2014 Hopes and Dreams

Hopes and Dreams….I thought that was better than goals or resolutions.

I've said it before; I don't like to make "resolutions". But I do like to set goals for the year. Funny though, how just a change in the word makes a difference. I never used to set resolutions because it was always just that I needed and wanted to lose weight. I would; and would just as quickly gain it back plus some. I soon decided I enjoy having goals to strive for in addition to losing weight. It gives me a better sense of focus (sometimes). But really, call them what you want; goals, resolutions, hopes, dreams - it's all the same.

A goal..like finish an Olympic Triathlon

I don't know that I've ever been quite as happy as I am this year to see a year come to an end. I am more than ready to bid farewell to 2013 and celebrate the fresh start of 2014. 

However, coming up with a list of goals for 2014 is much more challenging than in years' past. 2012 was such a great year. I had only a few goals (4 to be exact) and met all but 1 of them. I would have met the 4th, but that is when I was really starting to get sick and just couldn't muster up the energy to complete the 2 more races I needed to meet that goal. 2013, on the other hand, has been a much more difficult year. But we've already discussed this at length (here, here, and here - to name a few). 

I have a feeling my 2014 goals need to be significantly smaller than ones that I am used to making. There probably will not be any Olympic Triathlons (or perhaps even sprint ones), marathons (maybe not even half marathons), multiple races, etc. I need to think smaller in order to stay healthy (Crohn's-wise) and get healthier. That's really the ONLY goal that matters in 2014. But, I think I can break this down to smaller goals so that I can really focus on being the healthiest me I can be. 

Goal #1: Figure out how to be accountable (i.e. stay on track) without being too hard on myself. Heck, figure out how to not be so hard on myself in general. Two of my friends suggested that I make this my first goal for 2014. I've heard countless people tell me I'm too hard on myself, so perhaps it's time to focus on this. Honestly, I am not sure how to do this. I think this is going to be one of the most difficult goals I have, but I also think it will do a lot for my overall health. 

Goal #2: Lose at least 50lbs between Jan. 1st and Dec. 31st. Wow…this one is REALLY specific, but totally doable. This would amount to less than 1lb per week overall, which is not unreasonable. I have significantly more weight than that to lose, but this will be a great start. I usually set weight loss goals to lose 2lbs per week and although I may have been able to lose 10lbs in 5 weeks before; it usually ends after that. I really want to see if I can meet this goal once and for all. If I can consistently lose weight (slowly, but steady) for the course of a year it will be an enormous accomplishment. 

Goal #3: Exercise at least 3 days per week. This will be much different than the last few years as well. This "exercise" can be anything that I can do at the moment. Right now, that may be just walking and that has got to be OK. This is where those small steps come in to play.  I need to be careful in regards to stressing my body so that my Crohn's can stay at bay. I am sure being physically active and losing weight will only help me in the long run (duh), but doing it too fast can tax my body too much and quickly put me in another flare.  

And that's it. I think those are the three most important things to focus on this year. Would I like to get back to doing races? Absolutely. However, I have no idea if that's realistic for me this year or not. However, if I can meet these goals AND stay healthy this year it will set the table for some lofty goals in 2015 and beyond. 

Farewell 2013. You beat the hell out of me, but you didn't break me. I hope that you all have a wonderful end to your 2013. And here's to an amazing 2014!