New Year, New Goals!

It’s a new year, and if you’re like me, you’ve set some goals or resolutions for 2011.  I have to say – I’m not a big believer in resolutions; too often, once they’re broken once, they’re done for the year.  I’d rather set a goal that I can still achieve, even if I falter once or twice getting started.  Here are a few of my goals for this year:

• Lose 10 pounds and keep them off for 6 months
• Do 100 pushups per day (not all at once) for 30 days straight
• Run a Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10K and 5K, and set a PR in one of them
• Read 4 Classic novels that I haven’t yet read
• Write an article for publication
• Inspire someone else to do something good for themselves

I’ve also made a list of 100 things I’d like to do in the next 1000 days, which should get me to about September 2013.  Some of these are bigger things (Go white water rafting, Hike the Applachian trail for a week); others are small things that I’d like to get into the habit of doing, like giving blood more often, or writing thank-you notes.   I’ll post my list on this blog once they’re a bit more refined.

Just as important as the list, though, is a plan.  It’s not enough to want to do something, you have to take action to make that plan a reality.  I’ve already signed up for my marathon this year, and re-established my healthy diet to start on that weight-loss.  It’s important to get started and get the ball rolling, because that’s where the excitement and the commitment begins to build.

 I hope that you’ve got your goals for this year, including one or two really aggressive ones, that you’ll pursue them with passion, and that you’ll look back at the end of the year with pride.