Did Your 2009 Wishes Come True?

By , SparkPeople Blogger


As we close out 2009, many of us review the year and take inventory regarding what we have or have not accomplished throughout the year.



Last year at this time, I suggested we list 3 wishes and resolve to make them come true during 2009.

Here where my three wishes for 2009:

  1. Redecorate my dining room
     
  2. Take the family to New York City
     
  3. Run in at least one race


To make my wishes come true, I resolved to:

  • Set time and money aside each month for the dining room project until it was complete.
     
  • Change my weekly/monthly budget as necessary to save money for our trip while planning a trip based on the money saved.
     
  • Eat, exercise and live a Spark life that allows me to be at the fitness level necessary to run in a race.
How did I do?

Last March, I provided a New Year's Wishes Check Up that provided a brief update and some before and after pictures of my completed dining room project. We have enjoyed the space a great deal throughout the year with highlights of use including my daughter and her friends enjoying a wonderful dinner before attending their high school Homecoming dance as well as family dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

As I also shared in my update, a trip to New York City did not really work for the time we had for vacation this year. Instead, we took a wonderful trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Holland area of Michigan. We were able to take many hikes and enjoy time as a family and with two busy teens, it made this vacation wonderful.

I also shared in my update that as of March I was running several days a week and sticking to my Spark plan pretty well. That continued to hold true throughout the remainder of the year and I am happy to say that as of this week, I have successfully accumulated 52 Spark Streaking weeks of cardio activity, strength training, and eating right! Although I have maintained a great streak with cardio activity, I found that running was becoming increasingly more painful for me. During the summer I discovered race walking provided many of the benefits of running without the pounding that was bothering my legs. I have found that learning to race walk not only provided a new challenge but also a great cardio workout as my form, speed, and intensity continued to improve. Our hectic family schedule (remember two active teenagers in the home, neither of which are driving without a parent in the car!) did not allow me much time for a race commitment but that is definitely on the list for 2010 for sure.

Here are my wishes for 2010 as well as how I resolve to achieve them.

  • Continue my Spark Streak of healthy living for another 52 weeks - While some weeks have included more intense cardio workouts or strength training routines than others, maintaining a consistency in my workouts and healthy eating commitment for an entire year is something I haven't done since volleyball training in college. I have been surprised by how proud I am of this accomplishment and reaching this goal. While I do not know what 2010 will bring in my life, my goal is to keep the streak going for another year. Do you think I can do it? I resolve to achieve this goal by managing my time continue planning for workouts as well as continually changing my workout routines, meals, and snacks to prevent burnout and boredom that could lead me astray.
     
  • Include my family more intently in weekly meal planning and preparation - My husband and I continually watch our teens and monitor where we are succeeding at preparing them for life on their own and where we still need more focused attention. Cleaning up after themselves and taking care of their needs seem to be in good order as they successfully do their own laundry, maintain their room, and help with home chores each week. As they helped me grocery shop before the holidays, I realized meal planning and preparation was an area that we still need focused education and experience. I resolve to achieve this goal by including the family more in the purchasing and preparation side of meal planning instead of simply the 'what do you want to eat' portion of meal planning.
     
  • More family exercise and physical activity time together - As a family we do pretty well doing things together. My husband and I are thrilled that our teenagers still enjoy going to movies as a family or willingly participate in a family game or movie and pizza night. However, it seems we are not so good about being physically active as a family unless we are away from home. My husband and I do a good job of balancing our daily schedules to include time for work, volunteering, teen's activities, personal workout time and family time. Our teenage children are learning by example to include physical activity and exercise into their schedules as well. Since finding time to fit everything in and spend time with one another is becoming more and more difficult, being more physically active as a family this year is a great goal. I resolve to achieve this goal by helping plan/coordinate family time together to include physically active things such as hikes, walks, bike rides, strength training, or a quick game of one-on-one regularly to balance our less active favorites.
     
  • Participate in at least one race - I have participated in many races over the years including several half-marathons and marathon relays as well as 5K, 10K and 15k races. Those were all running races for me but while I may participate in a short-distance running race, I am anxious to try out an event race walking. I resolve to achieve this goal by finding and registering for at least one event by the spring. Making the commitment by registering is likely my best key to success.
     
  • Regular date time with my husband - Every year this is a stated or unstated goal and every year it becomes the LAST thing on our long weekly list of 'to-do's' that by mid-year seems to just completely fall off the list altogether. With a daughter that will only live in our home for a few more years and son that isn't far behind, preparing for daily life as a couple again has to be planned for as well. I grew up knowing families where the parents split after the kids were grown and gone and always prayed that this would not happen to my parents. I am happy to say that my parents will celebrate 50 years of marriage next year, God willing, and have been a wonderful example to me of how you have to work to make marriage last for the long haul. It is strange to be on the other side of it. Ten years ago at the start of this decade, my children were six and three and it seemed like our family life was just entering its prime. Now as the end of a decade draws near, I look forward and realize that family life as I have known and loved it over the last ten years will be ending very soon and entering a completely new chapter. As a planner and organizer by nature and someone that loves spending time with my family, I have cherished all the time we have spent together and the memories that accompanied them and look forward to a few more along the way. However, just as we have to prepare our teens for life on their own, we also have to prepare for life as a couple again without them. So, on that end, I resolve to achieve this goal by regularly planning and participating in activities and time for just my husband and I.
What about your wishes and resolutions, did they become a reality this year? If not, do you know what stood in your way and what resolutions are necessary to achieve them next year? If you are not someone that has routinely stated yearly wishes, goals, or resolutions but also struggles to live the life you dream, maybe 2010 is the year to try it.

List 3 (or more) wishes you have for 2010 and how you resolve to achieve them.