I read on Facebook recently that you shouldn’t share your goals with anyone. There is apparently science to prove why. You know what I say about that?

Forget it!

This is the start of a brand new year and I have been thinking for a while now what I want my goals to be. I have shared my weight loss journey with you thus far and I plan to continue to do so. But weight loss is not the only thing I want to improve upon in my life. Along with my physical health I have been thinking about the health of my mind and my spirit.

So lets talk about the obvious goal first:

Body Health: Last year I lost roughly 70 pounds. I hit a plateau around September and have honestly just been holding on since. I am maintaining where I am at but this is not where I want to be. I have roughly 100 more pounds to lose to get to where I want to be. The task seems daunting but I love the idea of starting fresh with a new year. So how am I going to do this? I have learned how to eat correctly and the bottom line is that I just need to make the choice to do so. I (temporarily) hung up my running shoes in October as the weather got colder. Around that time Darvin and I also cancelled our gym membership. We were both frustrated with increasingly unreliable equipment and were also hoping to save a few dollars each month as well. So with no dedicated workout destination, I have had to come up with alternative workout plans. Currently I am enjoying doing a Beach Body aerobics DVD and we’ve also set up a stationary bike trainer for our outdoor bikes so we can get bike workouts in while there is snow on the ground. My goal with the new year is to get a 30 minute workout in 5 times a week. Anything beyond that is just a bonus. I fully intend to begin outdoor workouts again when spring comes. I am also currently in the process of trying to decide if I want to commit to doing a 5K once a month in 2016. It sounds cold and challenging and exciting all at the same time. I have discovered that there are 5K’s all over the state all year long so I can’t use cold weather as an excuse. We will see.

Mind Health: I want to continue to learn and to keep my mind active. I really enjoy reading but I just often don’t make time for it. I would like to pick a book from the New York Times bestseller list to read once a month. I attempted this last year and didn’t even come close to completing it! Another learning activity I would like to do is to re-learn Spanish. I took Spanish classes in high school and in college but it has been over 10 years and I’m afraid that I have forgotten most of what I learned. I would maybe like to find a class in the area where I could have the opportunity to re-learn the language.

Spirit Health: When Darvin and I were living in Ohio we were part of a church family that we absolutely loved. Since moving home we haven’t had the time or honestly the desire to embark in the process of finding a new church family. Being a part of a faith community is something I truly miss and I really long for that aspect of my life to be filled. Finding a church to attend is definitely a goal of mine but it’s not a goal I am looking to rush into.

Well there you have it. I have messed with “science” and shared my goals with you. Maybe they will happen and maybe they won’t. I hope by sharing them publicly that I have people to be accountable to. Here’s to a happy, healthy and productive 2016!