Well, well, well. Here we are again with Melissa from The Valentine RD with our quarterly goal check-in. I have to say that I really screwed the pooch on this one. ALL of the “new year” goals I set were incredibly short-sighted as I couldn’t really see past my big race in Spain. Who can blame me? However, I’m now suck in a bit of a quandary with these updates since I really have nothing to report.
My goals for the New Year were based about running the NYC half (check), getting through and enjoying the World Championship Duathlon (check), turning 39 without freaking out (check) and learning Spanish (FAIL!). At this point, I’m throwing this baby in reverse and creating some “new” resolutions – three things I’m not going to do for the rest of 2014. I’m pretty sure I can stick to these…
1. I will not worry about workouts
After being a slave to my training program for the last 6 months, I’m ready to just take each day as it comes. Now, if you know me then you know this is not going to be an easy thing to do. I like to have a training plan and challenging goals BUT I promised myself I would take a little break after Worlds and I need to keep it.
I’m not saying that I won’t be training and racing – I absolutely will be, but it won’t be so hard core with lofty goals that require a ton of focused training.
I made a promise to do more yoga after Spain. I started on the beach in Portugal with Crow’s Pose. Ahhhh.
2. I will not be a slave to cleanliness
Don’t worry, I’m not going to stop showering or brushing my teeth, but I am going to stop worry about how clean the house is. It’s summer and it goes by super fast in the Northeast. If there’s dirt laundry – so be it. We joined a pool club this year and I intend to take FULL advantage of sitting in a beach chair and gossiping with my friends. I’ve earned it. Oh yeah, and I’ll watch my kids too. A drowning would put a real damper on things.
3. I will not play it safe with my life
Ok so this is a really broad goal but hear me out. After I traveled to Spain and Portugal with my family and raced in the World Championship, it changed me. I was never one to not try new things or shy away from challenges but, in 39 years I managed to never get a tattoo. And then this happened:
The mark of the BULL!
I was scared and not sure if a bull was something I wanted on my body for life, but then I decided it just wasn’t that big of a deal. And you know what? I absolutely love it, I’m so glad I did it and I need to do more things like this that make me wake-up and say “Yep. Life is awesome.”
What goals are you still trying to achieve?
What makes you stop and say “Yes, life is awesome!”?
Head over to The Valentine RD and link up your #14in2014 goal post – it’s never too late!
Those are great goals for the summer! You deserve it will all the hard work you put in Worlds! Love the pool idea! I have a couple of tattoo’s. So cool you decided to get one!
Thanks Kris! I love the pool idea too – and the kids sleep like rocks when we get home. It’s truly a win/win. And, I’m loving my tattoo. I’m so, so glad I did it.
I think those are great goals!
I agree with you, summer in the northeast goes by way too quickly. I’ve got three full baskets of laundry that have been waiting for me to fold them since last week. But for some reason, getting outside with the kids wins out every time and we just keep digging through them for clean clothes!
I love the bull tattoo. It fits you perfectly!
Absolutely! Thanks NJ 🙂
Allie
Sorry I’ve been MIA with life going on but these sound GREAT! You have covered enough for a century just in the first half of this year anyways!
Ha ha ha – thank you Emma! Glad to see you back here. I can’t imagine how busy you are these days, getting ready for your little one!
Summer does go to fast and I have vowed to slow down. My mantra for the summer is slow is the new fast.
I’m stealing that immediately. Love it!
I was just saying this the other day about summer and truly trying my best to enjoy as much as I
can right now, because before I know it will be freezing and snowing here again. And loving the new tattoo!! 🙂
Right? Thanks Janine!
Love the new goals – slowing down, more yoga, more tattoos….or maybe just one. June is the new January!
Now I have two perfect mantras: June is the new January (that would have been a much better blog title!) and Slow is the new Fast. Words to live by. Thanks Angela!
That tattoo is ADORABLE and I’m glad you realized it doesn’t matter that much. These are all great goals, but obviously the last one is my favorite. xD
Thanks Rachel!!! It truly doesn’t and I absolutely love my new tat!!!
You are totally AH-MAZING!! I LOVE the tattoo, although had I been with you I would have tried to make you get it to be 3-D. You probably went the better route, though. I love that you are really trying to just enjoy the summer…you have definitely earned that my friend! :)-Ashley
HA HA HA – I love the idea of a 3D tattoo!!
Oh my gosh! That bull is awesome! Did it hurt? I would be so nervous to get a tattoo!
I’m with you on letting the house cleaning go a little. I’ve been feeling so stressed trying to stay on top of everything lately. I need to sit back and relax a little. I’m literally taking July off. No social engagements, no big plans just vacation time.
That sounds like a dream come true. I may have to adopt that July focus since we have two vacations planned 🙂
The tattoo didn’t hurt as much as I had anticipated. Plus, it only took about 10 minutes because it’s so small. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Love your goals! Sometimes you need to branch out and do something fun + exciting. I did something similar a few months ago. I was like, “why, the hell not?!?” YOLO, right?
YOLO baby!!! yes, absolutely. Let’s remember this in GA 🙂
I set a goal at the beginning of the year to keep a ‘daily housecleaning routine’. While that sounds nice in theory, it just hasn’t happened… and I’m 100% okay with it 🙂
Not gonna happen here! It’s all I can do to just keep up with the laundry around here. My only goal is that everyone has clean underwear. I can’t manage more then that in the summer 🙂
I love all of your goals, especially to grab life by the horns! They say life begins outside our comfort zones, and the older I get, the more I realize how true this statement is!
SO TRUE! I’ve been living the “do something that scares you” mantra and loving it 🙂
You crack me up..’more yoga’ to me would be the corpse pose, not having to balance my body weight on my elbows…but good try! I love the just enjoying life part – I think if I could do that, I would be very focused on actually enjoying what happens on vacation and not orchestrating every moment. This includes, eating ice cream, wearing my suit without so much worry and laughing until I cry! Thanks for the reminder!
YES! We can both work on “staying present” and forgetting all the pre-planning. Somehow I think it will all work itself out 🙂 Thanks Shannon!
It’s funny- I need to worry more about workouts and do a cleaning overhaul of my apartment! And then I’m running a race in Spain… ha! Kidding.
I’m going to do more of the book reading you do my friend!! And you could SOO do a race in Spain if you wanted to 🙂
I love a reverse resolution post. This summer hit, and it hit hard. All of a sudden, I don’t have the free time I used to have. The alone time. Two kittens = wtf, Cassidy. Even the dog is being weird because of the heat, although she was born in Alabama. It was December. I’ll give her that.
I feel exhausted and stressed and hard on myself.
I think I need to print this out!
I hear you!!! I came back from Spain and it was like BAM – it’s summer and the kids are out of school and it’s hot – enjoy!
And really, getting a surprise Athena was amazing but this surprise pet thing needs to stop 🙂 I hope he’s done!?
When I get back from FitBloggin’ we need to plan our Coventry meet up!! Maybe we should just meet ALONE! Ha ha ha – I’m totally kidding because I love your kids!
ha! I’d be happy either way. I know I owe you a cupcake there.
I’m looking forward to that cupcake 🙂
I love the freedom of not being a slave to workouts after a big race!
There’s something really awesome about it!
love, love, love the tattoo!! So perfect. I need to do a quick check in of my goals as well! you are so right about summer disappearing quickly in the NorthEast who has time to worry about all the little things!?? I mean, the summers are just too glorious for all of that. See you manana! Not many times I get to comment THAT! 😉
I KNOW!!! Woohooo!!! Grabbing summer by the horns at FitBloggin’! See you later my friend… 🙂
I think these are awesome things to not want to do!
I wish I could be less OCD about the cleanliness of the house, but I just can’t. Even though it’s breaking my back doing all the cleaning. My son’s dust mite allergy doesn’t help either (which means CONSTANT CLEANING).
Yay for the tattoo! My first one is 17 years old (OMG) and I have been wanting to get a second one for years, but just never got round to it. Maybe when I hit 40?
Someone needs to gift you a housekeeper at least until those babies arrive!!!
Yes to a second tattoo! Mine was so fast, and relatively painless, I was ready for another right away…and the artist was ready too. Maybe next year when I hit 40 🙂
Oh …Christmas is only six months from today!!
Oh Lord Janie!!! I’m trying to de-stress!!! You’re killing me 🙂
I’m right there with you on cleaning the house – I spend way too much time cleaning the venue – the house can stay just like it is!
And – I LOVE your tattoo!! I got one to celebrate turning 40 – painful but I love it!!!
That is so great Kim! What did you get and where? I think I need to do a whole post about “tattoo reveals” and everyone can join in!
I can’t wait to see what not hard core looks like for you! I’m kind of thinking it may look very similar but I could be wrong.
I could care less if my house is clean. I pick up as I go and so does everyone else. It keeps the whole cleaning thing down. Sometimes it does take a couple of days to pick up after the grandkids have been here but they have their own room now so I just shut the door.
I know I said I was going to run R&R STL but I didn’t mention it after my surgery. I looked up how many weeks I have to train and I started a program this week. Luckily I can start slow. Not sure if I’m going to say anything on the blog though.
Ha ha – you’re probably right about my “not hard core” 🙂
You have to do what works for you – always! It’s not worth it if it’s not fun most of the time.
Hi! I’m new to your blog, but love it already! I can relate to your goals. I’m not as awesomely hard core like you but I definitely can get too caught up in a strict routine that focuses heavily on specific goals. Without goals and routine I feel lost! My biggest goal is to qualify for Boston. Well, my first biggest goal this year is to make it down the isle to my future husband in October! Lol then race in Nov for a BQ!! 🙂 I have 5 tats by the way. Never regretted any of them!
Hi!!! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I love that you have 5 tattoos – that is so bad ass. Congrats on getting married!!! And you will so run Boston someday – train hard, have fun and surround yourself with people who support you and your goals!
Love your new goals too. I definitely spend way too much time worrying about things that really are’n that big of a deal in the long run and I need to chill out too. I will also not procrastinate as much as I do (it’s terrible – the reason that I’m probably stressed most of the time). Love your tattoo. And thanks for the reminder that I need to write my check-in.
Absolutely!! Worry = stress and who needs that? Just say no 🙂
Love that your goals are to keep life simple and happy. Way to be!
Yep. And it’s working too 🙂
Great goals, Allie. I’ve never been a slave to cleanliness…at least as far as my house goes. LOL