Taking the Plunge in 2018

 

I am not one to get all caught up in goal setting and new years resolutions to be totally honest.  I love a fresh start but I tend to get very fixated on goals so I try not to overdo it.  I especially stay away from any ‘weight’ or ‘diet’ related goals as a rule of thumb (don’t misunderstand me, it’s fine if you have these as goals but for me it’s not a particularly good/healthy road to go down).

I did it!  31 days of running for a total of 127 km!

 

Chilly last run.  -35C with the wind chill. 

The last few years I have joined the Briansport December Running Streak to end the year off.  The goal is to get through the holidays, and all the goodies , by counterbalancing it with a minimum of 1 mile/day run in the month of December.  The first year I made it to day 29 and but the last two years I have ran everyday.  This years total was 127 km, 4 tabata workouts, 4 yoga sessions in my living room, many miles on the treadmill due to extreme cold, 3 trips to the chiropractor and 2 to the massage therapist.  On Dec. 29th as I jumped on the treadmill to do an intense, interval workout,  I realized somewhere close to 6km  that what I was most thankful for was HEALTH, mine and my families.  Each step was one of strength, endurance and determination.  I felt strong and a sense of gratitude for how my body continues to provide me the opportunities to enjoy my family and my  active life.

 

For 2018 I have taken the plunge on a goal that I’ve had for a long time.  On the way to the lake two days ago I decided to look into adult swimming lessons.  I can swim but I have no endurance and can’t sustain a front/back crawl.  I need to learn the technique and also work on my stamina.  This inability has held me back for years of truly enjoying being in the lake, swimming with the kids and potentially contemplating any sort of mini-triathlon training.  So there you have it,  I registered for adult swimming lessons which will run for 10 weeks.  I hope to also get in another swim during the week to practice but I am leaving that open ended depending on our families schedule.  I will keep you posted on my progress.

 

A few other simple goals that I have for myself are:

 

 

 

 

1.  The "Wearing Your Closet" challenge I announced here.  Please join me for the month of January by using your clothing to recreate some favorite outfits or to create new ones while giving your wallet a break.  Follow along on IG and use the #wearingmycloset18 #shoppedmycloset.

 

2.  Reading:  I love to read but find it so difficult to find the time for pleasure reading with so much work related reading on the go.  So it may not seem like a lot but I would like to read a total of 12 books for the year, one/month, hopefully more during the summer.

 

3.  Cooking:   I am really excited to try out a new cook book that I received for Christmas. I have a six week meal menu but I'd like to add some new recipes into the mix so like the book goal, I am challenging myself to try a new recipe at least once every month.

 

4.  Family Time:  At the forefront of everything I just want to continue to practice mindfulness with my girl and family.  My brain is always working, searching for the next goal/adventure, that I often struggle to just stay in the moment.  I've been getting much better at this and part of my journey has actually been to set more realistic/smaller goals, which allow me to focus more on family rather than achieving things that I said I was going to.  One thing that I have let slip that I want to reclaim is reading in bed with Anya every night.  Halie reads now on her own, grade 5 and we still talk about the material she is reading, but Anya has only a few more years of reading bedtime stories or books together in her bed and I don't want to miss that. 

 

I will hopefully  keep you posted on my progress monthly. 

 

What are you going to try out in 2018?  Or what goal have you set for yourself or your family?  Leave a comment as I love to hear from you.  Happy New Year!