Setting Goals for 2014

December: it's the time to get all introspective and think about how the past year has gone and what we'll do better in the year to come. I'm introspective all.the.time. Perhaps even a bit of a navel-gazer... So, I enjoy this kind of exercise. What better activity is there on a snowy afternoon in the company of a sleepy cat, a newly decorated pine tree, and some Sufjan Christmas tunes than set some goals?

The past year has been very roller-coaster-y. I started out feeling really strong and focused, ran back-to-back half marathons in the spring, laid down nearly 100 miles on the road a few months in a row, but then it seemed like everything slowly fell apart.

Summer was brutal. Apparently, it wasn't even a hot summer by mid-Atlantic standards. I kept up the mileage until the end of July, eased up in August, and gave up in September, logging fewer miles over the past three months than I did in July alone.

Anyway, I have been trying to put the disappointment I've felt about my progress behind me so that I can move forward. In that spirit, I'm working through setting goals for the coming year because I'm being taught and re-taught the lesson that you can't hit a goal that doesn't exist.

Here goes...

Fitness Goals:

1. Run consistently and injury free.
2. Set a personal record in the half marathon (current PR: 2:29:54).
3. Reduce my overall time for the RW Hat Trick by 60 minutes or more (current time 5:27:07).
4. Practice yoga at least one time per week.
5. Do strength training at least two times per week.

Diet Goals:

1. Continue the transition to plant-based eating, cutting out fish by the end of the year.
2. Lose 40 pounds for the sake of my overall health and my fitness goals.
3. Limit eating out to three meals or fewer per week.

Life Goals:

1. Participate in at least one social activity per week, not including lunch with co-workers.
2. Pay off another student loan.
3. Travel to a new place, whether a state or country.
4. Read at least one book per month.
5. Join a CSA.
6. DANCE!

Now, the work begins.

Do you set goals at any point during the year or do you fly by the seat of your pants?
Have you charted your course for 2014 or do you prefer to wait until closer to year's end?
What is(are) your biggest goal(s) for the coming year? Mine are in red above.