Personal Goals...Not Resolutions

I really don't believe in resolutions. I think I made one six years ago to drink more water. That didn't really work out. However, I thought about my life last year and how many HUGE changes were made- Grant and I decided to start a family, Everett was born, I got a job opening a new middle school, I decided to work part-time, I started my own little business, the list goes on and on. Basically, 2010 was a big year and I wanted to keep the ball rolling!

This brings me to my next motivator. I am a self diagnosed Oprah and Ellen addict. Where does this come in? First, as soon as I heard about OWN (you know, the Oprah Winfrey Network) I became glued to channel 189. One of my favorite shows is Oprah's All Stars. Oh Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz, your banter is captivating. I digress. The All Stars have been talking about making 2011 the "best year of your life". I must say, it is pretty motivating.
Another motivator is my girl Ellen DeGeneres. May I say I was a fan way before she was a Cover Girl, on the cover of O or met George Clooney. I have loved her since the first time I saw her stand-up on HBO. Those of you that have been fans since then, we all remember the "That's not Nancy!" and "Club soda? Be right back," stories. I'm laughing inside thinking about them! Again, I digress. The thing I admire most about Ellen is that she always talks about seeing the best in people and talking about being beautiful on the inside. I constantly think, Would Ellen be pissed at this lady for cutting in front of me in line? Probably not. She is nice to everyone.
I promise this is all leading somewhere. Now what you've all been waiting for. I have read a lot of blogs, watched a lot of television, read many magazine articles and now I have complied My 2011 Personal Goals!

1. Be present in every family moment. Between Fluffy Cakes, errands, cooking dinner, packing lunches, cleaning up, doing laundry, catching up on my Thursday night TV (A MUST) and endless "to do" lists, it's hard to sit in the moment and appreciate everything God has given me. Just this weekend Grant made the comment that Everett is getting so big. I'm so excited to see him grow and so heartbroken at the same time because I know my baby isn't a little snuggle baby anymore! I need to appreciate every single second of him not knowing how to talk back while I can! I have always tried to do this, but I need to really be present in those moments when we are together as a family. Ev's first birthday snuck up on me and I now realize that I only get 17 more of those before I let him spread his wings and try this life thing on his own.

2. Eat better. Isn't this a given? Everyone has this as a goal. Let me just say this. When I was preggo, I was very much a healthy eater. I didn't necessarily cut out any junk, I just added A LOT of fruits and veggies. I will not share the exact number, but let's just say I didn't gain a whole lot of weight and I got rid of all of it (with a little muffin top to show my achievement). However, again Dr. Oz has inspired me to eat more fruits and vegetables. He says you should eat things that look like they just came out of the ground. I already eat quite a bit of fruit and vegetables, but I could do better. I quit caffeine over a year ago, I can certainly do this!

3. Less gossip. Do you ever think about how much time you waste each day gossiping about other people? I don't think a lot of people intend to talk about others to hurt them. Let's face it. It's fun to talk about reality tv with your friends or what your dumb co-worker did that made you mad. But have you ever noticed that if you're around negative people it gives you a negative attitude? I don't want to be like that anymore. I think I would have a lot more time on my hands and a lot more positive thoughts if I just cut gossip out of my life.

4. Finally, I just looked up my very first 1/2 marathon! I have been talking about doing a Rock and Roll Marathon for years! I think I am actually going to bite the bullet and do one! I have decided on the Rock and Roll Marathon in Denver next October. You'll probably have to follow the blog to see how I do on this one! The longest race I have ever ran is a 10K pre-Everett. I cannot think of a more beautiful setting! I am head over heels for Colorado! It is my favorite place in the world! If I feel like I am going to keel over during the race, I think those gorgeous mountains can give me a little peace of mind. Probably not, but I'm going to keep telling myself that. Let the training begin!