Goals, not resolutions

I like to think of the new year as a chance to make big goals.

I love goals. Goals give me something to aim for, something to focus on. Resolutions sound like you need to be fixed. Like there's something in your life you need to resolve. No. If you're happy then you don't need to resolve anything. However, if you want to improve an area in your life, you can make goals to assist you. So, think of 2017 as an opportunity to make goals that you plan to accomplish by Dec. 31. These goals can be based on health and fitness, your career, your family, or anything else in your life.

January 1st is a chance to sit down and really think of where you want your life to be 1 year from now. Deep down, what is it that you want? Do you want to be stronger? Have a better relationship with your body? Make new friends? Shed friends that aren't there for you? Spend more time with family? Grow your family? There are so many things you can focus on in a year.

I, myself, have taken some time to think about what this upcoming here will mean to me. I have some goals for myself unrelated to health and fitness: take the GREs, decide what I would like to focus on in Graduate School, get more into photography, save money. I graduated in 2014 with a B.S. in Molecular Genetics. Ever since graduating I knew I always wanted to go further in my career and receive my Masters Degree. I decided to take some time and figure out what it is I would like to focus on. I'm very interested in Genetics, but recently with my passion becoming more and more obviously focused on health and fitness, I would like to add that somehow in. Photography has always been something I loved. I find beauty in scenery all around me. I bought a "decent" camera as soon as I received my first tax return refund. In 2017 I would love to learn more about the camera and how it works. This will also hopefully help me take even better pictures of my family, friends, and the beautiful things I come across. Aaand saving money is self-explanatory.

I also, obviously, have many health and fitness related goals for this year. One of my biggest goals is to compete in a powerlifting competition. I haven't looked into this at all yet, I just know it's something I want to do. Strength has always been what I've been working towards. Finding a competition and setting the date will drive me to work even harder on the big three lifts (squat, deadlift, bench). My first step to this, will be to start a powerlifting program (Juggernaut training-free 12 week program). I've never actually done a training program before. I usually just do whatever I feel like, so having the actual structure will really help to start this year off on the right foot. A couple of other health&fitness goals I have are to drink a gallon of water every day, try out hot yoga, become more educated about nutrition, cook more, and be able to do 5 BW pull-ups. Honestly, water is my favorite drink. Some people think that's strange. But I really love water. The only problem I ever have is to remember to drink it throughout the day. If I set it as a goal I will focus more on it and won't forget! Has anyone ever tried hot yoga? I almost did last year but then read online that you couldn't eat or drink for like 3 hours before and of course that wasn't possible for me so I decided against it. I've always wanted to try it though! 2017 is the year to do everything I've always wanted to! I've taken two nutrition courses in the past, but I would really like to do more research and learn as much as I can about the subject. It's so interesting to me that whatever we eat, whatever we ingest, affects us in so many ways. How we move, how we feel, how we look. Nutrition is a very powerful tool, and I'd love to learn how to use it successfully. Of course, with nutrition comes cooking. I've never been a very good cook, but year after year I cook a little more. Maybe this year I will finally master it and become--maybe not a chef, but a decent cook :). Another thing I have always wanted was to be able to do 1, just 1, BW pull-up. I made this a goal, to do just 1 by 2018. My boyfriend saw this list and said, "Just 1?! In a whole year? You can do better than that. Make it 5!" I thought about it, and he was right! Why limit myself to a goal of only 1 in 365days? 5 BW pull-ups it is!

Some goals that I have are often over-looked by others. These goals aren't physical, but emotional. I think every year we should all have the goal to love ourselves more. Even if you already love yourself, why not make it a goal to love yourself even more by Dec 31? Do this by letting yourself off the hook for small things. By noticing all of your beauty--not only on the outside, but inside also. Realize how amazing you are. Realize that you deserve to be loved. Especially by yourself. One goal in this category is particularly important to me. I saw somewhere someone mention this goal for themselves and I decided to try it. Replace "I'm sorry" with "thank you". Instead of "I'm sorry for bumping into you", say "thank you for being understanding". Instead of "I'm sorry for being a mess on New Years Eve", say "thank you for being here for me". I have always had an issue with apologizing about everything, even if it wasn't my fault. That ends this year. I will no longer feel like everything wrong that happens is my fault. I will love myself more and know that I do not deserve to feel that way. No one does.

So what will 2017 bring you? Don't make this year just another year gliding through same as last year. Make this year different. Make big dreams and set big goals for this year. Figure out how to follow-through with each goal. Set yourself up for success, not failure. And most importantly, have fun and enjoy your life this year. Because every new year is another year you've lived. 2017, the year we did that one thing we've always wanted to.

#womensfitness #fitness #goals #resolutions #women #nutrition #lifting