But in the last year, i've learned a lot about both myself and my goals. For so long, i've had resolutions. And i'm not just talking about fitness ones that come every January. I've had resolutions when work gets incredibly strenuous, about how after launch, i'll be happier, healthier, and focus more on my overall health. I've had resolutions about going back to school and getting a degree that means something. I've had resolutions about dedicating myself to photography and documenting the simple things in life. I've had so many great ideas, and in reality, very rarely do I follow up on any of them.
It's all good and nice to have aspirations to improve oneself, but why do we try to hold ourselves to these grandiose ideas that are often unrealistic and hard to obtain?
My boyfriend is a lot of things. At the moment, a royal pain in my ass. I've been sick with what turned out to be pneumonia for the last two weeks (great way to spend Christmas and New Years thank you very much), and now he's come down with a little cold. The world is now coming to an end in my house, but I digress... Marcus is someone who sets a goal, and he achieves it. His goals or "resolutions" are never blanket statements like i'm going to get fit and lose 100lbs this year. He sets realistic goals, develops a realistic plan to reach them, and then just does it!
With that, he's taught me that when you set goals for yourself, if you set these large goals that are out of reach, you're never going to be able to see any progress as you strive to achieve them. This often leaves you frustrated and unmotivated, and many end up giving up before any real progress is even made.
Think about it. One example that is often seen every January with the thousands that flock to gyms around the country, are people who want to "get fit" and "lose weight" without any real plan on how to get there. They of course give up a month later, and all the "regulars" breathe a sigh of relief that their precious cardio machines aren't being hogged.
My point in all this rambling is that resolutions need to undergo a revolution of sorts. Don't set unrealistic goals. Set a solid goal. Pick milestones that you can realistically achieve on the way to that goal. These will keep you positive, and by allowing yourself something to check off your list towards getting to the prize, you'll stay driven, motivated, and by hell you might even achieve it!
With that said, this year my goal is pretty simple.
I want to be happy.
I have focused so much on my career in the last three years that other areas of my life have suffered. My family for one, being perhaps the most important area that needs improvement.
My family means more to me than anything in this world. I want to spend more time with my brother and sister, and get back to where we once were when all under the same roof. I know it won't be the same, but still. Gina and Peter are the best siblings a girl could ask for, and I want to get to know them better at this point in their lives. I want to be there to support my brother in his relationship and as he develops his own strengths in his career. I want to be there for my sister as she comes into her own in her own work life, and as she falls more deeply in love. They are my best friends, and I want to be more involved in their lives.
And my parents. We've been through so much in the last few years, and a real healing has occurred as of late. I want to get more mommy and me time, and talk about something other than high tech and sports with my dad. I want to get past the relationship that we've had, and move forward to what they've been meant to be all this time.
I also want to focus on my own new little family. Marcus and I hit 8 years on the 17th of this month, and with our new little monster in our life, I want to focus on being there for him as he continues to grow in his new management role, and really support him in his work and gym life. I want to pump some life into our home life and have fun again, like we did when we first started dating. And Rylee, oh the love of my life, I want to give her the best life a rescue pup could hope for.
Friendship. When we grow older, we lose touch with so many of those that helped us get to where we are. We let convenience rule our personal lives, and we lose touch with those we knew back in the day. I've lost touch with so many that were such integral cogs of my development, I want to put the work in to revitalize these relationships. I've been given second chances with some that matter most, and I will not lose this opportunity.
Most importantly, I need to work on myself. I need to do some serious exploring this year as to what will really make me happy. Life has been good to me so far, and for that i'm incredibly grateful. I look around, and I don't deserve any of what I have. But i'm trying to learn to deserve it. I'm trying to learn to accept all the grace in my life that has brought me to where I am, and to enjoy it. I want to enjoy my life, to be truly happy, and to know myself, love myself, and improve myself.
New year, resolution revolution. Forget the gym, who am I kidding anyway?
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