2011–The Year in Review

It doesn’t seem like that long since I posted my goals for 2011.  I decided to choose 11 goals that would propel me forward.  They gave me direction.  Although I have to say that most of them evolved, I am further along then I was last year.  I will make some new goals for this year.  They are already brewing in my mind.  If I review this year’s goals, I think it will help me make even better goals for this year.

1.  Run a 5K in under 40 minutes – I have continued to work on running.  I will not have run a 5K in 40 minutes.  What has happened for me this year is that I have done distances a bit further than 5K (three miles.)  My longest distance so far is about 4.5 miles.  I have found that if I try to push too hard, I end up injuring myself.

2.  Spend one afternoon (or evening) per month taking pictures – I think I spent about four afternoons taking pictures.  I loved doing it.  I find it relaxing.  I would like to get this back into my life somehow.  I am not sure how to make it work.

3.  Reduce my debt load by $8000 – a few trips this year made it difficult but I still reduced my debt load by $3800.  I’ll get there.

4.  Spend 5 minutes per day in prayer/meditation – this is an area where I can say I honestly fell down.  I have a new plan for this year.

5.  Have 6 outings per month with friends – I didn’t track this but I feel good about the amount of social activity in my life.  To a great extent this year, being able to hang out with friends has sustained me

6.  Make my front storage room into a more functional space – I actually did this!  It is amazing to be able to walk in and out of there.  I still have some work to do but it is much better

7.  Spend one hour per week studying scripture – see #4

8.  Attend Donald Miller’s  Storyline Conference in June – I did this and it still is shaping the way I think.  It will also shape my resolutions for this year

9.  Eat healthy meals 80% of the time – I tracked until March and I was doing okay.  Then things fell down.  I had some health challenges that forced me to stop working out and then I gave into some bad eating habits.  I started being more active in June again and then I joined Weight Watchers.  So if you assume that would cause me to eat 80% healthy, I was on track for about 8 months of the year.

10.  Work out 4 times per week 75% of weeks – I think I was about at 65%

11.  Post to my blog more often – technically I did post more but not as much as I had intended.  I wanted to post an average of once per week.  This post will be #17 for the year so I not as much as I wanted

There are many awesome things that happened which I hadn’t planned for.  Here are a few that come to mind:
-  I participated in the Ironman In a Month Challenge and completed it.  Thinking about it still makes me grin.
-  I travelled to Minneapolis to the Women of Faith Conference.  It was an amazing event which is still inspiring me
- I became a leader of a church small group
- I took the huge step of joining Weight Watchers online.  I didn’t think I would follow a eating plan ever again.  This plan makes sense and is something I have been able to keep up
- I made some connections with some amazing people on Facebook who have become friends to me and are a source of support and inspiration.
During the past month I have been going through a personal crisis.  What I have noticed is that, although it is hard, I am walking through it in a much healthier way than I would have before.  I asked for and received support from many of my friends.  Although I have not been very consistent through the month of December on my fitness goals, I am working to get back on track.  I am trying not to be too hard on myself.  I am NOT starting over.  A month of trial can not undo all of the above.


The 'before' picture was taken in 2009 but I am pretty sure I looked pretty much the same in December 2010.

Comments

mom_of_4 said…
Bravo :)
Admin said…
Good girl. Good goals, good evaluation, good way to meet them and good attitude. Yes, it is carrying on not starting over.
Sean McGinity said…
Inspiring as always. Sometimes you add an immense amount of perspective to all the clutter in front of us that makes us miss the most important details. It's not about the results, it's about the journey.
Horst Peters said…
Quite the post. I admire your courage, openness and honesty. It's not easy to publicize one's own personal "report card". God bless you and strengthen you in your strivings in 2012.

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