Sweet Sixteen

It's a new year which means time to set new goals. I am a super goal oriented person, so beginning a new year makes me giddy and excited. I try to set attainable goals so I don't end up frustrated, but I try to set them based on things I really need to work on. I heard recently that instead of focusing on things you are bad at and trying to get better, focus on the good. What are you good at? And sharpen those skills. Interesting thought. Here goes....

1. Lose weight. There I said it. On the internet. I have about 20lbs to drop. I stepped on the scale after the holidays and realized that I am only FIVE pounds away from my highest pregnancy weight. I have never really had to worry about my weight, but ummm clearly now I do. So Jillian and I have already had a week of seshs which needs to continue. And I need to stop eating candy. And caramel apples, and ice cream. But seriously, I need to cut out the fast food. And Starbucks. And coke from the fountain. And up my water intake. Like yesterday. Already I have lost 3 lbs, and am drinking nearly 40oz. of water a day. I was drinking upwards of 70oz. with my pregnancies, so I'll get there.

2. Focus on me. This goes hand in hand with #1. I need to take care of myself. After focusing the last nearly seven years on my offspring, I am ready to focus on myself. I'm going to get a pedicure when it's flip flop weather. I'm not going to hesitate hiring a sitter to go get laser hair removal. I am going to take bubble baths and whiten my teeth. I truly feel like a better mom and person when I take care of myself.

{Shop my favorite products here}

3. Simplify. The older I'm getting (this is the year of 30), the more being disorganized bothers me. And clutter just shuts me down. So we are going to continue to purge. And sell stuff we don't need. To be able to measure this, my goal is $100 a month. There are a lot of fancy ingenious plans out there to save (we followed this one last year), but this year I think a simple $100 a month is good. Some months may be more. Others may be less. I learned last year that it evens out in the end.

4. Read 12 books. One a month. Some people run marathons. I long to read books. I used to read all the time. I remember a time in my life that I read an entire series (18 books) in just a few months. That was BK {before kids}. I have probably read 3 in the last year, so this is a pretty high goal. Now that I am completely caught up on Grey's Anatomy I have no excuses, right? RIGHT? except I may have started over at season one... don't tell my husband. 

{a few titles in my wishlist 1|2|3}

5. Be brave. Not really measurable... but I struggle so bad with fear of the unknown and I really want to face whatever comes with bravery. Realizing that I can't change the outcome, but I can change my reactions. This past year taught me that while I tend to reflect on the hard times well, I don't navigate the hard times well. So here's to a year of bravery.