How I'm approaching resolutions for 2016
I've never really been big on New Year's resolutions. I've made a few in the past but never really got into them.
This year is a little different. I'm not setting any big hairy audacious goals. But I am doing resolutions.
My resolutions are going to be little habits to take on this year. They aren't crazy, impossible or something that I'll burn out on one month in. However, they are measurable over time. Plus, I believe these little habits will add up to some positive results over time. They're also measurable habits, something that could be tracked over time.
What are they?
Running three days a week
Injury prevented me from finishing my half marathon goal this past December. Despite that, training for the half marathon reminded me that I could enjoy running again.
I don't have any mileage or race goals set. There may be days where I feel great and do a great long run. There may be days where I'm doing good to just do three. However, I think just getting out there in the mornings instead of sitting in the house drinking a cup of coffee (or sleeping in instead of running) will reap some great long term results. The only exceptions to this rule will be on vacations or times that I'm sick.
Read at least fifteen books this year
That's an average of just over one book a month. It's not a crazy goal but I think it's totally attainable. The only time that I'll really have to read is at nighttime. I think it'll be a good habit to pick back up that will also force me into more screen-free time before going to sleep at night.
I'm kicking off 2016 by beginning to read "Cycle of Lies," a book about the downfall of Lance Armstrong. I have a good list of places to start but am totally open to other suggestions! Send them my way.
Publish 52 blog posts
I'm not promising that all of them will be good. Maybe none of them will be. It's an average of one new post per week. I know life throws me busy seasons, so I may have weeks where I don't publish a thing. But having a goal will keep me honest and not forget about blogging like I did the second half of this year (and allow me some redemption to blog more often during slow periods of life). All that said, if there are topics you like reading about more than others, let me know.
Journal once a week
I tend to only journal when something isn't going right or I'm frustrated. I hardly ever take time to jot down life's big wins or even some of the mundane things in life that I'm thankful for. Since I use DayOne on Mac and via a mobile app, there's no reason I can't at least jot something down on the go. Some entries may only be a couple of sentences long, but as long as I'm doing it. Future me may be thankful.
Work my way up to getting up at 5:30 every day by my birthday
I'm not a natural early riser. I can do it if I'm meeting someone for breakfast or coffee but it's not my favorite thing. Beds are just so comfortable and warm! I'm going to try and get up 10 minutes earlier each week to accomplish this. My birthday is late March, so I should hit this goal way ahead of time. I'm also thinking about not sleeping in on weekends anymore either, getting up no later than 6:30 on Saturdays and Sundays.
That's what I'm working on this year. No "lose X amount of pounds" or "finish a marathon" types of goals this year. Just little habits that I think will compound on themselves nicely and have a positive effect on other parts of my life, both professionally and personally. They're measurable, actionable and something that has enough wiggle room to accommodate for extremely busy seasons of life (because we all have them).
What about you? Anything you're trying in the new year?