My 2014 Goals

Yes, I'm a little late to the party. Sue me :)

My goals would have been here a lot sooner, but I really have been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year. I love New Years' and the feeling of a blank slate. Like anything is possible. As I was thinking about my 2014 resolutions, I happened to ponder if I had accomplished my 2013 goals (you can read that post here). After re-reading the post, I concluded I did a pretty darn good job. I did get back in shape. I kept a food diary for half the year, until July (I should write a post on why I stopped because the conclusion I came to is that a food diary is completely unnecessary for me, and somewhat unhealthy). I successfully learned how to roast a chicken. I did improve my photography, however I now know I will probably be improving my photos until the day I die :) And while we did save a lot of money, we did have an extremely decadent month in Oregon. YOLO, right?

I've put a lot of thinking into 2014. Here goes-

1. Run a 10K.

In 2013, I successfully ran my first 5k. Heck, I started running successfully period. The hubby and I ran (4) 5k's last year, and we are definitely planning on running more. I would like to get my time under 30 minutes for the 5k. I've been doing a lot of speed training at the gym, so 2014 looks like the year of "The Under 30 5K". A 10K will happen this year too! I've conditioned myself to run 5 miles, I'll definitely be able to add one more mile. I hate long distance running on the treadmill though (too boring), so I'll be working on my endurance when I get back outside.

2. Plant my first garden.

The hubby and I are composters now! My parents have been into composting for awhile, and I really got bitten by the bug when I was out in Oregon. As of last Thursday, we've started. I've got my little house compost bucket, and we've got a bigger one for the back yard.

What does composting have to do with a garden? It's simple, really. Our soil on our property is almost pure clay, which is not conducive for growing anything really. We are going to need nutrient rich soil to grow my vegetables, and this seems to be the way to do it that makes the most sense. We've got one composter in the backyard so far. We will be investing in another when we fill this one, since it will take 10-12 weeks to make compost once the contraption is full.

Another reason for planting the garden? Another one of my 2014 goals is to eat more whole foods and drastically less processed foods. Having fresh fruit and vegetables in the garden will help with that goal, plus I plan on canning and/or freezing as much of my garden harvest as possible to have on hand for next winter.

3. Read more!

Through trial and error over 30 odd years, I've discovered I'm a lot happier off the Internet. There's a lot of awful news, and bad images out there. While I'm by no means saying I want to be an ignorant ostrich who sticks her head in the sand, it's enough for me to say I'm aware of certain bad situations but I don't need to know every detail. Getting caught up in the fantasy of a fiction novel, or being fascinated by a how-to book can be a lot healthier for the psyche than reading about the situation in Syria for the 100th time. I got a library card at the local library, and I plan on taking full advantage this year.

4. Increase charitable donations.

Beginning of 2014's Salvation Army donation.

Beginning of 2014's Animal Shelter donation. 

In 2013, I made donations to the local women's shelter, the Salvation Army, and my local animal shelter. I also participated in the March of Dimes, and each 5k the hubby and I ran was for a local charity. I still plan on participating in the March of Dimes, and competing in those 5k's. I've also begun donations for the Salvation Army and the animal shelter. My plan this year is to add to my donation boxes (buying items free or close to free with coupons), and have really nice donations for my local charities at the end of the year. I think this is one of the projects I'm most excited about, I can't wait to see what I have to donate at the end of the year! I hope I can provide my readers with pictures of overflowing boxes to take in :)

5. Save MORE money.

Here's what's cool about my goals. They all tie in to each other quite nicely. Running outside is FREE, achieving my goal of saving money. It gives me the energy to do yard work, and makes me want to eat healthy. It also relieves my anxiety, which makes it easier for me to focus on reading. Planting a garden will also help save money, since the majority of my grocery budget is spent on fresh produce. Reading more means more trips to library, where I'm not spending any money. And I'm trying to increase my charitable donations while spending as little money as possible.

-There you go! My 2014 resolutions. I think it's going to be great year! I hope everyone had a great weekend :)