2015 Goals

16 days into the New Year! How many resolutions have been broken by now? For me... none. I've stopped setting them a long time ago. I am dead serious in that I never made it past January 2nd. They just don't work for me. For some reason, they just seem so easy to break, and once broken, so pointless to go back to trying. It's already been broken so what's the point?

Goals, on the other hand, are my preferred method of motivation. And, I have been setting those for the last few years. Last year, they fit into four categories. Work, running, weight and books. I shared my running goals with the world. I may or may not have shared my book goal - I can't remember. Work goals we shared with our team and weight goals I kept quiet.

Did I meet them all? Nope. I was very close on many accounts and did a lot better than if I had just said in 2014 I would "run more," "word harder," "read more," and "eat better."

Running

2014 - I got in all 4 of my half or better runs. The last two weren't pretty although still better than I would have thought I could do just two years ago. I did NOT get under 1:50. Pretty darned close though at 1:50:51!

2015 - 5 Half or better races for me this year! I have the first three on my calendar already - 3M Half (Austin), San Diego Mermaid Half and the Indy Mini. I'd like to do the other two in the fall. Tom mentioned last night that he would go longer than 13.1 for a belt buckle. I may have to do some searching and make that happen as a fall get away for us. The Bird-In-Hand Half in Amish Country is also on my list - running with the Amish and a real horseshoe as a medal sounds like a really unique experience! I'll still be working toward under 1:50 but I'm pretty sure it won't come in my first two races of the year. I'm just not feeling it but I'm gunning for the Mini and another PR. That just seems to be a good race for it although I think many (many!) would disagree.

Work

2014 - We hit 2014 with some high expectations for our home building business. We ended 2014 overwhelmed with how far we had come in just one year! Along with having all of the homes at Timber Run under contract in December (we're back to a few available, but figured that would happen too!), we had about 50% more custom home deposits than we had set as a goal. Additionally, we purchased lots in a new subdivision and that wasn't really even on our radar for the year.

2015 - If 2014 brought high expectations, 2015's goals are mountainous! By the end the year, we are expecting great things!

Books

2014 - Read 24 books. Didn't get there. There's always another year. :)

2015 - Goal: Read 24 books. That was easy.

Weight

2014 - Lose weight - don't worry - I was specific in this department - just not with the Interweb. I lost about half the pounds I had set as a goal. The goal is pre-kid weight. Why is that just so hard to achieve?! (Maybe because I'm almost 10 years older? How did that time go so fast?!)

2015 - Lose the other half. I've started out the year by significantly reducing my sugar intake and cutting out Diet Coke (again). It seems like everything I've been reading lately led me to these two things. I'm amazed at how much sugar is in EVERYTHING! I'm still doing fruits and grains but just nothing (OK - very little) with "sugar" as an ingredient (or corn syrup, HFCS, cane syrup, etc.). After a few days, I really haven't missed it. And, when I really get a craving, I have a cup of sugar-free hot chocolate. (I realize this probably has aspartame, but so much less than a 44 oz. Diet Coke!)

So, there you have it. That's what I'll be working toward this year. I think they all meet the S.M.A.R.T. qualities and I've added another A for "Accountability" in there by putting it out to the world. 2015 looks to be a great year!