Happy New Year! It’s a little late, but I hope you had a wonderful weekend celebrating the start of 2011. If you’re like me, you’ve probably been thinking a bit about what you plan to accomplish in the year ahead. Rather than passing this time off as “just that time when people make resolutions, only to break them 2 days later”, I plan to harness the motivation I’m feeling right now and set some goals for myself. Yes, goals. I don’t really like the term resolutions because again, the word ‘resolution’ seems to be associated with breaking, failure, or whatever else you want to call it when things don’t quite go according to plan.

This post was initially going to be a list, but I’m not a fan of all-text posts (on my own blog anyway). Being the very visual learner that I am, I decided to replace the vision board I made in September with a new one focusing on 2011. Out came the glue, the scissors, and the magazines that are now chopped to shreds. On Friday afternoon I produced this marvelous work of art:

It currently resides on one of my closet doors. Just like last time, there is a starting point in the middle….

…then divided the rest up into sections. Here is a little tour of what’s on tap for me this year:

Top Left: Healthy Eating Goals


The biggest focus for this section is sticking to my grocery budget. You may remember from my last board that this was on the list of goals, and the reason it has reappeared is because I sucked supremely at it last year. Therefore, I am stating right here to all of you that this year I will make this happen. After all, I have a little something that I’m saving up for… actually, it’s a big something. It’s a 4-wheeled something that requires keys, gas, and a whole lot of $$$, and if I’m going to be reaching that goal, spending on food needs to be cut back a bit. The budget has been made (again, another step further than I went last year), now I just have to follow my own advice (from posts like this one and this one) and actually do it!

Top Right: Spirituality/Wellness/Relationship Goals

One thing I’ve never understood is why Random Acts of Kindness Day is only one day. This happens to be November 12th where I live, and apparently the date varies depending on the country. But isn’t it important to do kind things every day? Therefore, I will do something nice for someone else every single day. Also on the cards is spending more time with loved ones because as I stated in Friday’s post of 2010 accomplishments, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my friends and family.

Bottom Right: Career and Financial Goals

This section is very heavy on the words and light on the pictures, and I’ve learned that of all mags, Cosmo is not the best for finding career-related images! Financially, the general plan is to take more of a long-term perspective and (at the risk of sounding boring and all adult-like) become a little smarter about my spending. I am well aware that the Lululemon-a-holic in me will probably have a tough time with this, so I don’t expect it to be an easy one to accomplish.

Although not explicitly stated, the career references apply to both my full time job in marketing and my part time job as a fitness instructor, which is why the section flows nicely into…

Bottom Left: Fitness Goals

A couple of years ago, my fitness goals included “run a half marathon”, “run a marathon”, “qualify for Boston” etc. Having achieved these things, this year will be quite different. In addition to building strength (hello real chin-ups), I’ll be getting my yoga on. I’ve got no problems with hopping on the treadmill for an hour, or cranking out a spin class. Stretching and holistic wellness however, is not my strong suit. I realized this most during the  Nutrition and Wellness Specialist certification course I took in November. Therefore, in order to be a little more well rounded and yogi like, the plan is to do at least 4 yoga classes per month, or 1 per week. Starting today!! :)

So… now that you know what I’ll be up to throughout the year ahead, I want to know what your goals are. What do you want to accomplish most? How do you plan to do it?

I’m off to enjoy my last day of holidays, but I’ll see you back here tomorrow with some tips for helping you to stay motivated and on track. Have a fabulous day!

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