"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Every year, I debate whether or not to make "resolutions". As much as I hate them, I just can't help but feel like the new year is my chance at a clean slate. As 2010 comes to a close, I have spent a lot of time beating myself up over my failures of the year. I haven't lost any weight, in fact I've probably gained. I haven't been doing much running at all. I've probably ran the least miles I have ever run in a year.
On the other hand, I have made a lot of changes this year, and some accomplishments. I may not have run many miles overall, but I ran
5 Half Marathons,
1 Full Marathon,
1 8-man/80-mile relay,
and various races of shorter distances.
I also moved myself and my 2 kids 300+ miles from the area we've lived for the past 15+ years (and 300 miles away from all the help from my parents). I've started in a new position at work where I travel about 50% of the time (which I love, by the way, the job and the travel).
So, what does 2011 hold for me? Well, clearly, I get to start a fresh new chapter. I can't wait for that.
I'm not going to set any arbitrary goals for myself (although I have already committed to at least 2 marathons for the year and various other races).
Instead of saying I will lose xx pounds or run yyyy miles, I'm going to take it as it comes. Of course, it's crazy to say that I don't have some hope in mind for what I think I want to accomplish. I'm going to make it my #1 new year's resolution to forgive myself if I don't meet all my expectations.
I also have some goals in mind for work and for my personal life. I can pretty much boil it down to this: Focus. I have so many things that need to get accomplished, that it's impossible to think I can get it all done when I would like for it to get done, at work and at home. My second resolution is to focus on the task at hand and cross things off my to-do list one at a time without getting overwhelmed.
That's it. I feel good about giving myself a break. Hopefully, I'll follow through with it and have a more positive outlook in 2011 than I've had in 2010.
6 comments:
Were we separated at birth? I tend to beat myself up over what I didn't accomplish as well. Sometimes the list of goals is endless. Ha!
Your list of accomplishments are very impressive and you have had a heck of a busy year. Cheers to 2011!
If our lives were a book, we'd be the author. We have the say in everything....from the plot to the characters, from the level of humor to the quality of the story itself.
We are the authors of our own life and our own destiny!
Congrats on a huge year for you. Here's to 2011........
Green Bay is still an invite!!
Here's to 2011!!!!
Congrats on so many big accomplishments!
I really, really love that quote you put at the top. I think the most important part about New Year's isn't necessarily making big resolutions, but recognizing it as an opportunity where we have the POTENTIAL to change, and not allowing inertia to block those positive changes any longer. Does that make any sense?
Happy New Year!
We are so much on the same page... Congrats on all your 2010 accomplishments (including the big move) and here's to a fantastic 2011!
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