Category: Personal and Goals

How is it that the years just seem to fly by? I guess with age, time seemingly passes more quickly. That doesn’t mean that life gets any more dull! On the contrary. I’m hoping for a wonderful 2013 filled with all the ups and downs that make life worth living (cough cliché). With that said, hoping for a wonderful year is very different than taking actions for a wonderful year. I joked with some people that I would be coming up with vision and mission statements in order to promote action. That’s probably more formalized than how I would like to approach the year; however, I do enjoy creating lists, setting goals, and documenting progress, so perhaps it is appropriate to think about 2013 in the context of a few important focal points rolled into a personal vision. How do I want to approach the next 365 days? I take this question fairly seriously, but not in a new year’s resolution sort of way. I feel like the holiday season provides an opportunity to reflect on the past year, to become (re)grounded by family and friends, and to think about the upcoming choices and attitude of the next year.

2012 was the year to be inspired by love; love for the things I choose to do, the experiences for which I yearn, and the relationships that are so important in my life. I also wanted to be more introspective and try to understand and trust the emotions that the year would throw at me. In retrospect, I experienced things within and beyond my control that caused strong emotional responses, both incredible and not so good. 2012’s goal to be “inspired by love” did not end last night at midnight, and it’s something I will be working on in the coming year. That aside, it was a great year with some important life changes, as well as amazing experiences like the Banff Challenge and the Inca Trail hike. I wonder what exciting things will happen next!

When I was thinking about my vision statement for 2013, I began reflecting on the important points on which I wanted to focus. There were many jumbled thoughts…

Action. Complacency is not an option. As someone once told me, “Do something and something will happen”. Life offers so much opportunity, and it’s really a shame not to take advantage of what’s in front of me. Don’t waste time! Time, once it’s gone, is something I can’t get back. In that regard, I truly want to live life as if it were my last day. I’ve updated my list and I’m ready and committed to crossing things off. And for the things not on my list that will  present themselves within the next year- I’m ready to seize the opportunities and embrace the adventure.

Financial Control. I need to get a better handle on my own finances. This includes monitoring my spending over the next month, cutting costs where necessary, and creating a budget to follow.  My list includes paying off certain loans by the end of the year, and I’m going to do my best to make that happen.

Health and Fitness. I know the importance of preventive health. This includes regular, scheduled physical activity (because for me, without a schedule, it won’t get done). But it has to be within the restrictions of my never-ending injuries. Exercise makes me feel so much better about myself. I can’t fail on this. I need to push myself even more. Sleep needs to be higher on the priority list. I also want nutrition to be extremely important, which involves actually learning about nutrition, understanding the relationship between diet and exercise, and implementing new recipes!

The Outdoors. Push myself outside of my comfort zone even more. Explore. Experience. Enjoy. Travel. Be in awe.

Ownership. Own my choices, and be honest with myself. Acknowledge there are things I cannot control; just work on ways to be okay with myself and my own choices. Know and/or create my own boundaries.  Again, own my choices, and be honest with myself.

Peace. 

So what will 2013 bring? My personal vision is to work toward achieving a sense of peace while living a life dedicated to honesty, commitment, challenge and happiness. I think the extent of this will become more clear as time progresses, but it involves staying true and honest with myself and with the people in my life; committing to the improvement of myself, my relationships, my health and my fitness; facing challenges head on, whether they are personal, financial or professional; and remembering that I am the only person responsible for my own happiness. This approach to the year may sound lofty, involved, and me-centric, but we work the hardest for the best things in our life, and this is where I feel focus and work are needed. My hope is that other aspects of my life will fall into place, and my actions will be aligned with this goal. However the year unfolds, I know it will be a good and overall positive 2013.