It’s the end of 2017, so naturally a time when everyone reflects on the past year and makes goals for 2018. From year to year, sometimes I make them and sometimes I don’t, but this year I’m the former.
It’s also been probably my best year in recent memory. 2017 was a year where I felt like I came into more of my true self, had opportunities I never thought I’d be able to be a part of, grew in my faith, have more stability in my life, and truly feel like I’m in a place I could be for years to come – I feel like I’m home when I drive into Topeka.
I logged my exercise from June 1 – December 31, and it’s been truly a neat thing to go back and look at my accomplishments and what I’ve done in the last seven months.
Here are my Fitness Best of 2017
- I exercised 133 / 214 days.
- I ran on 64 of those 133 days for a total of over 176 miles.
- My best run was 6.2 miles (twice).
- Counting my most recent weigh-in, I’ve lost a total of 51 pounds.
- My lowest weight was 182. My current weight is 191 (HELLO HOLIDAYS).
- I ran five 5K races and placed in my age division in two of them.
- I started the year a size 20 and am now a size 16.
- I started the year a size XL t-shirt and now wear a size L.
As I mentioned, there was a lot of good things about 2017, not just fitness. Here is my Best of 2017 (in no particular order).
- Getting my part-time job at The Brownstone.
- Celebrating my dad’s retirement in July.
- Being asked to speak at the St Jude Country Cares Convention when I go in a few weeks.
- Being part of launching a new radio station (which I personally love – check out 98.5 JACK-FM!).
- Being baptized.
- Getting my tattoos.
- Luke Bryan Farm Tour <3
- Making a plan to renovate my bathroom & kitchen.
2017 was a good year. I’m moving forward with that enthusiasm and completely plan on making 2018 even better.
A couple of years ago, this was my opinion on New Years Resolutions. While I don’t totally disagree with my former self, this current version of myself quite enjoys making goals and striving for them. So rather than a “resolution,” these are more just goals I have for 2018.
New Year’s Fitness Goals
- Reach & maintain goal weight of 150 pounds.
- Run 1 5K / 10K race per month (I already have 8/12 races identified!).
- Run 1 10K in 2018.
- Record all my exercise and weigh-ins.
- Go on a running streak. I don’t know how long I want it to be, or when…but I know in 2018 I want to go on one.
- Exercise every day. Even if it’s just a 15 minute walk on the treadmill, I will do something all 365 days.
- 365 Day Exercise Photo Challenge – this ties in with the last goal. A way to keep myself accountable for every day is to document it. I got this idea from a FB friend – he has posted a photo per day this year, so I’m stealing it!
New Year’s Non-Fitness Goals
- Read 25 – 36 books this year. I want to complete the Full House Reading Challenge this year, ANDDDD…
- …Attend book club 9 out of 12 months. If I use book club books for the challenge, it’ll be 25 books. If I add book club books to the challenge, it’ll be 36. These two goals are pretty lofty – last year I read 19 books and this year I read 14, but goals are for improvement, right?!
- Develop a cleaning schedule for my house. And stick to it.
- Pay off my car (scheduled for February!).
- Renovate my bathroom (scheduled for June or before!).
- Save for kitchen renovation.
- Continue with my no-soda habit. I haven’t had soda since May, and plan on continuing not drinking it!
- Volunteer at the Topeka Rescue Mission once a month.
There you have it! My 2017 wrapped up and 2018 goals. The thing I need to remember is that I have all year to complete these. I think New Year’s Resolutions are hard because if February comes and you haven’t met them, the guilt sets in, which is true for me too. But these are all things that will improve my life past 2018 as well! I’m excited to get started.
Happy New Year, friends!
