It’s 2013. People have mostly made their resolutions and maybe even already broken them. That’s the beauty of holding out a few weeks. I can hopefully have better luck sticking with it. While I haven’t set all my goals yet for this year, I did dig up last year’s list. How I managed to locate the page in the middle of one of the dozens of miscellaneous notebooks is beyond me but I was glad to find it regardless. It’s titled Finish Year based on a little Jon Acuff encouragement, but otherwise, it’s a resolution list by any other name.
So how did I do? Almost better than I could have hoped! Woot! Here’s the list from last year and how I tackled it.
- Music: Record 2 songs. While they weren’t the songs I thought they would be, the hubby and I did put out some Christmas songs this year as well as a few other originals. He did most of the heavy lifting, but hey, it happened!
- Exercise: 500 Miles. While the miles could be anything (elliptical/biking/running/etc.) I quickly realized that biking was my favorite. It led to a day of Ragbrai—a long time goal of mine—and I was so glad for the opportunity! I kept a tally on the fridge and hit 500 miles even without the 85 at Ragbrai. I’ll admit to losing count after 500, but it did happen. Not to mention, I really got into the habit of going to some fun classes like Zumba or weight lifting and that didn’t count towards anything. Extra bonus: the hubby got into it too and we got to spend plenty of weekends biking around town together.
- Spiritual: Bible reading. Alright.This happened but not to the extent that I wanted it to or would like it to. I’d try and commit to a book of the Bible and then get distracted or find excuses. So, this was not one I’m checking off the list, but one I will pray to be better at. In high school I made the resolution on year to read my Bible every day—and I did it too. But I noticed then that it became something I did out of obligation. This year I’m praying to find the right balance. I want it to be part of my daily life but I also want it to be real and focused.
- Cleaning: Purge all things not wanted in a potential move. Yes, this was a goal well before we knew we were moving. We knew we wanted to move but had no idea if it would be in 2 months or 10 years. So can I get some credit for moving? Yeah! We did do some major purging, or so I thought before we moved. And then we got here and said, we need to do that again (the purging part). So this is a little like the last one—it’s moving forward and I’d say it happened but it’s a work in progress. This week I’m hoping to do some major clearing out of our closets.
- Photography: Build a portfolio. I’m still figuring out what part photography will play in my life. At one point I loved it. And then I found myself inhibited by my own fears and expectations. Is it something I should really pursue? Do I like it as a business opportunity or just as a hobby? I did do a family shoot in 2012 and am considering what to do with it this year.
- Food: 1. A week-long juice and raw foods fast. 2. Go two weeks without chocolate or sweets. This happened! I did the raw diet. It was tough but did help. I learned later though that the juice should be more veggie based than fruit to be really effective and also that it takes a while for your stomach to adjust. I did notice that during the weeks I went without chocolate/sweets I felt good. I’ll probably try to do short-term detoxes again but let’s be real, I have a sweet tooth and the idea of cutting more out of my diet permanently is just a little rough.
