January 10, 2014

Birthday Goals



The beauty of having a birthday in January is that I can set goals that will double as "resolutions".  You and I both know that resolutions don't stick…so just take these for what they're worth.

1.  Start a healthy and productive workout routine.
I'm looking at fitness in a whole new way this year.  In a nutshell, I'm going to stop feeling guilty for NOT working out.  I'm going to shoot for cardio once a week and strength training once a week.  It may seem like that's not much, but I've more or less been in a "I'm not going and you can't make me" phase.  We'll see what this year brings, I guess.  I told Scott we could move back to Alaska…so I could go to my old gym again.  I miss the positive motivation and all-around good attitude there.

2.  No clothes, no toys, no coffee splurges, no trail mix runs for the month of January.
(Yes.  I do make special trips to Wal-Mart for bags of trail mix.  I love the stuff.)
Essentially, no buying extra stuff/treats and I'm joining in with Steph and the January Spending Freeze. I already ruined it by having to go buy ANOTHER phone charger.  That's right:  I've had the phone since November and I'm on my 3rd charger.  I lost the first one.  The 2nd one stopped working. I shelled out $27 for a new one last week.
In addition, I'm allowed to buy highlights for my hair ($10), and I got a Stitchfix dress that I'm calling a birthday present.  It was only $28, and then I canceled Stitchfix altogether.  Enough is enough with that nonsense.
Other things I'm "allowed" to buy include goodies for the Sweetheart Swap. (< did you sign up?)

I'll also be sure to think up a new challenge for the month of February.  I like challenges.  It's really the only way I ever get things done.  The dishes, for instance, only get done when I set a timer.

3.  Stop wasting time online.  If I'm online, I need to be using my time productively: to read worthwhile things, to write, to research.  A lot of blogs are ones I read (or yes, even hate-read) but never comment on and I'm going to stop wasting time this way.

4.  Read!  I took a trip to the library this week and I'm keeping a list of every book I read this year.  So far, we're at….one.  But I'm on book #2.  I'm doing audiobooks too, so I'm really double-dipping in intellectualism (I WILL finish that Sookie Stackhouse series this year.)

5.  Remember to send thank-you cards.  I'm usually pretty good about this.  However, sometimes I slip up and dismiss the idea, thinking of it as a lost art.  It is a lost art.  Which is why it's important that I remember to do it, right?  I started by writing them to the kiddos who gave me Christmas gifts.

Speaking of "thank you", THANK YOU for sticking with me another year.  It's been a different kinda year.  Changes all around it seems with a new state, new dog, new cars…new job, new house…lots of things were new!  In fact, I'm completely different from the person who wrote this post a year ago (pay attention to #8).  Although, the quirks definitely remain the same.  I'm getting better at 'left' and 'right', though.  Promise.

Since today is my birthday, as is the tradition here, I'm giving a $10 Starbucks card away to a reader.  Good luck!



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16 comments:

  1. Happy, happy birthday! This is a great way to start a year. Good luck!

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  2. Happy, Happy Birthday! I am a week and a day ahead of you, there. I also set Birthday/New Year "goals", or whatever you want to call them. I want to read more this year, too. I miss it.

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  3. LOL at the stopping the hate reading. That is high on my list of things to do to be less of a jerk this year but some people are crazy so I can't stop. Time management is a huge goal of mine. Good luck and happy birthday!

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  4. Happy happy birthday dear friend - hope you celebrate with a great dinner or something :)

    You should join Goodreads to track your books - its awesome yet addicting!

    I think I am going to sign up for the swap right now :)

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  5. Happy birthday, chica!!!

    These are some really good goals. I really need to think about making an actual list and putting it somewhere I can see it. I have goals in my head but I tend to forget about them...because they're just in my head...haha.

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  6. Happiest birthday, friend! Good luck with your goals this year :)

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  7. A very happy birthday to my real-life blog friend! :) I'm so glad we got together for a bit over Christmas break!

    It really makes me laugh that you set a timer to do the dishes. That's awesome! :)

    I think your workout goals are very realistic. We all have to face the facts that there are just days that we don't feel like working out (or are too busy to do so). We need to stop making ourselves feel guilty for that! :)

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  8. Happy Birthday!! I'm trying to be a bit more active today. I like to say doing what you can is better than doing nothing EVER, so baby steps.

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  9. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

    If I don't exercise three times next week, someone should punch me in the face.

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  10. Happy Birthday!!! :) I hope you have a great day.

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  11. Those are some great goals! Love it.

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  12. Happy Birthday!! I need to stop wasting time online too. Darn FB always gets me.

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  13. Happy Birthday!! And I think thank you cards are definitely a lost art--I think I've received 1 or 2 over the past few years, but I refuse to let that make me cynical! People should be thanked when they are kind to me so I will send cards. Actually I just sent a thank you card by proxy yesterday because I'm away from home but I called Angel and reminded him to send one that I'd forgotten about.

    I've never tried Stitchfix and I don't think I ever would...I like the privilege of picking out my own clothes.

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  14. Those are really good goals! I like the stay in shape one. Happy Birthday!

    ❤Tallia
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