It’s Friday, so I’m linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five. I was looking at my December posts from last year and I saw my “Goals for a Happier, Healthier 2018.” I decided to do this exercise again but before I do, I want to reflect on how I fared this year.
My 2018 goals were:
- Be grateful for what I can do instead of lamenting what I can’t. [This was mostly related to my running but also just practicing gratitude for all that life has to offer.]
- Look at my own paper – avoid the “comparison trap.”
- Come at things with a “yes, and” mindset – instead of starting with “no, but…”
- Celebrate successes.
- Stop doing the same old things and expecting different results.
I must say, I’m pretty pleased with my performance for the most part. In particular, and especially with running, I was grateful for every run and race – even the tough ones. See my NYC Marathon report. It was a full 30 minutes slower than my fastest time, but still one of my best. I see that as a “win.” I also celebrated successes – mine and others. I did pretty well with avoiding the comparison trap, but in this day and age of seeing everyone’s highlight reels, this one stays on the 2019 list.
I made some progress on the “yes, and” mindset and expecting different results. I still have a way to go on both, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. It helped to be more mindful or wanting to change the “no, but” approach. At least I’m more likely to stop and think of a positive framing before I speak.
My Goals for a Happier, Healthier 2019
1. Continue to practice gratitude and acknowledge people who help me. I would say the number one thing that I’ve done over the last few years is to change my mindset from wanting more to being grateful for what I have. I want to continue to foster this and to do a better job of acknowledging people who make a difference in my life.
2. Take more risks. I like traditions and tend to do the same things year after year. I like to do what I know and know that I’m good at. I’m pretty risk averse. I’d like to push the boundaries here in 2019. So… if you see me shying away from something, please push me!
3. Step up to lead and mentor. I have a ton of great experience in work and life. I’m involved with a number of organizations where I can take on more of a leadership role and/or mentor people. This is an area that I haven’t focused on in the last few years, so I want to step it up.
4. Connect with people in real life or over the phone instead of always via email/text. I’m fortunate to have great friends and family all over the country. It’s always easy to email or text, but I want to speak to people more in 2019. I’m going to carve out more time to talk! If you’re thinking of texting or emailing, give me a call.
5. Be more mindful and present. In my quest to do it all, I often rush things. I find that I have some of my best conversations when I’m running or walking because I’m not multi-tasking or tied to my phone or computer. When we were in Italy, I didn’t have a data plan so I didn’t check my phone except at the hotel on wifi. And you know what? It was awesome. I also want to be more mindful with my eating. I often eat while I work or write my blog. I lose the satiety cues and eat too fast. Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated.
What are your goals for a happier, healthier 2019? Please tell me about them in the comments.
Wishing you (and yours) all the best for a happy and safe 2019.