I love a new year!

Length Alert: This is a long post and is intended for my personal accountability. You are welcome to read, but prepare to be bored. ;)

New Year's is one of my favorite holidays! I love to look ahead with hopes, dreams, and goals. I also love to reflect on the past - it is a huge aspect of my introverted side! As I look back, I can't remember where I wrote my goals for 2012, but I do recall a few items. 1) my chosen word for 2012 was EMBRACE. I intended to embrace the challenges before me with more grace. Given the fact that I sort of forgot this intention part way through year, I am not sure I can say that I successfully engaged this goal. The challenges that I faced in 2012 are still reality and lead me to a embrace a different word that impacts those same challenges: LOVE.

Yes, love is a broad word, I know. But as I continue to walk this life journey, I see the need to love people differently - the people with whom I am in close relationship, and the people who I may not know well, but who represent contemporary needs in our society. At least three of my 2013 goals directly relate to developing love: 1) the scripture I plan to memorize and apply; 2) the books I hope to read, analyze, and apply; and 3) the mentoring relationship with which I am already engaged. This love that I speak of must mature from the inside-out to be truly transformational.

Another 2012 goal included healthy cooking via new recipes. I did not create "SMART" goals (i.e., specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound), and as I already mentioned, I did not record my ambiguous 2012 goals. That said, I did try lots of new, healthy recipes for about six months of 2012. Then, I burned out and decided I really needed to go on a serious, rigid diet. On October 13, 2012, I began the Ideal Protein program through my medical clinic. It is one of my best decisions of 2012. I am half way to my goal of 63 pounds by March 22, 2013. Obviously, this is one of my 2013 goals - along with maintaining the weight loss through the end of 2013. Along those lines, I intend to maintain low carb/nearly no sugar diet for a life time. Crazy, I know, but this goal indicates how much better I feel by cutting out these two toxic aspects from my diet.

All health goals must include exercise. Grrrr. I hate that! So, I plan to add some level of both strength training and cardio training into my new lifestyle. I will begin by adding strength via hand weights during my favorite TV shows. Ha! I also like what I hear about the "slow burn" method. Sounds doable. My goal is to be engaging in strength training 3 times per week, as a habit by year's end. I plan to add cardio 3 times per week, as well, and this is linked to my next goal: Read  more.

I have an extensive read list relating the marriage, parenting, theology, social justice, and invigorating fiction. My list is growing and changing on Goodreads. I plan to tackle my reading in part while I am exercising. Between my reading list, and a few TV series on Netflix, I am hoping to tackle my strength and cardio goal with joy.... A few months ago, I mentioned a hiking goal, and I am still pondering this goal.

My reading goals also include books and articles directly related to my work and career. Two and half years into my job at NNU, and I feel invigorated to take it to the next level (whatever that really means!). I considered beginning a doctoral program, but I don't think the timing is right for that commitment. Instead, I have plenty of freedom to create new programs and improve upon current programs now. I am excited to improve and develop professionally; to engage more actively with students who need academic assistance. I hope to develop additional plans for several different groups of students with whom I am called upon to invest. I also plan to participate in educational research at some level. Finally, I hope to teach Cornerstone again in the fall. With that, I have many areas to develop in order to improve in this area - including active learning plans, developing rubrics, and increasing my usage of technology.

Well, that is about it! My goals are ambitious, I think, but doable. I am ready for 2013 - let's do it!