Well, we are currently seven weeks away from the end of 2012. How did that happen? I can’t believe we’ll have to start writing “2013” on things soon. Back in early October, I sat down and came up with a list of 10 goals I wanted to try to accomplish by the end of the year – some of them fun experiences, some of them more “to-do’s” than anything else. I thought it would be wise to see how I’ve done over the past six weeks and what goals are still left to accomplish!
1. Visit the dentist and schedule a consultation for my wisdom teeth. Oy. This is one of those goals that I have put off because I sincerely hate the dentist and continuously put off my cleanings. But I made an appointment yesterday for a cleaning so one part of this goal will be completed. For my wisdom teeth consultation, well, I’m putting that off until next year. Mainly because of time off issues and the fact that I don’t get many days off so I have to ration and save up. I’m hoping I can get my wisdom teeth removed next summer, as long as they don’t bug me too much in the meantime. (They hurt off and on, but only for about a week and Advil helps to take away the pain. And then there’s no pain at all for months. Just comes and goes as it pleases, I guess!)
2. Lose 15 lbs. Oh, dear. I am 2 lbs toward this goal. Um. So. Prooooobably not going to complete this one as the next 7 weeks include Thanksgiving, an Orlando mini-vacation, my birthday, and Christmas. While it’s entirely possible to lose 15 lbs in the next 7 weeks if I buckled down, eliminated sugar and soda from my diet, and generally had The Worst Holiday Season Ever Ever Ever… I’m not going to do that. I am going to remain on plan, treat myself every once in a while, and try to bump up my exercise intensity to at least get halfway to this goal but I’m also not going to beat myself up if I end up enjoying the holiday season too much.
3. Carve a pumpkin and roast pumpkin seeds. Check! I completed this goal in mid-October and my pumpkin turned out really cute! Unfortunately, he also brought with him gnats and had to be removed before he even celebrate his one-week birthday. Yuck.
4. Finish “Twenty Something, Twenty Everything”. Check! I finally finished this book in mid-October. Once I made it past the tough journaling segment I was stuck on for two months, the rest of the book breezed by. I am thinking this is a book I’d like to read through again, more slowly (yes, even more slowly than my first time!), and blog about what I’m discovering because I seriously got so much out of this book and it’s worth a reread. (And I don’t say that about a lot of books!)
5. Spend a long weekend in Orlando. Soon-to-be check! My mom booked the hotel (her birthday gift to me!) and now I’m trying to decide what I want to do: a few days at Universal/Islands or Adventure or a few days at some Disney parks. I am really, really excited about this as I just love long weekends in Orlando. It’s the best way to mini-vacation here in Florida!
6. Start writing again. Um… BIG HUGE CHECK. As of today, I have written 17,134 words in my novel. I am having a really fun time writing and it’s becoming such a big part of my life that I know it’s something I want to keep doing (adhering to a daily word count) when the NaNoWriMo challenge is over. I am excited about writing again and believing in myself that someday, I will see my name on the spine of a book.
7. Join a book club. Check! I attended my first book club meeting last month and I’m attending my second one next week. This has been a goal of mine – to find a local book club – for a while and I’m so glad I shoved down all my social anxiety and nervousness to go and see what this group was all about. They do a lot of other meet-ups aside from the monthly book clubs so I’m excited about more opportunities to be social and get out of my bubble.
8. Participate in The Color Run. Ehh… this is one goal I’m not sure I’ll accomplish. Basically, registration is $55 which is outrageous for a 5K, even one that will be as fun as this one. It comes in the midst of the holiday season when I’m already strapped for cash. I need to see how my ankle holds up during the Turkey Trot 5K I’m walking on Thanksgiving, too. I completed a 2.5-mile walk on the treadmill last week and my ankle gave me some trouble (nothing major, just could tell it still needs time to heal) so I’m just not sure about this goal anymore.
9. Drink more water than soda. I am doing okay with this goal. I still drink too much soda and I know how bad it is for me, yet quitting has been so hard. I’m thinking a “cold turkey” situation needs to happen. I don’t want to become a diet soda drinker because it’s really not any better for me so I’m trying to formulate a plan for how I’m going to quit soda for good. For now, good but not great.
10. Host an end-of-year holiday giveaway. Oh, you guys! I am so excited about this goal. I have come up with the items I want to give away in my little holiday package and now I’m on a mission to find these things. I haven’t done a giveaway in a long time and this blog is well overdue for one. Yay!
Four goals completed and two are well on their way to being completed – I’d say I am doing very well! Luckily, I gave myself lots of easily achievable goals but there are a few that will challenge me to get them completed. I’ll be back with my final update towards the end of the year (as well as a recap of my 2012 resolutions!).
Have a happy weekend, friends! I’m debating taking Dutch to a “Running of the Wieners” event in Dunedin tomorrow. He would race against other dachshunds and first place gets a $75 PetSmart gift card! I seriously think he could win (plus, since he’s 10, he’d be in the Senior Sausage category and that is just the best thing I’ve ever heard) because he’s a little speedster. Other than that, no big weekend plans. Just relaxing, writing, and watching football! Sounds absolutely perfect.
What is one goal you want to achieve by the end of 2012?
I’m soo glad you that you got so much out of twenty something, twenty everything! That makes me so happy! I definitely got a lot out of it too and I agree I’m going to read it again more slowly at some point in the future. My big goal right now is my 30 day yoga challenge. It might turn into a 60 day yoga challenge for the end of 2012, we’ll see!
I thoroughly enjoyed 20-Something, 20-Everything! It’s a really great book and the author does a fabulous job with the journaling portions to really help you decipher things!
A 60-day yoga challenge! Straight-up crazy. 🙂 The good kind!
You’re doing a great job with your goals lady! The Color Run is so expensive, but is that because it’s charity? Regardless, understandable that you’re hesitant for that one at this time of year. They should have planned that one out a bit better!
Other than that though, you’ve really been focusing on those goals that you’ve really wanted to do, and I think that really shows. Hopefully you get most of these done (I mean, you’re headed in the right direction) so I think all in all you’ll be ending off this year really well! Can’t believe it’s already almost 2013… Insanity!
It does benefit charity but most runs do, and I’ve never paid more than $30 for a 5K. I just think it’s outrageous, but it does offer more than just a basic 5K so I guess it’s all about the experience? But hopefully it’ll come back to town sometime in 2013 so I can do it!
1. i love no. 2. My friends have been saying how their goals for weight loss are automatic fails for the holidays. And I’ve been reminding them that if they set their goals anyway and try, a half failure of a goal can minimize damage!
2. 55 dollars? Geez. I may have to forgo Color Run myself. I have been terrible with my finances. Seattle, then Marfa, then car, then friends visiting, then festivals, now Christmas shopping. Yikes.
If I can just stay on plan and lose SOME weight, I will be happy! I’m not going to beat myself up over enjoying Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner too much! Or having treats around the holidays. 🙂
Early registration for the Color Run is $40, I think, but I waited too long. Boo hoo.
Ha. Senior Sausage. That’s hilarious. And adorable.
I’m intrigued by this giveaway you speak of =)
Excited for your trip to Orlando, too. One of my favorite cities!
Their age categories are just hilarious! The puppy categories is called “Baby Brats”. I just want to go and see all the dachshunds! 🙂
Good for you! I can’t believe 2012 is so close to over, feels like this year just began.
Woot, kudos on the writing goal! I slacked yesterday but considering that I overwrote A LOT on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I didn’t feel so bad.
And I feel you about drinking more water than soda. Usually I’m awesome at that because I don’t like to waste money on soda and I only drink coffee or water at work. But Izzy LOVES soda so now we buy it more and it makes me mad. He’s such a bad influence.
Yay for NaNo! I still need to friend you on the site! We’re both doing so well. Go us!
And I HEAR YOU on the soda thing. It’s so hard, especially having someone in your life who loves it and drinks it a lot. It’s terrible for you, though, and I just need to remember all the health problems that soda can lead to down the road!
Maybe with all the sweets and deliciousness of the holidays, it’s the perfect time to go cold turkey with soda. Then you can feel a little better about really enjoying yourself! 🙂
P.S. For having created these goals in Oct, seems like you are doing pretty well.
Argh! Dentistry is so outrageous. Like you, mine keep coming in and out. Until it gets unbearable, I’m putting off extraction.
You’re doing so great with NaNoWriMo! I can’t wait till the end of the month, so I can read it! It’s cool if I read it, right? 🙂
Mmmmm…. maybe. Lol. I’ll have to read over it once I’m done to see if it’s fit for any other people’s eyes to be on it. I’m just trying to get words down, not worrying too much about how it sounds so I’m not even sure I’ll work on it to try and get it published. We shall see! 🙂
Wow, you have done really well with this list of goals! I honestly think that it’s a better goal to maintain and not gain during the holiday season than to try to have an aggressive weight loss goal… It’s just such a tough time of year and you don’t want to beat yourself up too much! So the fact that you’ve lost some is great in my opinion!
My only goal for the rest of the year is to enjoy my free time while I have it. 6 weeks from today I will start studying for the final level of the CFA, and I will no longer have the luxury of doing whatever i please in the evenings/weekend afternoons!