Here’s my obligatory end-of-the-year and new-year post. Let’s start by going through my goals for 2022 to see how I did!

• Practice yoga at least once a week NO
• Practice gratitude and meditation daily NO
• Go on at least one backpacking/fishing trip a month (May – September) NO
• Go paddleboarding at least once a month (May – September) NO
• Complete the Wind River High Route YES
• Ride my bike outside at least once a month (April – October) NO
• Earn all four Garmin 2022 running challenge stage badges (1,200km by the end of the year, 300km per three-month stage) YES
• Train consistently throughout the whole year – run and strength training at least three times a week NO
• Bring running shoes to all my races YES

Three out of eight goals ain’t bad! I knew going into 2022 I probably wouldn’t achieve all my goals. The idea was to commit to doing the best I could and to be proud of what I did accomplish. I feel like I did just that. I also made my goals quantifiable because I thought it would make them easier to attain and track. Yeah, no. Oh well, it was a nice thought.

This year, I thought about and chose my goals more carefully. This year, I don’t want all my goals to be super specific because I feel like it puts unnecessary pressure on me. I want this year to be a year of change. Here are my big-picture, non-specific goals…

• Be as healthy as I can be by trying to do the following most of the time:
  • Sleep at least seven hours a night
  • Minimizing processed foods and simple carbs (grains and sugar)
  • Exercise regularly without injury or burning myself out
  • Meditate and do yoga as my schedule allows (with the hopes of prioritizing them more)
• Spend more time outside, regardless of what that looks like (just because I can’t go hiking doesn’t mean I can’t walk around the block)
• Be less bitter about work (a whole post about this is coming shortly)
• Learn to breathe through my nose while running and sleeping and hopefully all the time unless I’m talking (standby for a whole post about this)

And here are my measurable, not-change-related goals…

• Complete my first 50-miler within the race cutoff time
• Complete the Triple Crown of Moab
• Earn at least a B or better in all my grad school classes
• Continue to bring running shoes to all my races

Yes, I think these goals for 2023 will do nicely.

Reflections exercise fitness journal running strength trail running training