Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Make this the year of no more resolutions

I loathe resolutions, I do. I understand the idea of a fresh start with a new year, but to be honest, any of us can resolve to do anything we want pretty much whenever we want. New Years is just the time they market it to you the hardest. My hubs always says its silly to start diet-related resolutions until MLK day anyway, since the house is pretty much filled with cake pops and chocolate and all manner of delicious-but-bad-for-you noms until then anyway. And he's pretty much right. But are New Year's resolutions made to fail?
Well, mine are I think. My resolutions generally last until about the week before Valentine's day, if I'm lucky. I think I've read every article on creating attainable goals and making resolutions stick, but if the goals don't have a natural start and end point, I'm liable to give up halfway through. So this year I'm taking a different approach: I'm setting life goals, or creating a "bucket list" of sorts. It's my list of things I'd like to do before I'm too old or my life changes too drastically and I'm no longer physically able. So here is a short list of my "life goals" and a bit of explanation for each. This is by no means an exhaustive list, so I'll add to it from time to time as I can (or as I think of them). Remember, the timeline is my life, not be next week or next year, but these are all things I want to accomplish and I can accomplish.
  • I want to run a half marathon. Hubs and I did our first 5k this past Thanksgiving. Then we started some longer runs. Currently I max out at about 6 miles, so of course since a half marathon is more than double that, I've got some work to do. But this is a long term goal. I'd like to plan for one in 2014, which means lots of running in the interim.
  • I want to compete in the lumberjack/lumberjill competition. I didn't say win, I just said compete. This year is a research year. I'd like to know a little more about all of the events, and maybe get some practice with a chainsaw, before I compete against anyone. I'm ok with the splitting wedge, but the chainsaw? That's gonna take a while.
  • I want to do a polar bear plunge. I just missed the sign-ups for the one in Asbury Park this year, and I was super sad about it. I'd really like to do this in 2013 (it was December 30th this year), because it's been on my to-do list for years and it looks like so much fun! 
  • I want to play the harmonica and sing on stage with the hubs. This is tricky since hubs does not currently have a functioning band, and there's a fine line between me drinking enough to have the courage to do these things and well, drinking too much to be good at them. But I can do them at home!
  • I want to save more money. Self-explanatory. Who doesn't? I'm currently formulating a plan to do just that.
  • I want to read more. And I already read a ton this year. But a lot of it was re-reading things I'd already read, blogs, reading to Stenni, and comic books (which totally count, I know). But I want to read more books that I've never even heard of. I need some recommendations, people!
  • Oh, and PS, I'd like to hear from more people who stop by the blog! And since you're reading this, that means you! I'd like to take this blogging thing a bit more seriously this year and I've already got some ideas on that! But more than anything, I'd like to hear from all of you.
How is everyone else handling the resolution thing this year?  Any changes from last year?

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