New Year Resolutions and Goals

I totally get why some people are annoyed with resolutions. With it comes the onslaught of this kind of stuff.....

People who preach, preach, preach about it for a month....and then fall off whatever wagon they are on. I personally believe it's because people put way too many high expectations on them.  They make them too drastic....too unobtainable, too much,too fast.  (that's alot of "toos")

I think the idea of a New Year with a fresh start is over all a great thing but it would work a lot better if people would just be more realistic when setting them.  Instead of them being "resolutions" which too me automatically puts more pressure on the situation I prefer to just set goals.  Goals that I KNOW are obtainable

Like this.....this I can do

But really.  Don't go into it saying that by the end of the year you will go from a size 14 to a size 2.  Holy pressure Batman!  Instead set a smaller goal.  And then when you reach that you set a new one.  This is the same basic stuff we learned in freshman P.E. class.  (anybody else remember learning about goals in high school?)

I myself was never one for resolutions or goals until the last few years. In 2013 I set 2 of them

1. Gain less weight during the holidays.

Notice how I didn't say don't gain ANY weight...I just said less?  I knew saying none was too unrealistic (for me at least) and I would just end up driving myself crazy and put myself into a tizzy of guilt with each bite of bread pudding I ate Christmas day.  Last year I gained an INSANE amount of weight because I went hog wild from our anniversary vacation in early November all the way until New Years.  This year I knew I needed to reign it in and enjoy the holidays but be better in the time between....and I did.

Each year I get a little bit better and I think that is  healthier mind set than an all or nothing state of mind.  It's about knowing your strengths, your weaknesses, and finding that balance between pushing yourself to do better without becoming a basket case.

2. To learn to do my make up better and overall put more effort into my appearance

This may seem like a silly goal to some people but I don't think every goal needs to be this huge life altering thing.  I set this because I wanted to make myself feel better.  I have lacked confidence for many years and never thought I could dress the way I wanted to or wear makeup without looking like  Effie Trinket

Cute clothes in my head was only for skinny girls and make up always made me feel like I was trying too hard.  Yet I longed for feeling good about my appearance so that was why I set this goal.  To break out of that "it looks good on them but not me" mind set and gain some confidence.  Through this my Wardrobe Wednesday was born and I have had so much fun with it.  I still can't put make up on very well...at all lol But I'm taking chances and learning.  I'm finally seeing myself as more than just the fat girl I used to be and learning to accept myself more.  Cheesy as hell? Absolutely!  But it's true

So those were my goals in 2013 and I feel like I have met them.  Check and check!!

Now moving onto 2014.  I am setting 3 goals

1. Get more seriously into yoga

Yoga is the only form of exercise I don't dread.  It is what got me in shape for my wedding and the only form of exercise I do when I am feeling motivated.  I like the way it sculpts my body and leans me out where as other things make me bulky and my stumpy frame doesn't need any added bulk lol  The problem I have with it though it that I tend to stick with it in the winter/spring...and then don't do it at all during the summer.  

I want to do it more than I have the past years but don't want to tell myself "Hey....you have to do it 5 days a week every week this year" because like I said before...too much pressure that sets me up for failure.  Instead my way of measuring this goal will be to set mini goals within it.  Like being able to successfully hold certain poses I have never been able to hold before.  To get to that point it will take alot more practice than I previously have before which in turn will ensure I'm more diligent in my yoga practice.  Then, I can hopefully be a yoga badass.  Crow and headstand here I come!!!

2. Get beach ready

I know this is sort of a cliche one.  Every year I tell myself (not as a resolution per say but just in general) that I want to look good in a swimsuit for summer....and I never quite get to where I want to be.  I honestly think part of the problem is that I have never had anything really big motivating me to do it.  Let's face it...telling myself that if I do it I can strut my stuff feeling good at the local waterpark isn't enough to make me follow through.  I'll just skip the damn waterpark  

This year I finally have that motivating factor that I think will do it.  My sister is getting married in San Diego this June.  For the wedding itself I only need to get my arms in shape....our dresses will cover the rest....but this trip will be a wedding/mini vacation which I'm sure will include plenty of beach time.  I haven't been to the beach in years and have never gone feeling like I can walk the sand without feeling overly self conscious.  I just want to not have to suck in the whole time and jog a little without too much jiggling. Notice I'm not saying I want to be "bikini ready" because who knows....my body may never look good in a bikini lol  But I'm sure I could find a swim suit of some kind that I feel good in....it doesn't have to be a bikin.  Just something I feel comfortable in without looking like Harry Houdini

And last but not least.....

3. Step up my blogging game

February 2014 will mark the 2 year anniversary of starting my blog and I feel it's time to start getting this blog baby of mine closer to what I always imagined it to be.  I'm not going to sit here and say "I need a million views by this date" or "I need this many followers by the end of the year"  Nope.  Instead I will start taking the small steps I need to just push me in the right direction.  I need a blog design, better networking, and more structure.  Those are all things I can work on that I know will help push me in the direction I want to take.  Even if it takes a while.  If any of you bloggers out there have any advice to offer I would love to hear it!

So there you have it.  My rambling thoughts on goals and setting yourself up for success.  I hope this was a little bit useful to somebody out there even if what I said was in no way ground breaking. 

What are your goals this year? Leave me a comment...I would love to hear them!