Keeping Resolutions…All Year!

As tradition would have it, I started the first weeks of 2014 with ideas and lists of things I hope to accomplish in the next 12 months. I had plenty on my equestrian list and enough projects around the house to keep me busy well beyond this year, but I decided to narrow that list down to the top five in each category. Here’s why…

I took a little glance at my ambitious list from last year and realized I didn’t even complete HALF of the items listed. At first I was worried. I began questioning my motivation and was I really that distracted? How could I forget? Why didn’t I follow through?

I believe the answer is that I was simply overwhelmed by the enormous amount of ideas, projects and tasks that I gave up after just a few months. I also realized that the items I did complete had one thing in common – they were actually practical! Organizing the cabinet under the kitchen sink is more appealing when you have to crawl in and search for the paper towels and cleaners every time they’re needed…which is a lot! Every time I made it out alive, I swore it would be the last time. So I checked my trusty Pinterest, found a few great ideas and went off to the store to get the supplies. It was my first big project of 2013 and it felt great to finish it! The vintage photo frame jewelry holder I also had on the list? Well…I painted the frame….

As for my equestrian goals, I was able to complete the most important. We moved Dancer out to our place! What seems like a fairly easy accomplishment was actually a huge one due to outside circumstances (Dancer refusing to get on the trailer the first time, having to call out a trainer, etc…) and us finding the time to complete our fencing “remodel” and barn updates so he had a safe place to stay. One of the other goals – riding at least 3x per week – didn’t really happen. I believe it was due to a lack of great riding space and failing to get into a consistent routine.

So, with the prospect of a new year and a new attitude, I have put together what I believe to be a realistic set of goals.

Equestrian:

• Overhaul arena footing
• Ride at least 3x per week
• Begin a serious fitness program with Dancer, integrating Dressage concepts and exercises
• More lessons on Dancer with my trainer
• At least one ground work session per week with Dancer

Business:

• Blog more!
• More marketing for my design work & Etsy store
• More networking
• Increase freelance projects
• New items for the Etsy shop

Everything Else:

• Eat healthier (more fresh fruits, veggies and unprocessed foods)
• Exercise at least 3x per week (non-riding)
• Organize the kitchen island storage area (why are there so many coffee tumblers?!)
• Organize the desk/office area
• Build storage for the desk/office area

I know it seems long, but I have a whole year to complete it! I think I’m going to try incorporating little changes into my regular routine until the things on my list become so familiar that I don’t have to think about it anymore. I guess we’ll see if this new outlook on resolutions will actually work. What are some of yours for the new year? Do you have any tips on keeping them?