New Year's Resolutions for 2014

Every year, like most of the population, I thoughtfully and diligently string together a list of resolutions to carry out in the New Year; and every year, I carefully and diligently work on completing these resolutions – right up until around the time when my birthday rolls around. (This would’ve had the potential of being a lot more impressive if my birthday wasn’t within the first few days of January).

So this year I’m trying something a little different. In hopes of extending the amount of time before shamefully giving up on my goals, I’m going to make myself accountable by posting a list of my resolutions to my blog. Hopefully this works in keeping me more motivated – maybe I’ll even make it to the second week!

    1.   I am going to achieve and maintain a weight of 160lbs. Over the past year and a half I’ve lost just over 100lbs, but am still just a couple pounds short of my goal weight. By eating healthily and exercising regularly (at least 4x a week) I will not only reach, but also maintain the 160lb mark I set out to achieve.

    2.   I am going to deepen my relationship with God. By going to church regularly and attending spiritual classes (at least 3), my relationship with God will be stronger and more meaningful than ever before.

    3.   I am going to discover what I want out of life. As of right now I am not 100% sure on the direction I’d like my life to take – but by the end of this year I will be well on my journey. Whether it’s back in school or starting a career, I’ll be working very hard this year to get my life back on track.

    4.   I am going to keep a tidy living space. Sometimes I can be a tad messy or unorganized, but this year it’s my goal to keep everything looking spic and span.

    5.   I am going to be more confident in myself. Although this is a pretty broad goal, I will take steps in boosting my self-esteem and loving myself this year.

    6.   I am going to practise my clarinet at least once a week. Plain and simple – you can’t grow as a musician unless you play your instrument.

    7.   I am going to crochet an afghan. These goals are getting a little more random, but so what? It’s been a few years since I made a blanket, and this year I will complete another one.

    8.   I am going to get in good enough shape to be able to run for 45 minutes straight. For most of my life I have been an out of shape person – getting bad marks in PE and always finishing last on runs – so this goal is a pretty big deal for me. Right now I can keep to a pace of 6mph for just under 20 minutes, but I hope to more than double that time before the year is through.

    9.   I am going to post to my blog at least once every two weeks. Sometimes I get lazy or life just gets in the way, but writing is a passion of mine and this year I will keep it up more regularly.

So that is my list of New Year’s resolutions - it’s said that people who write down their goals are more likely to succeed, so here’s hoping! I have high expectations for 2014, and am greatly looking forward to working on these aspirations throughout the year. In a few days when my birthday comes along, I will be more than ready to whip out this list and use it to beat the urge to quit away from my motivation to achieve these resolutions!