Yes, I know it’s February. Just go with me on this! I usually don’t set New Year’s Resolutions. Don’t get me wrong. It’s my favorite holiday! I love the attitude and the positive hope that surrounds the celebration of another year of life completed and the next to come.
The thing is, I am one of those people who believe it’s always time to seek self improvement. And somehow, most of the times I’ve started a lofty goal it’s been at random times during the year (I learned to paint in spring, make balloon animals in summer, and started a weight loss regime in the fall). Hardly ever have I done anything productive right at the start of a new year. I’ve actually made bigger changes after Halloween and before Thanksgiving, like the time I became vegetarian! Yep! Right before Thanksgiving. That was an interesting holiday season, haha.
Backstory: Why Write New Year’s Resolutions Now?
I know I’ve had goals and things I’ve wanted to do since I moved back to Texas after my nutrition internship, but kept pushing them off until I felt better. (I became very sad for a very long time.) I still have those goals, plus a few more that came about once I received my dietetic license and knew I could start my career. Plus, I have hobbies I’ve picked up and want to improve as well as weight issues I want to fix before they become health issues. But they’re all just floating around in my head. It’s easier that way because I don’t have to face myself with how little I’ve done to achieve all of these things I want to do.
Which leads me to why I’m writing this now. I met up for coffee with a cousin of mine. Sydney is the pseudo name I gave her for the purposes of this blog. I hadn’t seen Sydney for several years at this point. I may not have seen her more than once since I began university which would mean it’s been at least 5 years since I’d had a proper talk with her. However, when I started this blog during my last year of university, I noticed she would consistently like my posts on Facebook about new blog posts and occasionally comment (yeah… I still have a Facebook page for this blog).
It was nice at first, but during the year of my internship where the going got really tough and I was without family on the island (I was in Puerto Rico), it meant the world. So, when we finally had an in person conversation a couple weeks ago where she recommended I write down my New Year’s resolutions, well, it’s the least I could do. And though she said it for my personal enrichment, I dedicate this post to her for giving me the push I needed to put all these hopes and dreams into words. Thank you, Sydney.
New Year’s Resolutions for the Year 2020:
- Lose enough weight to be classified as overweight or BMI of 24.9 (weight loss of about 30 pounds).
- Get a job as a dietitian (preferably a clinical dietitian)
- Complete an Olympic distance triathlon
- Complete a 5k in less than 35 minutes (~11 minute mile or 5.5mph pace)
- Re-learn how to play This is Gospel by Panic! at the Disco on the piano and get to level 11 on the Yousician Piano app (I am currently on level 6)
- Decide when and where and for what to go to graduate school for
- Pay off at least 1/3 of my undergraduate student loans
- Volunteer at least once a month
- Go on a fun outing at least once a month (with others or alone)
- Write at least four posts a month on this blog
- Read at least one new book per month
Now, to stay accountable, I’ll be posting my progress. I’m not sure how often would be best as I’ve never done anything like this before. I guess I could update monthly, since I do have a few monthly goals in there which I could write about. 🙂 It could be my first week of the month Friday post! 😊
January Update
- Lose enough weight to be classified as overweight at a BMI of 24.9 or less (weight loss of about 30 pounds)
- January
- Gained weight to my highest BMI of 35.2 (obese category II)
- Lost weight to achieve a BMI of 34.4 (obese category I) by February 4th
- January
- Get a job as a dietitian (preferably a clinical dietitian)
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- January
- Finished new licensure requirements such as payment and continuing education planning
- Applied to one full time clinical dietitian position
- Applied to three PRN clinical dietitian positions (February 3rd and 4th)
- January
- Complete an Olympic distance triathlon
- January
- Completed an indoor triathlon
- Signed up for a super sprint triathlon in March
- Bought bike accessories (bike computer, trainer, and aero bars)
- January
- Complete a 5k in less than 35 minutes (~11 minute mile or 5.5mph pace)
- January
- Nothing…
- Feb. 4th signed up for a 5k later in February
- January
- Re-learn how to play This is Gospel by Panic! at the Disco on the piano and get to level 11 on the Yousician Piano app (I am currently on level 6)
- January
- Started a beginning piano class
- January
- Decide when and where and for what to go to graduate school for
- January
- Nothing…
- January
- Pay off at least 1/3 of my undergraduate student loans
- January
- Nothing… still unemployed
- Feb. 3rd, applied for an hourly position
- January
- Volunteer at least once a month
- January
- Nothing…
- Feb. 3rd signed up to volunteer with a food bank
- January
- Go on a fun outing at least once a month (with others or alone)
- January
- Until the 2nd- trip to West Texas with Mariah to visit Sherri and Richard
- 18th- Coffee with Sydney
- Feb. 1st- Cousin’s birthday bowling 🙂
- January
- Write at least four posts a month on this blog
- January
- About 2 posts per week. Nice! 😀
- January
- Read at least one new book per month
- January
- None… (I’m re-reading Matched by Ally Condie with my mom 😬)
- January
I’m excited, guys! Looking forward to filling in the months working toward these goals! I hope you all are staying strong in your resolutions for this year! And if you haven’t made any, it’s definitely not too late! I made these on February 4th! 😅 Until next month, keep climbing that Mountain of Progress!
Note: Picture from Pexel’s Free Photo Library
My Dragonfly Life 