Goals for 2012

Here we go again. Remember, I don't believe in resolutions, which I feel feed on the negative and tend to be vague. Instead I prefer the term "goals," which focuses on positive changes that can set you on the path of your choosing.

Last year, I succeeded in achieving five of my 10 goals. Here are another 10 (some duplicates from 2011) that I will work toward in 2012.

1. Reduce the amount of processed food I eat. This includes: frozen anything (except vegetables and ice cream), boxed items, snack mixes, baked goods not made from scratch. These are full of sodium and sugar and strange chemicals that I can't even begin to pronounce. Not healthy.
2. Remember to take my vitamins--Vitamin D and calcium, that is.
3. Run another marathon--since I'm scheduled for the Empire State Marathon in October, I'm already one step toward meeting that goal!
4. Read more.
5. Just like last year, lose 5-10 pounds. Foot surgery forces you off your feet, so weight gain is hard to avoid. Last year I lost 6 pounds, well within this goal.
6. Try to relax completely every 10 days. So very hard to me to do--I equate sitting on the couch with being lazy. (See #4).
7. Throw out/donate the stuff I don't use or don't need. All that extra stuff takes up space; I want to clear the decks!
8. Balance my weekly workouts, meaning pay attention to frequency of strength training, cardio, stretching/pilates, etc. Don't try to do too much of any one discipline. Getting older means sometimes realizing I can't run 8 miles two days in a row. It's OK to mix it up.
9. Realize I'm getting older.
10. Continue to pay down/pay off credit card debt. Every monthly payment is a minor victory. Keep it going!

I suppose these are modest goals, I don't know. Still, they're goals. Like last year, I will check in from time to time to see how I am progressing. Putting this in writing, posting it where my friends can see, keeps me moving forward.
Happy New Year!