Thanksgiving is done, Christmas and Hanukkah have past, and now we have to think about what we did/did not accomplish over the past year. For some, the past year has been everything they wanted it to be, for others it has been ok, and the remainder are counting down the days to 2013.
“According to a 2002 study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, the average, self-reported success rate for people in their 20s is a fair 39 percent, while folks over 50 apparently struggle a great deal more and only follow through on resolutions 14 percent of the time” (source). With such a low success rate I think there is a tendency to have a negative mind shift the week before new years as we look back on the past year. No matter how you feel about 2012, I want each of you to take a minute to think of all of the great things you achieved this past year and beat the pre-new years blues.
No seriously… Take a minute to think!
Almost every year I make a goal of losing weight, getting into better shape, and finding joy in my life. Although I have not reached the ultimate goal yet, the truth is, each year I have made positive movement towards reaching my ultimate goal. Last year, I set 8 goals.
- Continue to accomplish my 28 by 28 goals!
- Save money: eat out less, spend less at Target, and think more about Neal’s and my future goals.
- Continue my weight loss journey. I’d like to say “lose 30 pounds and fall below 200 pounds”, but I want to be realistic! I’d love to lose more weight, but it’s not a race, it’s a journey.
- Eat less processed foods.
- Poshbird said it best, so I’m going to quote her, “Spend more time with loved ones and friends……BUT NO TIME with the people I don’t like or who annoy me , bore me or take advantage of me ! Life is too short and I’m not going to waste a moment of it with people who don’t deserve my time and effort !” hahaha! I love it!
- Treasure my maiden name for the next 6 months and then celebrate my new name for the last 6 months.
- Become an awesome wife: keeping an open mind, a patient attitude, and a loving heart!
- Enjoy every moment of this exciting year!!
I can confidently say that I reached my goals. Most of them are goals I will continue to work on, like saving money, being a loving wife, and eating less processed food but the I am proud of how I approached 2012 and feel great about it coming to an end. This year I also achieved some big things and hit a few milestones.
- I graduated from Kansas State University with a Masters in Academic Advising
- I married my best friend
- I traveled across Europe on my honeymoon
- I ran a 10K at Runner’s World and was in Runner’s World magazine
- I worked out at Reebok Headquarters Crossfit One
- I did Jillian Michael’s Body Revolution
- I joined Weight Watchers
2012 was a really great year but it was also filled with some low points. The challenge though is to not focus on the low points. Could I focus on the low points as I think about what I want to achieve in 2013? Yes, but what does harping on them do but bum me out and make the days leading up to 2013 negative?
So over the next couple of days I am going to challenge you to do the following things:
- Make a list of all of the things you achieved this year.
- Making a list of the things you love about yourself and do not want to change.
- Make a list of your goals for 2013, staying positive as you create your list.
Enjoy these last few days of 2012!!
