HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I hope that you all had a great New Year’s Eve celebration. We sure did! We usually stay home as a family, have a nice meal together, and get a little bit silly. This year was no exception.
After the little boys go to bed, the older kids, John and I watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” What a great movie!
One thing I’ve never really done is make a list of New Year’s Resolutions. Why? I think for me, I never seemed to get any of them accomplished and then I’d feel like a total loser. So I don’t make any. Instead of making a list of New Year’s resolutions I update my list of life goals.
Life goals are goals that John and I have set for ourselves as a family, and individual goals that we have personally. I don’t share my individual goals with him though, because they are a secret! 
Having life goals has helped me keep a general focus for my life. For example, getting out of debt is one of my life goals, and by keeping that goal in mind, I’m able to curb my spending to try and reach that very elusive goal. Another life goal I have is to maintain my weight. (Aren’t you surprised??!)
And to keep that life goal achieved I have to make sure that I always keep that goal in my mind. I don’t think about my weight all the time, or obsess over every piece of food that goes in my mouth, but I do always have that goal in the back of my mind.
And because I never let that goal slip out of my memory completely, I find it easier to make the choices that help me achieve that goal. For example, when I’m at a restaurant and everyone is ordering desserts, I find it easy to resist because I know that that Death by Chocolate cake won’t help me continue to meet that Life Goal.
Or, if it is cold and wet outside, it may be easier to stay inside snuggled in my bed, but that won’t help me achieve my life goal of weight maintenance either – so I haul myself out of bed and go exercise.
I guess what that particular life goal comes down to for me is desire. I desire to meet that life goal more than I desire to eat junk or not exercise. But in addition to desire, there is action.
When I was morbidly obese I had the desire to lose weight and that would have been one of my Life Goals, but the desire wasn’t enough. I had to get to the point where I was really willing to act on my desire to reach that goal of losing over 150 pounds.
Desire + Action = Results
That’s what I’ve learned throughout my journey of life. Sure I want to get out of debt completely, but I don’t always act like it, and will buy things because I want them right then rather than waiting for them. That’s desire without action.
How do you put your life goals into motion? Do you have the desire, but like me with money, sometimes have trouble with the action part? What can you do to meet your life goals this year? I’m going to stick with my budget!! Diane
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I love the idea of life goals rather than resolutions. I always fail at resolutions! My life goal for 2010 would be to get more fit, both personally and financially!
Yes, you have to put your goals into motion! Great reminder!
Happy 2010, Diane!
I do goals as well, and not just at the start of the year
I write out my goals and then make a specific action plan to carry them out. This usually results in more success than if I just have a nebulous idea. But there is always something to work on LOL!
Here’s to a great 2010 for all!
Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..Au revoir 2009!
Happy New Year Diane!
Love the desire + action = results cause so often we have the desire and wonder why we never achieve the results.
It’s all about the action!
Another great post and happy new year.
Julia´s last blog ..Goals for 2010
And a very happy and healthy new year to you too, Diane.
Love stopping by for my daily shot in the arm. You are such a wonderful inspiration to so many. Thank you for your lovely blog and all you do to keep us on track.
Much love and goodness in 2010!
♥ Casa Hice
Alixandra Hice´s last blog ..Dear So and So…
I too like the idea of having life goals. For me, my biggest life goal is to achieve and maintain a high level of fitness. While my weight was an okay number, my level of fitness wasn’t good. I found that I had the desire, but needed more information. I was eating right and exercising but wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. The answer for me was to seek the help of a personal trainer. That was the action that worked for me. I’m a big believer in getting professional help when you aren’t getting results.
karen@fitnessjourney´s last blog ..Get Fit in Style
I need to remind myself that time is not a renewable resource and I should make the most of it. In the past, I’ve always put things (like losing weight) off because I’ve always been under the illusion that there will always be time “later”. I finally realized that it’s later than I thought and I must get this done.
Gigi´s last blog ..Lending A Hand If You Need One…
You specifically mentioned
debt/$$$ and fat/maintenance,
I think the list (for many of us)
also includes:
clutter,
household maintenance,
attending to medical needs,
paperwork (drivers licence, taxes, car tags, life insurance, retirement plans, correspondance, etc),
addiction transfers (sex, alcohol, drugs, more shopping)
Maybe it can be summed up as ying/yang
having input equal output
(income – expense,
calories in – calories out)
for many of these categories.
Or maybe it is reality vs lottery thinking.
Good post. You made me think.
vickie´s last blog ..New Years Resolution Post – more of a need to apply it post
I love the idea of life goals!!!
Melissa´s last blog ..What a great day!!!
Amazing. We are thinking along the same lines today.
The scripture that kept coming to me is, and I paraphrase, “…faith, without works, is dead…”.
Wonderful post, Diane and so very true. I’ve had many years and moments desiring certain things, one of which is to be thin, but never have I truly put forth the necessary actions to see them through to the end.
This time it’s different, because I’ve begun putting actions in with my desires.
Leah´s last blog ..My 2010
I LOVE It’s a wonderful life!
I agree with you, if you want results you gotta have the action. And stay focused after you make the choice to do it.
Anonymous Fat Girl´s last blog ..A New Year hangover (not alcohol induced) & my trainer answers your burning questions
You’ve already read my workout goals for 2010 and I intend to work hard on them so I can say by the end of the year I achieved most of them. I don’t have much goals concerning weight loss because I believe that when I keep on working out the need to snack will get less and it gets easier to eat healthy.
As for finance, this is going to be a goal too this year. I always spend to much money and don’t save enough. So I’m going to be more thoughtful about how I spend my money.
Happy new year Diane!
Fran´s last blog ..A day in my life: Thursday December 31th 2009
My life goal is to be in the moment. My mind is usually somewhere else and out of focus…kind of spacey and on autopilot. I want to really SEE my family and appreciate them and my life.
I’ve written down goals and began plans. I’ll keep reading over these so they attach themselves somewhere in my brain.
It’s a Wonderful Life is a tradition in our family, too.
Gina Fit by 41 Maybe 42´s last blog ..5 at 5 Day 1 Report
Oh…and Happy New Year!
Gina Fit by 41 Maybe 42´s last blog ..5 at 5 Day 1 Report
Diane, what a fantastic post!!! And based on you already reading mine, you see that I have the desire but not always the action for my real life plans. I do pretty good with the fitness stuff.. even continuing to try to be that elusive reader model that never seems to become reality. I still try. BUT, the real life stuff, harder for me. And I will try again this year to do better. The desire is there, the fear holds me back… and money:-)
Diane, you really are an inspiration with all you have done both with your weight loss & your family & really this site is GREAT!
Happy New Year! So glad we have met across the blog world!
Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..A New You in 2010! A Personal Admission Too
We this year have a goal to get our finances in order, my hubby’s company is cutting back on staff and working hours etc, so we want to be in a financial situation where we can handle things if we get hours cut…
My goal is to maintain my weight and to train daily as it makes me feel better.
To spend more time on building memories for my grandchildren by making scrapbooks of us together, doing online books on my life for them and working on having joy and laughter in my life daily…to be positive and stop dwelling on negative like living so far away from family, but being grateful for what I have…
This little life curve ball that has come my way has really rocked my world…Its been a huge wake up call..
Marcelle´s last blog ..Happy New Year
What a great way to ring in the New Year! I hope you have great one.
debbie´s last blog ..Now We’re Talking Resolutions
We really do need that combination of desire and action! One without the other won’t last for very long.
Sagan´s last blog ..The Raw Food Challenge Begins!
Sounds like you had a fun New Years! I found myself crawling into bed around 10:00 pm. I’m still on Caribbean time, so it was more like 1:00 am for me. I’m hoping for lots of action this year. Great post! (as always)
thin100´s last blog ..I survived
Happy New Year ! We are another family who rings in the new year at home.
Like you, I do not do resolutions , but goals. For me I simply determine what I wish to incorporate in my life or focus on, and THEN I think about what things are keeping me from it and work on changing them. With weight loss for example I determine I want to live longer, avoid health problems and so forth , and the best way to do it is through a healthy diet, movement and weight loss. Rather than make weight loss the goal, it is simply one of the tools I use to get to a heartier life. In doing this, it seems more manageable and positive.
Diane´s last blog ..Happy New…you get the drill !
Goals/Resolutions pretty much mean the same thing. Over the past few years, I pretty much accomplished what set out. Breaking the goals down into smaller, bite size pieces was key for me. I am still working on what I want for 2010.
Carla´s last blog ..Its the end!
My goals are largely ongoing, too, and don’t usually take the form of resolutions (although last year, I did make a “rest-o-lution”.) I like having my constant goals, with a few random desires thrown in to keep it interesting. Learning to speak Spanish appears every now and then, as does living in a consistently tidy house. Those two hold my attention for a while, but then fade away.
Fortunately, living “healthier” is now in the constant column.
Happy New Year, Diane!
Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..Why Wait? Take One Small Step TODAY
having life goals sounds so much more doable than resolutions! i have resolved to not make resolutions. i don’t keep them either. What I do though is make goals for myself and work to reach them, like you. right now they’re fitness goals and the goal to get organized. there’s something about calling it a goal that motivates me to actually get out the door! LOL
Life goals, I like it! I should record mine. I’m feeling really motivated about my resolutions this year, we’ll see how it goes! I really do think that blog accountability will help a lot! Happy New Year, Diane! All the best in 2010, so glad to hear you started it off well : )
Nicole, MS, RD, LD´s last blog ..Heavy Apps Delight!
I wish I would desire something else besides weight loss enough to actually accomplish something different. The rest of my life takes a back seat, and I need to change that.
julie´s last blog ..On the cusp
The more I think about it, the more I think I should add “life” goals to my goals.
Anonymous Fat Girl´s last blog ..Low-fat lasagna recipe & total upper body workout bar
I don’t make resolutions either, but I do set yearly and monthly goals. One thing that helps me make sure I can reach them is by making sure the goals are measurable. If I just say, I want to be healthier, then that doesn’t give me anywhere to go, but if I say, I want to exercise 6 times a week and count calories, then that I can do!
erin´s last blog ..2010 Goals
life goals is a good idea, I do the same and keep adding too, but didn’t think of it in those words
I LOVE the idea of LIFE GOALS vs. New Year Resolutions. It is a way of working towards that person I want to be! It is the idea that this is a long term change or habit that I want to develop rather than just a temporary fix.
Being a better listener (Not interrupting the person speaking) is number one on my NYR which I can easily make into a Life Goal.
Strength & Grace,
Mia
Desire + Actions = Results
That really is what it all comes down to! Miss any piece of that equation and success will be elusive, especially with a life-long pursuit like weight
Happy New Year! Love just staying in with the family for New Year’s eve, its the best way to celebrate!
MySensei´s last blog ..2010…The Best Year of Our Lives, Thus Far!
I really like that quote! Desire + Action = Results. I think I may need to put this one up in my office. Thank you Diane! Happy New Year!
Kat´s last blog ..long weekend /semi homeade Chicken Veggie Pasta