2018: The Whole Me

The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Here I am, in January, setting my intentions and goals for the year  – a full three years since I last posted on my long-neglected blog. It’s funny to me that just two posts ago I was reflecting on all the big changes of 2013:

“I’ve never been happier – and had probably the biggest year of my life (so far). I became a wife, an auntie, debt-free, an American citizen and moved to a new state.”

When I added “(so far)” three years ago, I must have had an inkling, or hope, that the big and happy things would continue to fill my life.  

My life of three years ago is barely recognizable. I’ve been challenged to try new and exciting things in my corporate job, and have grown professionally in ways that I never expected. I’ve almost (almost!) fully adapted to living the corporate work-life. My marriage and partnership with Jeff is so perfectly perfect that it feels as if it’s always been part of who I am.  We bought a house in a great community north of Boston, and somehow we’ve transformed into poster-children for the suburban professional family. 

Together, we’re the parents two of the greatest little girls who keep us laughing (and, yes, sometimes crying) nearly every minute of our jam-packed lives.

I love being a mom in ways I never thought possible. It is both the most natural and the most difficult thing I have ever done.

Just a few weeks after I wrote the January 2014 post, we found out we were expecting our first baby. We were happy. We were scared. We had no idea how this would change our lives. 

Gone are the leisurely day-long bike rides, exploring the New Hampshire countryside, and the impromptu Vacations With No Destination adventures in the convertible. But they’ve been replaced by heart-bursting family dance parties, endless cups of pretend coffee, trips to the farm to look at animals, story-times, picking up toys, playgrounds, and the most genuine hugs you’ve ever gotten.

What hasn’t changed is my love of looking at January as a new beginning, a blank slate.  (I’m noticing a pattern in my January posts from years past.) What do I want my year to look like? What great, big, happy things do I want to be reflecting on next January? 

My goals used to revolve around mileage and pace, running and riding. As my life has expanded, so have my goals. I look at my life more wholeistically. I look at me more wholeistically. 

With that, here’s what I’m setting out to do in 2018:

Health

• Run a Half Marathon
• Log 500 running miles this year
• A not-to-be-revealed-online “weight goal” that lines up with my birthday in July

Mind

• Read/listen to 30 books
• Disconnect from social media for at least two full weeks 
• Write 25 blog posts

Family

• 10 date-nights
• Complete family photo books

That’s my checklist for the year – in addition to the less-checkable things like prioritizing hugs, family dinners, meditating, journaling, working hard, and being mindful of how I spend my time. Most importantly, just BEING PRESENT.

For what it’s worth, I totally missed the mark on my 2014 goals.

Nope, not even close to logging 2,000 running and cycling miles. Not a chance that I hit a sub-25 5K. No race-a-month-plan.  I did really, really hit one of them out of the park, though: One “big” adventure. 

At the time, I pondered that it might an overnight hike in the mountains or a multi-day cycling ride. I had no idea that life had a much, much bigger adventure in store for me that year. And, I’m forever thankful that it did.

Looking forward to connecting and sharing again, my friends. (At least 25 times this year, right?) Here’s to more big adventures (but no more kids!) in 2018…