Happy New Year! I hope you had a great time ringing in the New Year with loved ones. Have you set any resolutions for 2018?
I love the start of a new year because I can look back on the past 365 days and look ahead to how I can continue to develop, grow, and improve. So just like in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 – I am sharing my New Year’s Resolutions for 2018! Check them out below!
2017 was one heck of a year for me, in good ways and in bad. I had quite a few successes but some failures as well. I thought I would do a quick highlight of last year’s resolutions and what areas were hits and misses:
Successes
I accomplished all of my running goals for 2017: I stayed consistent with cross-training and was able to stay injury-free, but more than anything, I finally ran a sub-2:15 half marathon for the first time in years: I accomplished that 4 times and was rewarded with a new PR of 2:07:56!
Our house has definitely become more of a home – we built a back patio ourselves and grilled all summer, Bret did a ton of landscaping, and my office is much more organized.
I read more books in 2017 – my goal was 4, but I actually read a few more though I don’t remember the exact count. I joined my neighbors’ book club and while I didn’t finish all of the books, I got more acquainted with the local library!
I definitely made more progress in my role at work. I think I’ve continued to build my professional reputation and have been involved in an exciting working group for my company.
I did a slight update to my RWNR newsletter…but I still don’t send them out consistently enough and my open rates leave much to be desired.
No surprise here, but meal planning continues to be a hot mess. I just can’t seem to make this a routine…but I haven’t given up yet!
I was really set on creating a Facebook group for the blog. It didn’t happen, and now my head is in a different space.
Just in general, my blogging really declined in 2017. Sometimes I would do “whatever it takes” to get a blog post out…lately, not so much. As a result, I posted a lot less often.
My Goals for 2018
It really took me a while to think of my goals for 2018…but I can always think of something to improve ;). I don’t necessarily like the word “resolutions”, but I’m ready to move forward and attack the year with a great attitude and strong spirit!
Running/Fitness
Stay injury-free. I have to make this a goal every year to keep myself accountable. I’ve been blessed to stay healthy for the past few years, and I plan to keep it that way…so no slacking off!
PR the marathon. I am running my second-ever marathon this April: The New Jersey Marathon! It is scary to put this goal out there, but I am confident that I can do better this time with Coach Laura as my guide. Honestly, this may be the last marathon I ever do…so I want to do it right!
Optimize my fueling strategy. I want to get a new hydration pack and find the right chews for me. The Clif Shotbloks were always my favorite but they are a dental nightmare…and the Honey Stinger Chews don’t seem to be sufficient. So I’ll need to figure out what works best for me.
Improve my running form. Lately, I’ve been feeling that my running form stinks. My feet have been slapping the pavement hard and my glutes do NOT seem to be firing, even though I do a lot of glute work in barre. So I want to get rid of some bad habits while not going so far as switching to low drop shoes or making other extreme changes.
Nutrition
Make meal planning happen. I don’t want to look back at this post like I have the past few years and say that I still didn’t get it together. This is the key: This will make sure I have a good lunch to take to work and a delicious meal ready to eat when I come home. It would automatically make me eat so much healthier! So if you have any tips, I appreciate it!
Drink more water. When I track my water consumption, I drink more. So I’m thinking of getting some kind of water bottle that tells me to drink more water. I don’t want to pay a ton of money for a water bottle, but maybe I’ll use water tracker insert in my Passion Planner to keep myself honest.
Eat more veggies. It’s sad that I have to put this goal out there, but I really don’t think I’ve been eating enough vegetables so I want to work on this in 2018. More salads, less French fries.
Make my voice heard at work. While I have made some great strides in the office, I have had challenges. Instead of being a wallflower, it’s time to stand up and speak out and not be intimidated by the people in the room. This is a big goal for me as my project grows in intensity these next few months.
Find a way to mentor girls in STEM. Considering the issues that I still have with almost 10 years in industry, I have learned a LOT and I would love to get involved in a mentoring program. I would really like to work with high schoolers (since I’m less awkward with that age group HA), so fingers crossed that I can make some connections. I really want to give back since so many strong women helped me along the way.
Personal Life
Get married! Bret proposed to me in September and since then it’s been a whirlwind of visiting over a dozen venues (so many options), nailing down the guest list, and looking for ways to incorporate running in a fall wedding! I’m serving as “wedding planner” lol, so I’ll probably share some updates on the blog as I know it’ll really start to take over my life!
Create family traditions. I’ve been thinking about this one a lot and discussing it with my sister. I would really like to get better about knowing what the heck I’m doing for each holiday. Thanksgiving and Christmas was a scramble as always, and I am too old not have any signature dishes or desserts. But besides cooking, I want to be more festive and plan more activities with both sides of our families.
Read 8 books in 2018. The nearest library just had a grand reopening so I plan to become a familiar face! Wendy has been great about her running book reviews…I don’t know if I want to follow suit, but I’ll keep the option open!
Make self-care a priority. Self-care isn’t selfish, even though it seems that way sometimes! I am going to schedule regular hair appointments, get a manicure/pedicure more than once a year, and I think I’ll finally get a membership for regular massages, because why not?
Run With No Regrets
Improve my social media engagement. Social media is supposed to be about having conversations, right? Well, I’ve been awful about it. I’m often late to respond to messages/comments on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter always passes me by since I follow so many people. But I’m going to commit to having more conversations on all 3 outlets.
Overhaul Pinterest. Did you know that you can now add Sections to individual Pinterest boards? I’ve started making some updates and it’s going to take a LONG time to organize my thousands of pins! I’m also going to be focusing more on growing my traffic through Pinterest by joining more Tailwind Tribes and improving SEO. P.S. – follow me on Pinterest! And if you want to join Tailwind, start for free! (affiliate link)
Nail down my workflow. I really lost my mojo in 2017…I thought that getting a MacBook and having a dedicated office would encourage me to be productive, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. I need to get back to a solid blogging schedule and writing posts in batches. I know I can do this.
Leave various affiliate membership sites for good. Making money on the blog just isn’t a priority for me, and it never was, but I would join every.single.network. and hope to get picked for an opportunity. Spoiler: I never got picked. I’m a BibRavePro and an Amazon and Shareasale affiliate…that’s good enough for me!
What are your biggest goals for 2018? Let’s support each other and help keep each other accountable this year!
