New Years Goals Versus Resolutions

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Eight O’Clock Coffee. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Let’s talk about New Year’s resolutions. Do you make them?

I haven’t been one to set specific resolutions related to a new year in quite some time. This probably has to do with the curveballs that life has thrown our way since Scott and I got married in 2011. For those of you who are newer to the blog, we have been through several not-so-wonderful transitions like job lay-offs, relocations, moves across the country, losses, years of infertility struggles, and other things that have made planning our next block of time a bit tricky.

I’m not complaining about our journey, but I wanted to include it because it’s shaped me who I am today … and that person isn’t much of a long-term planner.

I wasn’t always this way, that’s for sure. There was a time where I had to check a task off from my list of life’s to-dos by a certain time, year, or even time of year or I’d go crazy. I would list out resolutions and become hard on myself if I didn’t keep them as long as I set out to!

So … I guess you could say that I like to make goals versus resolutions. I try not to fixate on hitting an exact number by an exact time, and instead, I create an overall focus of what I want to be doing. (As a personal trainer, however, I would recommend setting SMART goals for fitness related goals, but that is another post for another day.)

Fast forward to 2018, and here I am, living life one day at a time. I set goals to aim for, but I’m a lot more realistic about them.

Some of my goals for this year include the following:

 
Treat myself to being the best version of myself.

Finally becoming a mother is going to be a drastic change in my everyday life. I know this. I also know, however, that I perform my best – in any role – when I feel like myself. If I’m overtired, overworked or stressed out, I don’t act the same towards others, and I’m certainly not happy. Being the best version of myself requires taking a step back and realizing what’s most important in the moment sometimes. It also includes spending an afternoon doing nothing but watching movies in pajamas and practicing self-care.

Getting a haircut, booking a massage, or taking a yoga class really goes a long way for my sanity, so I’m aiming to keep the person I come out of those activities in mind whenever I feel myself slipping past my best version.
 

Get as much rest as I can.

I know this one is wishful thinking with a newborn coming, but a girl can dream, right?

As I mentioned above, I’m not the best version of myself when I’m overly tired. I feel ready to attack the days and into my groove when I get to bed at a decent hour and wake up feeling rested. This will require me to sacrifice other things like typing up blog posts late at night or watching television to unwind later than I should, but it needs to happen. This includes taking naps when the opportunity arises. This also includes knowing when to stop pushing myself to get more done when I need to simply sit for a bit.
 

Fall in love with fitness again.

I know a lot of this one has to do with trying to start our family over the last few years followed by trying to keep this pregnancy thriving. Truth is, I’ve been terrified to push myself to train for races, throw myself around a gym floor, and lifting anything crazy heavy for quite some time.

I always questioned if what I was doing was “necessary” and if it would help me become a mother. I know it sounds silly, but that was my way of thinking. Post-baby, my goal is to not only feel great and get back to trying different types of fitness classes and workouts in the area, but also sign up for races again. I’d start small, of course, and go for 5Ks, then work my way up to a 10K, half marathon and … dare I say it … possibly a marathon one day.

I’m going to take a step back and give myself some credit for staying as active as I can throughout this pregnancy, but let’s face it … I’m not the same go-getter fitness enthusiast/trainer/instructor I once was. And I miss that. I miss really challenging myself and the feeling of accomplishment I get that comes along with hitting new personal records. I miss teaching fitness classes and being on the other side of the glass in the studio.

I’m looking forward to seeing where this year takes me post-baby and what life will look like on a day-to-day basis!
 

Eat more fruits and veggies.

I’ll be the first to admit that my normal meal prep and eating habits have been harder to stick to ever since I started working full-time again. If I’m not careful, I end up ordering a late breakfast and/or lunch, and dinner out during long shifts. I do my best to eat the rainbow, but it’s so much easier to do when you control what meals are prepped for the day. It’s so tempting to get a bagel with my coffee instead of making two trips when I’m in a hurry, or ordering heavier for lunch to save half of the serving for dinner. This works, but only for so long.

My body craves and performs its best when it’s well-nourished, and I miss creating recipes and creating on-the-go meals in a pinch that include more produce.

 
Be a better friend and spouse.

This one is related to the best version of myself goal I mentioned above, but it’s so much more. This year, I’m setting out to put others before myself. I know this will happen whether I like it or not with a little one on the way, but I want to exceed simply meeting the needs of my baby. I want to be a wife who makes date nights a priority and sets up meals for the week on the weekends. I want to be the friend who returns phone calls in a timely manner, or better yet, calls to chat in the first place. I want to be the family member who sends birthday cards in the mail and comes home for the holidays. I want to be less self-involved on my own schedule and more involved in the schedules of loved ones.
 

Always make time for coffee.

Pregnancy has really taught me to savor a good cup of coffee. I don’t treat myself to a fully-caffeinated brew very often, so when I do … it’s magical.

While most people make resolutions to cut back on caffeine, I’m aiming to make time in my mornings to just sit, exist, and sip on a cup of coffee. Tea works too, but there’s just something about sipping coffee that is so comforting to me.

I recently got the chance to team up with Eight O’Clock Coffee Infusions to try out their new varieties of coffee blended with added ingredients for an enhanced coffee experience, and I have to say that taking ten minutes out of my morning to sit and enjoy a cup has really made a difference in how I start my day.

In the past, I’ve thrown coffee I brewed into a to-go cup or sit a mug next to my computer while I worked. This, friends, is not the same as consciously taking the time to sip on a cup and do nothing else. Now my coffee time is my time to reflect, plan, and soak in a great start to the day, every day.

I mostly stuck to the decaf blend, of course, but I’m eyeing the others that I know I’ll turn to after Baby H arrives.

This haul included:

Alert Hi-Caffeine (100% Arabica beans that are medium roasted for a bold, robust flavor and gently blended with caffeine and guarana), Relax Decaffeinated (decaffeinated 100% Arabica beans that are gently roasted for a smooth, well balanced, flavorful finish and blended with cuts of chamomile and lavender to help soothe and relax you), Super Spice (roasted and blended with turmeric and cinnamon for a smooth, mild spiced flavor to awaken your senses.), B6 Metabolism (blended with a fruit and herbal blend rich in Vitamin B6.), and Acai Glow (blended with acai berry for a rich, fruity, vibrant flavor. A lively combination to help invigorate your day.)

Eight O’Clock Coffee is available to buy online or in-store, and make sure to take advantage of the $1 off coupon!
 

Read More Books

It’s no secret that I love my time to unwind on the couch. I usually fall asleep with some kind of re-run of a television show I’ve seen a dozen times, mainly because I know my mind won’t try to stay awake to see what happens. This started early on in our marriage when I learned that Scott’s schedule is anything but 9-5. When I go to sleep by myself I like having the noise to help me take my mind off of everything else.

This year, I’d like to shift that mindless half hour or so into reading more literature. Whether it be hard copies of books or magazines, it would be nice to give my eyes a break from screens and read something on a regular basis.

Scott and I have talked about canceling our cable because we don’t watch television that much, so I think this will help.

Do any of you have this internal struggle?
 

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I’d love to hear about some of the goals or resolutions that you’ve set for yourself this year!

Questions of the Day

• Are you a general goal setter or do you need a specific direction with a timeline?
• What are you focusing on? A shift in meal planning or eating habits? Fitness? An overall healthy lifestyle? A new career path? Doing things out of your comfort zone?