2016 Resolution: Follow Through

My resolution for 2016 is to overcome one of my greatest struggles.

And what is my greatest struggle? Well..

I would say my short attention span, but I can focus on hard things or interesting things forever. Give me a thousand piece puzzle and I'm good for the day. 

But if it doesn't force me to engage, I move on. Even when I am so close to being finished with something that it doesn't make sense.

So really, I'd have to say that my greatest struggle is my inability to just finish off things.

As I have blogged about previously, I am a fantastic starter! I can get whipped up into a frenzy and live in a state of euphoria about something for days or even weeks, but once the adrenaline wears off, or I have figured out the process or whatever, I am done. Even when I'm not really done.

This works fine in the art classroom. My student's count on my energy as they are getting started. They need my starter projects so that they can see the process. The problem is, I don't finish the projects. At school I don't have time. My student's don't need my finished pieces. By the time I can get back to my starter clay piece, it's bone dry and often broken.  By the  time I can get back to my drawing/paintings, I often can't remember what my motivation/inspiration was in the first place! 

As you can imagine, I have lots and lots of starter projects at school.

I have even more at home. With no excuse. 

So this year, I am going to finish things.

My word for the year was going to be FINISH, but I know that my healthy journey can't be finished.. but I sure can follow through. I need to get a mindset of just following through with projects, ideas, training and eating.

Therefore, that is my mantra for 2016: Follow Through.

Here is a glimpse of a few of my unfinished projects...I included my girls in the picture as they have as many unfinished projects as I do!! What an example. ugh.

And I have gotten right to it. The girls finished their lingering paintings for the county art show (finally.. they only started these in July!) And I finished my first loom knit scarf today!

I am also going to refocus of healthy eating. I had been doing great, then I got the stress fracture in my left foot in October and had to shut down the workouts. With life and stress and me not eating right, I have gained 10 pounds. Bummer. But if I will just FOLLOW THROUGH and eat real food. not processed drive-thru crap, I'll be fine. Just gotta follow through.

So this is my year of nothing new except for possibly a house if we can ever get something found/worked out. But other than that, it's a year of finishing..not starting!

How is that for a resolution!! I know that there are a lot of you that need a resolution like this!!

Finishing the year with a little reflection

I have no regrets for 2014. Sure there are things I would do differently. But I am so thankful that this has been a year lived well!

I was thinking of doing a recap or something, but there is just no way. Not with my very full life and three kids. I know I would end up leaving out something super important.. so instead, I'm going to highlight a couple things that really spoke to me about our year.

2014 was a year of reflection and figuring out who I am. Something about turning 40 will do that to you I guess. I realized that I can be a runner and really fit and STILL LOVE DONUTS! I also realized that I am never going to overcome the anxiety of thinking that I'm not going to be able to wear whatever pair of pants that I have in my hand, that have been in my closet for a long time and that I have worn more than a dozen times. I have accepted that part of my food issues will always be my internal struggle of thinking I am fat; whatever the size of pants I am wearing or whatever the scale says.

This year I started acknowledging that I am an artist. Something about oil painting freed my soul and allowed me to let go of all of the fear and doubt and just create.

This year I also started competing in triathlons. I am going to continue this! I had to realize that my running goal was going to suffer because of the training for tri's, but my overall fitness improved. I ended 2014 with 767 running miles but almost 1000 cardio miles.

One of the things that I enjoyed the most this year was running with my sisters

and my friends! We celebrated the end of the year with 5k this morning in 21 degrees! For these central Texas bodies, that is COLD!

This year was also a year of vacations. Doug and I went to Mexico and then we had our big family trip to Disney World.

There was just something extra special during these moments of togetherness. We live life in such a rush that taking these vacations together let us recharge and reconnect.

My 2015 plans are to simply keep doing what I am doing.

I have some fitness goals.

I'd really, really like to run a sub 2 hour half marathon, a 57 minute 10k and a 25 minute 5k. In order to get to these goals, I am going to have to eat better. I think that focusing on the goal and what it takes to get there is more helpful for me than trying to deny myself the occasional donut.

I started taking this to heart this morning.  I drank a smoothie. Actually I drank almost 2 of them. INSANE. I found out that smoothies that are made from just fruits and veggies are fine, it's the dairy in them that I don't like.

Proof..

I even got my girls to drink some. That's part of my 2015 plan. More fresh, less processed!

I have some art goals.. like create a piece a month. As I sit here looking at my bag of supplies that I bought home to work with over Christmas break, I realize that this is not going to be easy. In reality I'll probably create a little here, a lot over summer and hopefully finish the year with a dozen new pieces.

I even have some eductional and work related goals, but those are boring. So I'll move on.

In the end this year was a big year.

I turned 40.
Doug returned to pastoring a church after 12 years. (I realize as I type this that I don't know if I ever blogged about that!)
Maddie started high school.
Lexi showed rabbits.
Kylie started kindergarten.

And boy were we busy!

Don't think it's going to slow down in 2015. Better grab your running shoes and a smoothie if you want to keep up!

2013 was a great year... what will 2014 bring?

2013 was a great year for our family.

I looked back to see if I blogged about any resolutions for 2013 and we were just too busy!!  So here is a quick recap for you...

January:moved to new house and went to Disney World

February: ran the Cowtown Challenge which included my first 1/2 marathon.

April: ran my second 1/2 marathon, lots of kid activities, Doug and I had a weekend away.

May: finally sold our house on Cleveland! Maddie turned 13.

July: Maddie was sick, yuck! I worked out and ran a lot. I had my best month of the year from a running perspective. My Grandmother died at 97 years old. 

September: busy at school and the Big Show was performed a dozen times.

November: ran my first marathon and Doug his first 1/2 marathon and Maddie her first 5k!

And that's the condensed version! Sure there were struggles during the year, who doesn't have hurts and struggles, but the sum total of the year was great.

So looking ahead, my resolutions are pretty simple. I'm not looking to overhaul my life. But here are my goals:

1. I'm going to stop obsessing about every bite I put into my mouth. Obsessing about it doesn't make me make better choices, it only causes stress. I am healthy and strong and while I'd like to dump another 15 pounds, I refuse to stress over it. I have obsessed over food for the last 25 years, this is the year of letting it go.

2. I am going to eat 2 healthy, unprocessed meals a day. (I know, I just said I wasn't going to stress over food... but striving to eat unprocessed foods is totally different than counting calories or points!) 

3. I'm going to run a race for charity. I'd really like to do at least a 1/2 marathon for a big charity, maybe even a full.

4. I'd like to create a chore chart for the girls that incorporates accountability and incentives that actually works and that we will use! 

5. I'd like to do a family activity/date once a month. It may just be walking the trail as a family, or going to a museum, but these days are flying by and by the end of 2014 Maddie will be in high school!

And that's it. I love my life and my family. I am so very thankful for the life we live together. My family is my happy place and we are blessed.