for accountability and had similar goals as me.  My goal is weekly runs with her.  Tomorrow is our second week and I'm really excited about it.  

Consistency is probably my most difficult goal this month.  I'm great at planning but can be sketchy on the follow through.  I'm really trying to make it different this time.  

So this is what I've been up to the last few weeks.  Here's to new beginnings!

Peace <3

Life is strange

It's funny how things work out isn't it?  I've been meaning to update this blog but life got away from me...moving 4000 miles will do that to you I guess.  One of the things I promised myself for this year was to become more consistent in all areas of my life:  running, parenting, health, personal and professional lives, and this blog.  Some days I have so much going on inside my head and nowhere to put it.  So, my dear readers, here I am.

A lot has happened since September when I last posted.  Some bad, mostly good.  We are finally beginning to feel settled in to our new home though we still have so much to learn about this awesome state we have have chosen to live in.

Today's post isn't about that though.  Updates will have to wait because today is January 1st!  The day for New Year's Resolutions!

Most of you who know me, know I really don't do the whole resolution thing.  For me, it seems to set me up for massive failure every year.  Usually by January 3rd.

So once again I proclaim this a no-resolution zone.

I will have attainable, measurable goals instead of pie in the sky wishes.

Now I know you are saying to yourselves, "it's all semantics.  Goals are the same thing as resolutions."  I don't believe that, though.  I think that if I have goals that I can actually verbalize steps to achieve then I have more of a chance to get to where I want to go than if I just say "I want to be thin" or "I want to be successful" or even "I want to be loved".

I've been thinking a lot about what kind of person I want to be.  I want to be someone that other people can count on.  I want to be a better wife, mother, and friend.  I also want to be the kind of person that I can be proud of being.  I want to be healthier, stronger, less quick to hurt feelings, more forgiving and kind.  I want to stop letting others actions hurt me.  All of these things are changed by working from the inside out, the hardest kind of change (for me).  A lot of it will involve simply keeping my mouth shut.  Again, the hardest kind of change (for me).  The painful process of letting others be who they are going to be is just something to get through.  Hopefully, this will be the year where my acceptance muscles get stronger.

I hear you saying "wow, that's no fun".  Nope, that stuff isn't fun.  I take a lot of things personally that I really shouldn't (as anyone who knows me at all will agree to).  For now, I will just keep my mouth shut and try to learn to process things in a way where I am not the center of the universe and the reason that everyone does what they do (for good or bad).  It will be a struggle but I will trudge on.

I do, however, have some actual fun goals.  Yes, running related.  And yes, I can hear the collective groan of everyone who is tired of hearing about my running, races, gnarly toenails, and aching muscles.  So if you don't want to read about that you can skip to the bottom.

2014 was a year of firsts when it came to most of my life, running included.  I ran more half marathons last year (4) and even did my first Full Marathon (the Honolulu Marathon).  I joined the Half Fanatics.  And I made some decisions as to where I wanted my running to take me.  I want to go to Boston.

For 2015, my goals are simple.  I will become more consistent in my training.  If I want to get faster and stronger then I have to assume my coach knows her stuff and follow her directions.  I don't expect to BQ this year but I do expect to move closer to that possibility.  As for specific time goals, I hope to do a sub 2:15 half and a sub 5 marathon by the end of the year.

Let me quickly address my weight.  It seems that every year, weight is a big issue for me.  I lose some, then gain it back.  This last year was no exception.  I lost a ton (ok, 27 pounds) then gained most of it back during the transition to Hawaii.  One thing I've discovered about myself is that if I focus on the number on the scale then I will give up pretty quickly.  I fluctuate too much.  So instead, this year I will focus simply on my physical abilities and how my clothes fit.  No more weighing in.  I know what I need to do and what I need to eat (or not eat!) in order to be healthy.  This seems like a good time to get on that.

So, yeah.  That's it.  I have some other stuff that I also want to accomplish but this post is already way longer than I expected it to be so I will finish this now. 

2015...ready or not, here I come!

What's new in 2013

I have always hated the phrase "New Year's Resolutions".  It seems to beg that we (meaning me) make a bunch of lofty statements that we (again meaning me) have really no intention of following through on.

Instead, I choose to set goals.  Things that are actually measureable, have actual steps, and that, even if not totally realized, can still be seen as growth if I actually work towards them.  I don't necessarily fail if I don't meet my goals as long as I am still somewhere in the process of attaining them.  At least in my own head that's how it works.

So what are my goals this year?  I have several that I've actually already been working on and that will hopefully become reality this year.

1. Weight:  I would like to drop the weight I gained since my injury.  Specifically:  25# by May 1st.
2. Running:  Rebuild my running base.  Slowly, through January and February then for March I'd like to run 100 miles during the month.
3. Races:  Indy Mini in May.  Honolulu Marathon in December.
4. School:  Graduate!
5. Organization:  Clear out 1 room a week.  By "clear out" I mean sort, pack, and down-size.  Starting with the storage room in the master bedroom.
6. Hawaii move:  There are so many steps that are ongoing that it's going to take more than a bullet point to list them!  Planning is over, now it's time to get into action.
7. Communication:  I want to work on better communication skills with both my children and my husband.  I'm not sure how to accomplish that yet but I'm working on it.

I have a busy year ahead of me.  I'm excited and scared and can't wait to move on to this new adventure!

Peace!

A new year means a new start

In a few short hours it is going to be 2013.  To some, it's no big deal, just another year.  To others, including yours truly, when the clock strikes midnight it will mean that not only is it a new year but also the dawning of a new era.  A year in which there will be many changes, hopefully for the good.  This is my year for true Mommy Misadventures!

In 2013, I am going waaaay outside my comfort zone (along with going outside my timezone).  The girl who hates change will be making one of the biggest changes of her life.  To say I wasn't apprehensive would be a lie...I'm pretty scared.  Last New Year's Eve, I was full of plans for 2012, most of which ended up getting derailed because I have no grace.  I missed races, was (and still am) unable to run, and gained weight back that I thought was lost forever.  Most of the summer was spent injured and taking care of a husband who battled numerous kidney stones.  And the best part of the year was entering that new and wonderful phase of life called peri-menopause (can you feel the sarcasm dripping off the page??).

This coming year is going to be different.

I can see you all (all meaning my 1 follower... hi Katie!!) shaking your heads and smirking.  I have found that God tends to have a sense of humor and answers my prayers and plans with His idea of how it should be.  So, how will this year be different?

I'll tell you how.  I will be different.  It's only taken me 47 years to figure out that the only thing I can change is me... and how I react to the situations (and people) in my life.  Instead of reacting, I plan to act.  I may not be able to control anything else around me but I can certainly control my own emotions and attitudes.

Tomorrow I plan on setting some specific goals for myself.  As of right now I just know in my heart that I want to be a better person.  I know I can get there.

For now, I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year.  Hug someone special.  Smile at a stranger.

Peace