New year, new goals

Most people look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them that January is my favorite month. Don’t get me wrong, I know January is probably the dreariest, most uneventful month of the year. There aren’t any major birthdays or anniversaries that I celebrate in January. I wouldn’t say I enjoy the New Year's holiday much either.

The reason I love January is because it serves as a new beginning. 

My appreciation for fresh starts began halfway through my sophomore year. By the end of my miserable first semester, I was waking up 10 minutes before I had to be out the door and falling asleep at 2:00 am at the earliest. I was having a terrible time making college friends, and the “friends” I had made were not a good fit at all. My life felt like it was completely spiraling out of control.

On January 1, 2022, I set a goal to go to the gym five times a week. No exceptions. I knew that something in my life had to be fixed if I was ever going to feel better.

Setting that goal two years ago completely changed my life.

I stayed consistent at the gym for a month. Then two months. Then three. Although I stopped going as frequently over time, I continued to show up for myself for the rest of that year.

My 2022 New Year's fitness goal transformed my life in so many different ways. I started to care less about what people thought of me. I focused on hobbies and jobs that I enjoyed. I made friends who were constantly working on themselves too.

Since 2022, I’ve continued to better myself through various New Year’s goals. I enjoy the goal-making process from start to finish and have learned more about self-discipline from it.

This year I’ve decided to set three separate goals - one for the body, mind and soul each. When I create my New Year’s goals, I outline a plan for attack and a few rewards for achieving them. I also check in with my goals four times a year. These check-ins are to see if the goal is attainable or something I still value.

Without further ado, here’s what I’ll be up to in 2024:

Body goal: I will sign up for, run and finish two half marathons.

Why

A few months ago, I realized I was tired of my usual gym routine. I went on a few outdoor runs to switch things up but never in a million years would I have considered myself a runner. I didn’t even think I could run more than six miles. This past November, I watched as the first athletes crossed the finish line at the Lincoln Good Life Halfsy. Seeing them achieve their goals inspired me to overcome my fear of running long distances and commit to two half marathons.

Plan of attack

I have already signed up for the Lincoln Half Marathon and will be running it on May 5. I plan on starting a 14-week training plan at the end of January. My sister and roommate are also running the half marathon, so I plan on doing a couple of workouts with them each week. I will most likely repeat this process for the Lincoln Good Life Halfsy in November.

Reward

Finishing the actual race is the obvious reward for this goal. I’ll probably buy a race day outfit as an extra motivator.

Mind goal: I will read 30 books this year and at least 10 pages a day.

Why

I’ve set reading goals in previous years but have always aimed way too high. 30 books seem doable compared to what I’ve read recently. I am also convinced that 2024 is the year that we as a society will decide we’re tired of spending every waking minute on our phones. I love reading, but love the feeling of not having my phone glued to my hand even more.

Plan of attack

I plan to read 30 books this year by starting with at least ten pages a day. The mornings and evenings are when I find myself on my phone the most, so I plan to read when I eat breakfast and before I go to bed. The Kindle I got for Christmas this year will help with this goal as well.

Reward

The most logical reward would be to continue to buy books throughout the year.

Soul goal: I will speak with intention and intelligence.

Why 

Earlier last year, I read this quote from Gary Zukav: “Every intention sets energy into motion whether you are conscious of it or not. Each word that you speak carries consciousness - more than that, carries intelligence - and, therefore, is an intention that shapes light.” 

For a lot of my life, I felt as though extraversion was the most desirable trait a person could have. I stressed over how I would ever compare to my classmates who filled the room with their thoughts and opinions. Was it better to speak your mind on every topic to appear knowledgeable? Or to not say anything at all in contemplation? The Zukav quote taught me that extraversion does not equate to intelligence and completely flipped my false personality notion on its head.

Plan of attack

Wholehearted listening. The most intelligent people I know don’t voice their thoughts on every point of discussion. They actively listen to the people around them and share their knowledge when it is valuable. I plan on reminding myself of this and the effect of conscious and subconscious actions.

Reward

There isn’t necessarily a reward for this goal. The only reward that I can think of is that there are bound to be fewer stressors in my life both internally and externally.

Hopefully, these resolutions serve as a source of inspiration to whoever stumbles across this post. Happy New Year’s goal setting!