Winter is Here

As I turn the page on my extremely large wall calendar (why I decided it was necessary to get a calendar that large I will never know) it hits me that this is the last month in 2012. Where has it gone, it feels like yesterday that I ran my first half marathon, I went to Cabo with my mom, my sister was living with me for the summer, and I made some friends that I know will never leave my life. But as a (semi-quasi) blogger you know that we love to write goals and resolutions and we can’t help but look back at them and decide where we want to go next.

As I look back at mine I didn’t too bad:

  1. Find a new job – Check, and boy has it taught me a lot about myself
  2. Take a marketing course fail but it is never too late to learn
  3. Apply to Lululemon – check
  4. Practice yoga 2-3x per week – major fail, for those of you who do that, I commend you
  5. Run 4 half marathons – check! (Best experience of my life, I went from obsessing to hating to loving running, what a year)
  6. Lose 20 pounds by June – major fail
  7. Keep my body hydrated - fail
  8. Continue to journal – check, if you don’t journal I highly recommend it
  9. Be open to relationships – check, granted I was never in one relationship in 2012 but I had “boys” come and go from my life and they all taught me very valuable lessons
  10. Revive my blog – I would have to say fail on this one

Five our of ten, 50% I will take that. I recently went to lunch with a friend, they were discussing their bucket list that they made for the year and they asked if I had accomplished everything on mine. I thought about it, I make resolutions and goals every year. I have my bucket list that I wrote when I was 15 but I don’t make a bucket list every year. So now it has me thinking what do I want to accomplish in 2013 (which is a lucky year for me, 13 is my FAVORITE number).

It is now December 3rd, I have 28 days to decide what I want to accomplish in the new year.  Also back in October I set three overarching goals for the remaining months of 2012:

  1. October – Read the books I my shelf I have wanted to read – does 20 pages of one book count, I would go with no, fail
  2. November – Stay within my budget, check! But I honestly think I got lucky on this one. When you stop going to all of your expensive gym classes it suddenly becomes easy
  3. December – Shut off all electronics an hour before bed, in progress, this will be an interesting month

In December I made a promise to one of my best friends (who I consider my running coach) that I would recap all the races I have run. So for the next month get ready to read about my races: Bronx 10 mile, Newport Half Marathon, Mickey’s Jingle Jungle 5K, and Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon. I promise I will make them interesting to read :)

But now that I have shared my past goals with you, I am interested have you met your goals for 2012? Have you started planning for 2013? Do you make goals, a bucket list or both? I need inspiration and I would love to hear from you!

Until next time,

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April Goals!

I know it has been awhile since I have last written, it’s Spring in New York and things are starting to pick up at work but I have figured a solution to that problem and I will be trying to write at least 3 posts a week so do not worry.

With a new month comes new goals. As for my goals last month I am in need of some serious work but what I did learn is to not bite off more than you can chew, which was my problem last month. I reached my Wellness goals of getting my finances in order ( few that is a relief) and staying in touch with friends but my health goals I did not reach. But with a new month brings new hope. This past week I have felt very off-balance but I have new hope for this month and I am very excited to see what it brings. Also this Saturday I will be going to Cabo San Lucas for a mini vacation with my family. I will be writing about my trip so stay tuned.

April Goals:

Health

  • Drink more water
  • workout at least 5 times a week

Wellness

  • Wake up earlier
  • Take me time each day whether its 5 minutes or an hour

Blog

  • Write an About me Section
  • Write at least 3 posts a week

What are your goals for this month?

March Madness Goals

March is here, which means it is almost spring! I know I am 4 days late, but late is better than never. Below are my goals for the month of March. At the end of the month I will give you a report on if I achieved my goals for the month and where I can still improve. If you haven’t set goals yet, what are you waiting for!

Health Goals

  1. Drink more water ( At least 8 glasses a day or 3 Lululemon water bottles)
  2. Participate in the Hundred Push Ups Program
  3. Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into every meal

Wellness Goals

  1. Stay in Touch with friends
  2. Do Morning Pages everyday
  3. Get my finances in order

Also since it is March and St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner a graphic designer in my office designed some pretty cool shirts and I thought I would share them with you just in case you are interested. They are actually pretty funny. The below e-mail is what was sent out at work:

“St. Patrick’s Day is two weeks from today. If you’re like me you’re probably thinking, “Is there a shirt out there that someone I know has made I could buy and wear this St. Patrick’s Day for those of us who are kind of Irish?” Well as luck would have it, there is.

With the help of Mr. Justin “I’m an artist not an advertiser” Gignac, www.Irishish.com now actually exists. Go there. Buy a shirt. Don’t buy a shirt. Honestly, I’m just flattered you’re still reading this email.”

Images from Irishish.com and Everystock

Fitness Journals

“Research shows that people who write down their goals
are 75% more likely to achieve them”
-Fitlosophy

The one thing I have found that helps me meet my goals and keep me in check is my fitness journal. By writing down my goals and tracking my nutrition & workout plans, it helps me monitor my progress and physically see specific areas I can improve in. I start with my weaknesses, reasons why I don’t workout ect. and then I write down ways I can fix them. Admitting what the problem is, is the first step to fixing anything. My fitness journal started out as just a regular notebook but now with all the fun fitness journals coming out it is no longer just a notebook. I thought I would share some options with you so you can start one if you don’t have one yet. And if you  don’t want to spend the money on one of these journals check out this article on Livestrong.com on how to make your own and look at these journals for ideas. Maybe you will even be inspired to make a better one ;) .

Moleskine Passions Wellness Journal $13.95 - I was so excited when I heard Moleskine was coming out with Passion Journals. I have always been a fan of their product and now they have journals that are specific to a passion, like Wellness. The Journal is a 5″ x 8.25″ leather journal with 240 pages. The beginning couple of pages are useful information like: Food Calendar, Food Facts, International Sizes, and Useful Measurements and conversions. The rest of the journal is broken up into different tabbed sections: Personal Goals (set weekly), Exercise Log, Diet, General Health, Sports, Inspirations and then a bunch of blank pages for you to do what you like. It is the perfect size for you to throw in a bag and take with you and there is also a pocket folder in the back for you to store things. I can’t wait to use mine!

The Fit Book $19.95 – Can be seen on the Biggest Loser, it was created by the company Fitlosophy. It is a 5″x 5″ notebook that comes with a little pen. It says “the fitness + nutrition journal that offers a unique 12-week system to plan for success, track your progress, and reach your goals. 1. have a game plan whether your goals are to tone up or slim down, it’s important to write down your goals. set your 12-week goals – then set smaller goals on a weekly basis so you have a plan for achieving your long-term goals. 2. track your progress record your workouts and log your food intake – research shows that the act of just putting this info down on paper is key to reaching your goals. plus – you can go back and see your progress throughout the entire 12 weeks. 3. reach your goals reflect on your 12-week goals, log your accomplishments, and reward yourself! then get ready to plan your next 12 weeks.” You can read a review from a fellow blogger here.

Diet & Fitness Journal $10.19- “The Diet and Fitness Journal includes the following: Daily page spreads to record food consumption, exercise regimen, vitamin and supplement intake, and mood. Weekly sections to keep track of progress and refine goals, with motivational tips. Personal training pointers and charts for creating nutritional, metabolic, and fitness targets. A nutrition index with detailed data on hundreds of the most common foods. And, finally, please note that the cover band of our journal is removable, for those wishing a discreet log book which can be used comfortably at the home, gym, or office.” Now I have never actually seen this one but it has gotten some great reviews so if you have it or get it and like it, let me know!

what’s on your “i will” list?

I don’t know how many people are not fans of Lululemon but aside from some amazing (but expensive) workout clothes they have a great education section on their website. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check it out you should. Lululemon is huge advocate of goal setting they even have a microsite to help you start your goal setting. This year instead of making resolutions they suggested making an “I Will” list. If you haven’t made a resolution yet or you are ready for a positive change I would suggest making an “I Will” list. You can see mine below for an example! Make sure to also read the article on Lululemon’s website below and see other people’s I will lists!

via what’s on your “i will” list?.

Kristine’s I Will List

  • I will not be scared to take chances
  • I will trust more
  • I will live a healthy lifestyle
  • I will eat more fruits and vegetables
  • I will stick to my budget and save more
  • I will workout 5 days a week
  • I will floss more
  • I will appreciate more
  • I will find out what makes ME happy

Another cool project to keep your goals in check for the year is a Visionary Board. It is a visual way for you to see all the things you want to accomplish in your life for the year. To learn more about it click the link below. After I make one I will post a picture here.

via goals, arts-and-crafts style.