2017 Goals

Looking back at my goals for 2016, I’m glad I didn’t shoot for the stars and make unrealistic goals. I did ok…but fell short. Life got in the way and I didn’t quite make it. I did read a lot, I learned my new camera and I tried my best to give the fur babies lots of attention once Logan arrived.

In the spirit of going a little easier on myself I’m making goals I think are realistic and doable.

2017 Goals

1 ) Read 65 books.

I tried to read 80 books last year and didn’t make it to that number. In hindsight I realize now that just wasn’t going to happen with a new baby!

I still read quite a bit, though, and I’m glad you guys enjoyed the book reviews I posted. I’d like to read 65 book this year and I really need to start working through my “To Read” list on Goodreads. It’s ridiculously long–over 1000 books–because I read stuff and get recommendations from people and add them to my list to read and so my list just gets longer and longer. I periodically go through it and delete things I’m no longer interested in, and I DO read a lot of the books on my list, but I somehow seem to collect more titles than I read. 😉

2 ) Lose 20 pounds and get healthy

In my last post I discussed weight loss and how it’s almost time to start getting serious about it. I’m slowly starting to wean off breastfeeding and then it will be time to buckle down and lose weight. I’m not sure yet what method I’m going to try. Michael successfully lost 30 pounds last year doing his diet and I may give it a try. At the very least I’m going to try and cut down on the sugar I eat, limit my liquid calories, and reduce my calories more.

–> I’d like to go back to the Warrior Room. It’s been about 2 years since I was working out there! I loved how STRONG it made me and it helped me so much with my knee and back issues. I took a little break from the Warrior Room after Christmas two years ago with the intention of going back and then started having issues with my back and couldn’t go. Then I got pregnant. 2017 seems like a good time to return!

–> The healthy part: Aside from losing weight, I just want to be better. I was doing REALLY good all year with eating healthy foods and drinking a ton of a water. Flash forward to recently, when we were sick all the time, I fell off the healthy habit wagon and I’d like to get back into eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking MORE WATER!

–> I’d also like to get back into yoga. We’ll see if that happens.

3 ) Run a 5k

I did do a bit of running in 2016, despite just having a baby! But I never did quite get my running legs back in time to run the two 5k’s I signed up for. I was definitely disappointed but it was the right decision to listen to my body and skip the races.

I think this year I will be able to train for one, though! I think I will try the Couch to 5k app again.

4 ) De-clutter my life

This is kind of a vague goal. There are things I want to “fix” in my life and environment. For a few years now I’ve been donating lots of stuff to the Vietnam Veteran’s Charity to declutter my house. I want to continue doing that but get more serious. I need to go through all the clothes I packed up when I got pregnant and get rid of stuff that no longer fits, or probably won’t ever fit again. I’ve been holding on to stuff that I don’t need to and I just feel overwhelmed by it.

Also, I want to try and go on a social media diet. In the past year I find myself feeling overwhelmed with the negativity on social media and in our world. I want to take a break from it, or limit my exposure to that stuff, but like a lot of people these days I’m addicted to the easy access on my phone. So we’ll see.

4 ) Spend quality time with Logan

I’m really excited about this one. After 10 weeks of maternity leave I returned to work last year working in the office for 2 days a week and teleworking the other three. It was the most beneficial thing ever. There is no way on this planet that I was emotionally (or physically) ready to go back to work full time after just 10 weeks. The summer was absolutely amazing. I eased back into work, I spent time with our new baby, I got to heal and rest more and on the two days I was in the office Michael was able to stay home with Logan and bond, too.

In September I started working in the office 3 days a week and have been teleworking 2 days since. Again, it was so helpful! In September when Logan started daycare 3 days a week I had a really hard time with it emotionally and I know that if we had to put him in daycare 5 days a week then I probably would have quit my job. I just was not emotionally ready for that step. I am so grateful that we had these opportunities!

Now that I’ve had this extra time with Logan I do feel ready to go back to work “full time.” Starting in February I will be working 4 days a week, extending my hours a little bit, in order to have 1 day off. Wednesdays are going to be “Logan and Me Time”. One thing teleworking has shown me this past year is that I need more “life work balance” and I think this will help.

My plan is that on Wednesdays Logan and I do fun stuff together (out of the house). I’m already making plans–playdates with friends who have babies his age, meeting new friends with babies, the library has free story time events for babies, we’re going to try swimming lessons and I found a hiking group for people with small kids. When he’s a little bit older I’d like to go back to doing volunteer work and include Logan in that.

I’m going to try this new schedule for 60 days and re-evaluate after that.

So that’s what I’m planning for this new year.

QUESTION: What are your goals for 2017?