Goals 2014

There's no better time than New Year's Eve to reflect on where I've been and plan for the future. I'm a goal oriented person; I like to make lists, set goals and track progress. In the coming year, I want to continue with the healthy lifestyle I've developed. I want to get stronger, faster and feel even better!

1. Swim 50 miles

I think this is a realistic goal for me. When I do the math, it works out to about 1 mile each week. I think that I will swim the majority of my 50 miles in the summer, since I have an easier time getting into the pool when I'm on summer vacation from work and going to my parents' pool. But if I get to the pool once a week as a minimum, I'll be doing pretty well!

2. Track all my food with Weight Watchers PointsPlus Values

Whether I stay within my PointsPlus allowance or not, I'm going to track it. I tracked every bite of every food I ate from July through September, and then with the craziness of being back in school and the holidays I stopped. I know that I stay healthiest when I have accountability, so my goal is to track every day. As an extra added incentive, I signed up for an official online membership.

3. Exercise 3 times per week

Whether it's swimming, a DVD (I have yoga and an ab workout), a nice walk outside, or something new -- I would like to try a kettlebell workout -- I'd like to exercise 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes. When will I exercise? Whenever I have time. Saturday and Sunday are my easiest times to work out, but I can also find time to exercise after my children are in bed.

4. Ski

I miss skiing! I grew up skiing with my family, but it has been at least five years since I hit the slopes. Between being pregnant, having a very young baby who needed me constantly, or being overweight and out of shape and exhausted, I didn't even think about skiing. But now that I've lost weight I have the urge to get back on my skis. Even if it's only one day, even if it's only on the hill at my parents' farm, I'd like to ski a little bit this winter. 

5. Swim in open water

I think this may be the most difficult goal for me. I've got a lot of fear about swimming with fish, frogs, turtles, seaweed... anything. I would love to swim in an open water race (though my goal would just be to finish), but I think if I can just get myself to try swimming (real swimming, not just splashing around for fun) at the beach or in a lake, then I'll be able to count this as a success. I need to conquer these fears and build my confidence plus learn about open water safety before I can do it!

This post was written as a part of Mighty Mommy Mondays, hosted by Laura at Pug in the Kitchen and me at Farmer's Daughter.