So here we go again... a New Year is upon us and many of us scramble around trying to imagine our lives in perfect order and everything is in cosmic alignment. Hate to burst your bubble, but no one's life is ever going to be perfect... let's settle for great! :)
I don't like New Year resolutions - I think they're a set-up for failure because they're often so broad there is no way (or a very slim margin that) they can be accomplished. And the failure of living up to our good intentions often is downright depressing which - for some - can lead to a downward spiral. Who needs THAT?! I certainly don't and doubt you do either.
So let's do this for the New Year: Let's set Smart GOALS!
A Smart Goal is a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Restricted Goal. If I were to set a goal of being able to run a full marathon on April 19th (Boston Marathon Day), that wouldn't work because it is Specific and Measurable but it is NOT Attainable or Realistic for me... being that I don't currently run at all! What would be a Smart Goal is to run a 5k by April 19th and to set my sights on that attainable, realistic and time related goal.
I rejoined the YMCA on Monday evening. It felt darn good to walk in that door again, plunk down my hard earned cash and have a goal in mind and be doing something about achieving that. When I went home, I finally took the time to scan through my "On Demand" section of my cable stations and found that Gaiam TV is free for me with my subscription and has a huge array of yoga, aerobic, pilates, kick boxing (by Jillian Michaels!), and more classes/routines. I'll be using those as well.
My goals for January are:
- Get to the YMCA every Saturday, Monday, Wednesday.
- Work out at home every Thursday, Sunday.
- Walk 2 miles daily (I have my dog, Ruari, to walk, anyway, so this is fairly easy for me to check off).
- Eat no more than 1200-1300 calories daily and lean toward whole foods wherever possible.