2016: Up

I am never really sure where to start with new years resolutions. I always have so many things I want to focus on that it can be hard to pick just one goal, or keep the list realistic. For this reason, I have always liked Ali Edwards's idea of having a word to guide your year. I hadn't chose a word for 2016 yet when I went to her website looking for ideas, suggestions, and thoughts. Turned out browsing her blog last weekend would lead me to my word for 2016. In her post about her word of the year from 2012, she defined up:

Up | ready, eager, open, awake, into a happy mood

 

 

That definition just spoke to me. A day or so later, I was scrolling facebook, and came across a post asking what word you would choose if you had to choose just one to describe your 2015. I answered it this way:

"The first word that came to my mind was challenging. Starting with the scare we had with mom, followed by our two failed fertility treatments, I was emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted by May. I was in a spot I hadn't been in a long time. it's been hard to come back - I've been overly anxious, easily overwhelmed, and extremely self-critical. I've had a hard time putting things behind me, moving forward, and figuring out what to focus on from here. I feel like I should be able to just bounce back, but I haven't. Here's to things looking up, being more positive, and focusing on blessings in 2016. Happy New Year!"

 

Time to put all that behind me. Time to look up.

 

There are a few areas in my life I want to move up in this year. Since I do a lot of mindless scrolling, reading, and pinning while being a passenger in a car (and we did a lot of driving last week), I came across a pin about goal setting. When I linked back to the original source, they suggested setting goals within certain areas - and so I did. Using the word up, or course!

 

Career: up timeliness, decrease stress

Mind: up positive thinking, decrease depression and frustration
Money: up savings, decrease debt

Body: up muscle tone, decrease fat and weight
Travels: up family time, decrease mindless sitting around the house

Personal: up running mileage, PR marathon time!

 

There are, of course, other things I want to accomplish that didn't fit nicely into these areas or categories. I want to read more books, spend more quality time with Chad, do a better job of staying in touch with friends and family, be more organized, make progress on my master degree,  - are some of the things that come to mind! See? I told you. Once I start I can't stop.

I think I will do a separate post on each area in the coming weeks, and go into more detail on the what and whys. And the how.

 

I don't think any of my goals or aspirations are new simply because it is the new year. However, it is still a great time to stop, reflect, and push forward. Time to look up.

 

Have you set new year's resolutions? Rewritten your goal list? What is your focus right now?