New Year, New Adventures

Happy New Year!!

Every new year, I look back and wonder how the last year went so fast. It's true that time speeds up as you get older. I often wonder if I've done enough but that's probably the wrong way of looking at things. Sure it'd be great if I accomplished some great feat. But I need to think about whether I've done my best at those things that matter most to me.

One of the things I wanted to accomplish last year was to be healthier. I know that most of us wish we could lose 10 pounds and I still wish that but losing weight should be the result of a healthy lifestyle and not an end in itself. Because what happens when you do lose the 10 pounds? What's next?? More often than not, they come back and we're back in the cycle. But if we focus on developing a habit of eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, and learning to deal with stress then we're on the road to a healthy and strong body. We will feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally. We won't worry about those 10 pounds and we can free ourselves to focus on other important aspects of our lives. We will be able to tackle life and accomplish our goals.

I feel good that the one thing I did consistently was exercise regularly. I started using exercise videos to do cardio and strength-training exercises last January and have stayed with them throughout the year. There were a few days and weeks when I slacked off due to illness, travel, and blood donations. Other than that, I exercised 30 - 45 minutes a day, six days a week. You would think that I would look amazing with all that exercising but, alas, exercise is only one part of the fitness equation. I still need to work on eating healthier. My main problem is: I LOVE FOOD. Period.

We all know New Year resolutions tend to go by the wayside after a few weeks. It's because we have high hopes of turning over a new leaf with the start of the year but reality sets in and we cannot sustain the effort required to meet our unrealistic expectations. This year I will take small specific steps everyday towards meeting my goals. Instead of saying I will lose 20 pounds, I'm going to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, six days a week and be more aware of the quantity and quality of food I eat at each meal. The long-term goal is to have a strong and healthy body so that I can better fulfill my roles as mother, wife, church member, etc.

Other goals I have are:
* Be more focused with my time. I will only spend time on things that matter most: spirit, family, home, health, skills, talents, and service.

* Learn 5 Chinese characters a day and spend 20-30 minutes a day reading and studying Chinese. Eventually, I will be able to read the newspaper without having to look up 50% of the words.

* Practice playing the piano 15 - 30 minutes a day. (I never had the opportunity to take piano lessons as a child but have always been interested. This will actually fulfill a Young Women Personal Progress requirement! My long-term goal is to be able to play church hymns.)

* Spend at least 15 minutes a day reducing clutter. Be careful of the stuff I buy - ask is it something I really need? Do I have space for it? Does it fit in my budget?

Basically, I'm trying to be careful not to overdo. I'd love to hear what your goals are!