Goals for 2013

It is that time of year again, where we all set goals with hope of achieving them within the next 365 days. I'm no different, so here it goes!

This year I WILL:

1. Finally become completely debt free. Since we've been married, my husband and I have been striving to attain this. With hope, cooking at home more and filling in our budget every month we should finally hit the huge goal. This will be a huge step in our marriage and really set our family up for the future :)

2. Run 26.2 miles. A full marathon. In 2011, my husband and I ran two half marathons and loved it. Last year I didn't the time to do one, but I did to a 12 mile Tough Mudder. This year I want to run a full. It's always been a goal of mine to knock it off the bucket list before we start having McBabies, so why not this year while I have the time!

3. Reach my weight loss goal. Ugh. Looking back on previous resolution posts, this one makes my list every year. Sadly, I've never reached it. I've inspired my FIL, MIL and SIL but never attained it myself. When we moved to TX in April, I was only 5lbs away. So close, but no cookie or maybe too many cookies lol. I dealt with a very hard time challenge, stress, and preparing for a deployment which all left little time or desire to want to put hours in at the gym or pounding pavement. This year I have mostly all to myself. I will focus on getting myself healthy because our families future depends on it. I know I won't feel comfortable starting the "parent" chapter of our lives if I'm not completely 100% healthy. So if that's not motivation than I don't know what is!

I have lined up a half marathon on the beach on April 7 that I start training for in mid January. I will also line up a full marathon in Sept or Oct. Also I'll use the FitnessPal app to track my calories and food I eat everyday (huge help). It's like Weight Watchers but free and instead of tracking points, it just tracks calories, fat, sodium, carbs, etc. I have 32lbs to lose. I'm the heaviest I've ever weighed, but like I typed before...I'm really motivated!

4. Start working on my Master's Degree. I earned credits towards it while I was in tech school in TX, about 15 credits worth. I need only 21 more to graduate, so I'd be stupid not to go ahead and get it. No it's not the degree I dreamed of, but it checks a box that I need to promote within my job. One day I hope to go to Physician's Assistant School and that will be a Master's Degree that I'll really be proud of!

5. Stay Positive. This one will probably be the most challenging. I need to be positive for my own mental health and my husband's. He sure doesn't want to call home every time and just listen to a depressed, crying wife. Frankly I don't even want to listen to that. These next 9 months I will keep looking to our future when we're reunited and use that as fuel to my fire of positivity. I know I'll have bad days. It's normal, and I'll cry and sulk when I need to. Those feelings do need to be experienced and let out or else I'd go crazy. Or turn in a Stepford Wife robot. I will have a positive outlook, keep looking forward to reaching our 6 more benchmarks and keep my other half's spirits lit.

Here's to 2013! May she be swift, kind and generous to us all.