New Year’s resolutions are apparently so “yesteryear”, yet somehow I can’t help treating the start of a new year as an opportunity to clean the slate and start afresh.

Honestly, despite getting re-married last year, 2012 was a tough year for me.  My emotional and mental disposition was taxed to its capacity and I fear I suffered much more than just a sense of humour failure.

Thankfully the year passed quickly and now I foster great hopes for the next twelve months. This year is going to be a good one – I can feel it in my bones.  Furthermore, given my daring frame of mind, I decided that setting some ambitious personal goals would kick my year off on the right footing.

Maybe I speak for myself, but the problem with setting goals and resolutions is that the temptation to backtrack or conveniently forget what I am striving for is all too easy. I want to make 100% positive that by the end of the year I am able to measure my progress; to do this I plan to document exactly what I want to achieve by sharing my goals with you.  Here goes:

Goal 1
Focus on my dream to have my poetry published one day
Measurement: Start my own dedicated poetry blog

Goal 2
I want to try to start a family this year.
Measurement:  Er … this would go without saying LOL

Goal 3
I want to focus more time on my writing:  this blog, poetry and short stories. 
Measurement:  I need to have entered at least one writing competition by the end of the year.

Goal 4
Get fit and eat healthier.
Measurement:  Join a gym, gym at least four times a month and map out an eating plan. I have set the target weight of 69 kg by mid-year as my first major measurement point.

Goal 5
Spend more quality time with my husband.
Measurement:  At least once a month, participate in one activity/pastime/hobby that my husband wants to do.

I’m so pleased that already I’ve made great progress on my goals.  On my first goal, my new poetry blog (http://poetizing.com) is now up and running. Please check it out and let me know what you think.  On my second goal, we’ve actively started trying (big smile).  Lastly, by joining our local Virgin Active gym, I’m making steady progress on my fourth goal and at the same time I am doing something my husband loves to do with me.  So my fifth goal gets a tick in the progress check box there too!

I would love to know if I’m the only old-fashioned person who has set New Year’s goals?  Hopefully not! :)

Related articles

• Resolution Check-In Week 2 (teachinstyle.com)
• Practice What U Want Launches an Online Initiative to Help the Achievement of New Years Resolution Goals in 2013 (prweb.com)
• When You Discover a A Goal is Not Exactly About the Goal (juliejordanscott.typepad.com)
• SMART Goals and How You Can Use Them to Help Manage Your Dieting (betterbodyjournal.com)
• Warning: Resolutions ahead! (twograhams.wordpress.com)
• Resolve not to resolve (melaniemarttila.ca)
• What’s your New Year’s resolution? (virginactive.co.za)
• How SMART are your resolutions? (shellynajjar.wordpress.com)

Tagged: New Year, New Year Resolution, Online Writing, Personal Development, Poetry, Setting goals, Short story, Writing