Friday, December 31, 2010

New Year's Resolutions 2011!

So I decided to go with Happy, Healthy, and Heart as the 2011 Theme... but with additional 10 monthly goals. My business life will also have a separate set of goals. Oh, I love goals!

Happy:
* Find a two hour time each week to have "me time". This could be sitting at a coffeeshop reading, or hiking by myself. I need this time.

* Have a 1 hour a week check-in/organize for the week time. I also really need this time.

* See friends an average of 2 times per week.

* Take my dogs hiking/long neighborhood jogs 1x/week

Healthy: 
This is going to be one of my big pushes this year...
* Set a PR in Austin Marathon on 2/20/11

* Run a sub 2:15 half on 4/16/2011

* Set a PR on a half or full marathon after the above

* Run a sub 55 min 10K

* Run 1000 miles (trying again after last year's miserable fail)

Heart:
* At least one visit to NYC & Baltimore to visit family

*Have intimate time with my guy at least 4 time a week... things get so busy and I need to make sure there is plenty of time for us.

* Read and follow through with a personal development book I have

* This isn't measurable at all, but just be more present in my relationship. I am bad about letting deadlines and other times get in the way.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Personal Training

My good friend, Ms. T and I, were at the gym. I have temporarily joined a second gym. Yes,  goofy, but I get a great month to month deal through my employer. We were attempting a weight machine, when I made it go **Clang!** A trainer walked by and gave me a hard time about breaking the machine. We chat with him for awhile... new training, just got out of the Marines, and he told us to come do our free orientation with him.

So we did. And at the end of it, Ms. T had signed up for 9 personal training sessions with me as her sidekick! Ms. T has always struggled to get in shape (at least in the 5 years I've known her) and felt like this was the only way to ensure success. We had had success one other time when we did a boot camp together. At this gym, it doesn't cost any extra for me to tag along, so when I can, I will and just give her money towards the cost of that session.


We had our first session last night.  Oh my gosh, I've lost a lot of strength.  This will be good for me too!  I love the idea of personal training and think I would really benefit from it... just not as much of a fan of the cost! It's fun doing with a friend as well. So this should help, since he is also going to function as an accountability buddy!  We even have to do a food diary. Ms. T is doing the next two on her own while I'm out of town, and then I'll join up again.



I'm excited!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Final Two Goals

Streamlining My Work & Organizing My Life...

Oh boy, I kind of set myself up to fail on these two. They are way to big, and I struggled making the monthly goals. I feel like I made small progress on these, but it is very much two steps forward one step back.

I still work after 7:30pm (or just get up at 5am!), but I consciously try to have some nights when I don't do any work at home. I still need a better system, and I am trying to stay on top of things better. The big things I need to stop doing are procrastinating and being late!!!  I am a chronic over scheduler, and I know this!

I am trying to place the right scaffolding around me to help me relax while still being productive.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

2010 Goal Review!

If I grade each on 0=fail, 1=minimal success, and 2=success... for goals 1-8 I have  10/16 points!


Goal #1: Spend More Time with Dogs
FAIL - I did not do so well on this one. I really need to work on this. I think it's more a time management issue then an issue with the dogs personally. (When I do take time with them, they are so much fun!)

* Note, I also said I was going to post weekly progress... oops. :-(

Goal #2: Finish Paying Debt to Mom
SUCCESS - I did great on this!  I paid that debt off easily, and I am making even bigger payments to the other loan from her. (She helped pay off my student loans when I bought my house, and I pay her back each month, even though she tells me to stop.)

Goals #3: Get In Better Shape
MINIMAL SUCCESS -  While I ran two marathons, I did not really train for either. Let's investigate the mini goals further

MiniGoals:
a) Go to the gym and do some basic weight training at least 3 days a week
FAIL: I really need to add weight/strength training back in

b) Run at least 4 days a week
FAIL: Darn it... must do, must do, must do.... even if they aren't "good" runs, just get out there!

c) Try the Gluten free diet and see if that helps
SUCCESS: I went GF from Jan-Oct and enjoyed it. I am back on some gluten for November and December to see how my body reacts. I think I am going to just keep the gluten to a minimum but not totally eliminate unless I start having tummy problems again.

d) Sign up and complete another marathon at a fast time
SUCCESS & FAIL: I ran one half and two full marathons, but failed at the fast time part. Oddly, due to not running fast, I have guaranteed entry into next year's Nike Women's Marathon!

e) Run more than 1000 miles this year.
FAIL: Not even sure I made it to 500....

Goal #4: Explore More Foods
MINIMAL SUCCESS: While going gluten free did force me to explore more foods, and this fall I started cooking more, and we went to a few new restaurants, I would love to start cooking more. Going to Thailand also helped expand my food experiences. We even did a cooking class!

Goals #5: Wear More Jewelry
SUCCESS: Yay! I did well on this one. I am much more conscious about wearing my beautiful jewelry, and I really enjoyed this goal.

Goal #6: Increase Engagement with T
MINIMAL SUCCESS: This went up and down... I had a tough 6 months or so where I just didn't feel like myself. I feel like this is something that is important to ALWAYS be working on. We did do well about date nights. :-)

Goal #7: Be More Social
MINIMAL SUCCESS: This went up and down as well with my mood, which was frustrating. It's something I have to be aware of... otherwise I use any free time I have to power through the to-do list. This is slowly getting better though, and I expect it to keep increasing!

Goal #8: Save Money
SUCCESS: This was probably my biggest success. Check out the mini goals!
Mini-Goals:
1) Save $2500 towards a Thailand trip (my best friend will be in China this summer)
SUCCESS: It ended up being a little more per person, but well worth it. And I paid for it all easily!

2) Increasing emergency fund savings to $5000
SUCCESS: I have $10,000 in savings!  Woohoo...and just opened an investment account. (I feel so grown up!) I also maxed out my Roth and put a little into my SEP.

3) Have 6 months where my credit card statement is under $1000 (I put EVERYTHING on my credit card, phone bills, gas, etc. since I get cash back rewards.)
ALMOST: I think I had 5 months, but I'm all good with that!

4) Pay off my small mortgage
SUCCESS: Paid it off right after we got back from Thailand!

I am going to go over the last two goals later today, since I am actually working on them today!

Goal Setting is Hard!!!

So I am working on my 2011 goals, and I am struggling! I have thought about going with 10 like last year... I've thought about a theme to the year (Happy, Healthy, Heart!), just do goals per month since things always change.

What is exciting is some of the things that I had as goals last year, are basically automatic now. Mainly financial things, but hey, one piece at a time.

So how do you decide to do your goals?

I feel like the first step is to figure out my priorities...
My relationship with T & my family
Feeling more on top of things, calmer
Reconnecting with friends
Improving myself professionally
Travel!

That feels like I've covered everything however! arg...

Ideas?!?!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

November Goal ReCap & December Goals

November:
1) Put $1000 into my SEP - DONE!
2) Get windows ordered for house - all picked out, the bf is putting in the order today or tomorrow
3) Get majority of Christmas shopping done - I'm about halfway there...
4) Create and start running plan - must do today...
5) Begin making spare bedroom into my private business supply room! - got a great start going, more this weekend
6) Get pictures up in bedroom - halfway... got current pictures up, still need to do new pictures

December Goals:
I'm going to leave out the obvious things like finish Christmas shopping and travel plans...

1) Read 4 books at least!  My reading has slacked a little in the past few months, and I really miss it. I picked up a new book at work (book exchange) and I'm excited to read it. It's the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Has anyone read it?

2) Run 100 miles: I finally started going back to the gym yesterday. I went twice... at 5am and around 5pm. I just did a mile plus elliptical in the morning, and in the afternoon I just did the elliptical plus the bike. Hopefully, with a little more free time, I can make this goal!

3) Go hiking with the dogs 6x. We used to be really good about this, but not lately. It's much cooler out, and the dogs love it. We have so many great hiking places here too.

4) Get my January calendar done. Scheduling is going to be a bit more tricky this spring with my small business.

5) Finish organizing stuff for my small business, so I can start 2011 off right!  I have a good start going, now I just need to finish!

6) Relax for the holidays!  (Easier said than done for me!)

What are your holiday goals?