New year, new goals

2012 Goals:

1. Read more: concrete goal of 2 books/month: Well, I got REAL close to this one. I literally read 23 of my 24 goal books this year, thanks in big part, again, to my Kindle. I think I was at about 18-19 last year, so a marked improvement. I'm gonna count this one as accomplished!

2. Get back to goal weight by family vacation in July. Well, this one, not so much. I'm still about 13 lbs above my goal weight, but I DID manage to lose 8 lbs this year. I give myself a B-/C+ on this one. There were times when I was really dedicated and times when I wasn't. I lost and regained focus a lot, but I successfully avoided any marathon-related weight gain and came out of the year weighing less than when I started, so I give this a half-victory.

3. Try something new in fitness. Didn't quite get around to it in 2012. Bummer.

4. Bake a cheesecake. Didn't really have an opportunity for this one. Maybe for hubby's birthday this year?

5. Visit somewhere new. This one is perennially on my list, and I can say that it was definitely accomplished! We went to Cedar Point, OH, Newmarket, NH & Portland, ME this year!

6. Learn something new. Well, I didn't make a concerted effort to learn anything new this past year, but I started a new job and that gave me something to strive toward.

7. Pay down debt. Eh, not so great with this one. I consolidated some debt and I have been good about paying it, but it seemed to have opened me up to spend more for some reason. Really hoping I can pay off one or two smaller balances this year and then TEAR UP THE CARDS FOR REAL.

8. Floss more & stop playing with my phone behind the wheel. Part one, I definitely accomplished. I re-committed to flossing in May and while I'm still not perfect about it, I am much, much more regular about dental hygeine than ever before. I'm a little rusty about playing with my phone, but I do think I'm better at this than I had been previously. B+ on both efforts.

Things I accomplished this year in addition to the above goals:

A. PR-ed the marathon. Beat 2011's time by 26 minutes, a significant 1-minute per mile improvement. BOOM! Confindent that my next try will get me under that 5 hr mark.

B. Visited 3 new states! I don't have a stated goal of visiting all the 50 U.S. states, but I do get a weird pleasure out of seeing new places and crossing them off my list. Our NH/ME trip was a last-minute type decision and despite the long drive, we had a blast.

C. Bought a new car! Well, new to me anyway. Finally took the plunge and another step into adulthood with a car payment. I love, love, love my 2009 Civic.

D. Started a new job. So, so happy about this one. Really changed a lot for me.

E. Had a reunion with my best college girlfriends and made time for the great friendships in my life. Hooray!

F. Put a chocolate cake into a county fair contest in the hopes of reaching blue-ribbon status for entry into the PA Farm Show. Didn't happen, but I put myself out there at least! Try, try again...

Overall, 2012 was a pretty good year. I'd say even better than 2011, which was a little lackluster. Cheers to 2013!

2013 Goals.
1. Read more. This one's not going anywhere any time soon. I got really close to my goal last year, so I'm gonna make it 30 books for 2013. Just started the Harry Potter series and hubby upgraded my Kindle for my birthday this year, so really looking forward to this one.

2. JESUS LORD GET BACK TO GOAL WEIGHT. I'm serious, people. I'm glad for the bit of weight I lost last year, but I'm bit perturbed that almost none of my summer clothes fit me because I bought them all in 2010 when I was skinny. Damnit. I need to lose about 13lbs this year to get there, but I'd ideally like to lose about 20, get toned and just MAINTAIN. Started by calorie counting (again) and putting $10 on losing 4% thru DietBet.com

3. Break PRs in my shorter distances. My A goal this year is to break 26 minutes for the 5k. Not sure how do-able this is with the extra weight I'm carrying, but I've been doing some treadmill speedwork and hopefully it'll pay off. I'd also LOVE to break an hour in the 10k too.

4. Pay down debt. No, seriously, Nicole. Stop spending money you don't have.

5. Save for Australia. In order to afford the 30th birthday trip around the world I've dreamed of, I have to start saving now. Going to try to eek out about $300-$350/month in dedicated savings for this, starting this month.

6. Bake something new. Cheesecake or otherwise, I have some new cookbooks, new cook wear, and I'm eager to try something a bit more challenging than cookies.

7. Visit somewhere OR do something new. Funds and time off is limited this year, so hopefully one or the other will happen this year.

8. Make Jason's 40th memorable. This is kind of a weak goal, but I've never really planned a party for someone else before. I have a bit of event planning experience left over from the wedding, but I'll be really happy if I can get a bunch of people together and for him to say he had a great time marking this milestone birthday.

9. If at all possible, learn how to change my own damned oil.

As always, these are overarching goals for the new year, not "resolutions" because hell if anyone meets their "resolutions." I also reserve the right to add onto this list at any point and remove/alter as the year progresses. I never wait for Jan 1 to "begin" these goals, but it is a great marker of a new start, a fresh beginning in the eternal struggle of becoming the people we imagine our best selves to be.

I want to spend this year focused on my relationships: keeping in better touch, letting go of poisonous ones, and really dedicating myself to being the kind of spouse that my husband is to me: supportive, patient, kind, and a calm, clear communicator about my needs and feelings.

Anything above and beyond these goals is just a bonus. Welcome, 2013. I'm excited to see what you bring for me & those I love.