I was going to title this post “A Year of Hits and Misses,” but I think it was actually a year of hits and a few pretty good swings that didn’t quite connect with the ball.
I like to spend the final days of the year reviewing my past 12 months. I determine what I’m pleased with and want to continue, and what I want to do differently/better in the next year. I’ve said here many times, I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions; I set goals. I also claim for myself a “word of the year” and that word helps me shape my thinking. My word for 2015 has been “release.” It reminds me to let go of things that no longer serve me, like extra pounds and household clutter. Release also means letting go of “mind traps” and worrying about what other people think. So here, in so certain order, is my review of hits and misses really good swings.
- I completed my 11th half marathon in March. It was my slowest one ever due to a huge blister I began feeling at mile 8. I limped for five miles. It was tough.
- I abandoned my 12th half marathon earlier this month. The course had hills like I’ve never seen before in a half. I wasn’t prepared and I knew finishing would mean being on the course much longer than I anticipated. I felt sorry for myself for a little while, then a friend posted on Facebook, “Pam, you made a wise decision and lived to run another day.” I like that.
- I made the difficult decision to change gyms. My new gym is 1/2 mile from my house and I have no excuse for not going. I’m there all the time now. It was a good move.
- I didn’t release as many pounds as I would have liked due to not being consistent with the food plan I know works best for me (grain-free). But I am 12 pounds lighter than I was at my July annual physical, so things are going in the right direction.
- I didn’t release as much household clutter as I had planned. I was doing great January – March, then spring came and I spent every spare moment in the garden where….
- I increased my rose bed from six to 25 plants. I also planted zinnias for the first time ever. My flowers were such prolific bloomers I enjoyed arrangements at the office for 31 weeks! I decided the clutter could wait; I was having too much fun. I also quadrupled the size of my vegetable garden. Thanks to a family of groundhogs, the yield wasn’t as good as I would have liked.
Julia Child
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Groundhog was here.
- Hubs and I joined the South Side Runners running club and we’ve made a lot of new friends. Running can be lonely sometimes, and the weekly meet-up has really meant a lot to me.
- I can get stressed out about work issues. The stress can lead to nervous eating, headaches, sleeping in and missing my morning workouts. I decided to spend a year, working with a mentor, to really dig deep and figure this out. Each month I looked at a different aspect and at the end of the month my mentor and I had a phone call to discuss my discoveries. It’s December now and I have kept up with this self-promise. And I’ve learned a lot about myself and my approach to work. Old habits die hard, but I’m much farther along with stress management than I was in January. A key to this has been continually inviting God into my work life.
- My part-time coaching business is growing and continues to be a pleasure. Well, except for the bookkeeping! My clients are the best.
- I had more speaking engagements this year (I have a presentation I give regarding my two careers, fundraising and coaching, and how what I’ve learned in coaching has made for more meaningful dialogues with my agency’s donors.) I enjoy giving this presentation and I’m excited to already have some bookings for 2016.
As I look back on the year, I see some things I want to improve upon next year (grain-free food plan, decluttering, running) and things I want to continue on the current path (stress reduction, gardening, coaching).
All in all, I’m saying goodbye to a really good year.
482gr8 