A Look At My 2022 Goals

I was kind of afraid to open my January 1st post from last year because I'd completely forgotten what goals I'd chosen to work on. The only one I could remember was that I wanted to eat more fiber. Usually, that's what happens--I write out some goals and then in the long run, I tend to just focus on one of them. Not ideal, but definitely better than nothing!

I'm curious how I did as far as the goals I set for myself a year ago, though. So, here they are... and my thoughts on them.

1. Lose the rest of the weight I gained between 2018-2020.

I started last year at 161 pounds and I *really* hoped to get down to 130-135, but I didn't set a an actual goal. I planned to focus on eating more fiber rather than trying to cut things out.

Thoughts: I definitely reached this goal! Well, by "definitely" I actually mean kind of, haha. I got my weight down to 125 for a short time, but have since gained 15 pounds. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I have never been able to get the hang of maintenance. If I can do that, I will be thrilled.

This is a comparison of my first weigh-in in 2022 (157.6) and my last weigh-in in 2022 (140.4). I didn't think I'd see a difference, but looking at them side by side, I definitely do.

I never expected to make such a huge change in my diet, though. In a good way! First, I started eating a LOT more fiber and that alone made a big difference in the sort of foods I was eating (healthier for sure). Then at the end of January, I became vegan for ethical reasons and it changed my diet dramatically (again, for the better). After eating vegan for nearly a year, I feel better than ever--the biggest change being that I eliminated my chronic pain. I never imagined that would be possible.

I also wanted to drink four liters of water each day and I certainly failed at this one. I did really well for a while, knowing that if I didn't drink a lot of water while eating so much fiber, I was going to be miserable with stomachaches. When I was running regularly, I had a much easier time drinking four liters of water each day; several years ago, it wasn't unusual for me to drink even more than that! This is something I need to continuously work on because I always feel so much better when I'm well-hydrated.

Overall, I think I succeeded in this goal. My weight is in a healthy range and my food choices are better than they've ever been. I still need to drink more water though.

2. Run at least three miles, three days a week.

Thoughts: This was a fail from the very beginning. I'm not sure what happened--I don't really want to go back and sift through my posts--but I only ran a few times at the beginning of January and then sporadically from then on. I did well in February and March, then again in August and a couple of weeks in September.

Getting into a routine and having a good streak going is the hardest part. It's so easy to put it off! Running three miles, three days a week doesn't take much time at all; there is no reason I couldn't have done this (unless I was injured, I suppose). I just had a very hard time with a lot of things in 2022, and running wasn't at the top of my priority list. Hopefully I can get back to it this year!

3. Work on practicing people's love languages.

Thoughts: I was definitely more conscious of this, but I didn't keep it at the front of my mind; I could have done better. I'm especially bad with physical touch, which is Jerry's love language. It's not that I'm turned off at the thought of holding hands, hugging, kissing, etc., but I just don't ever think of it! It doesn't occur to me to do those things (unless it's a habit like giving him a hug and kiss before he leaves for work). I really want to work on this--I want him to *feel* loved, even though I tell him all the time.

I was definitely more conscious of the love languages with my kids and I worked hard to practice those. The main focus was that I made sure I ignored any distractions while they were talking to me. If I was writing a blog post, for example, and they wanted to ask me a question or tell me something that went on that day, I closed my computer and gave them my full attention.

The 5 Love Languages is SUCH an amazing concept. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it! It's short read and it's truly life-changing. (I wrote a review of the book here)

4. Start moving my body first thing in the morning, despite the chronic pain.

Thoughts: I was used to being inactive in the mornings because that's when my pain was the worst. I had a hard time doing anything, especially walking or using my hands. This goal didn't really apply after a couple of months, once I realized that my chronic pain was gone. I never ever would have believed that eating a vegan diet would get rid of my pain, but there is really no other explanation.

I used to have a very hard time getting out of bed--trying to sit up and then stand was very painful--but now I have no problem with it. I wish I could say that I started my day by being active first thing, but clearly, I didn't do that. I am certainly productive, though--I don't have to sit for an hour and half before being active. I start my day right away.

5. Work on people skills.

Thoughts: I've always been socially awkward and shy, so people skills have never been my forte. I wanted to learn how to make small talk and just feel more natural when talking to people I don't know.

I have been doing really good with this one! To others, it may not seem like much at all; but I've been deliberately talking to strangers in public spaces (at the store, in waiting rooms, basically wherever the opportunity presents itself). I still overthink everything--I have to kind of hype myself up to say something, but I've always felt really good after an interaction.

While I was in the waiting room for therapy, I actually had a conversation with a guy about talking in waiting rooms, haha. The waiting room there is usually empty, or there is only one other person--and it feels awkward! In waiting rooms now, everybody just takes out their phone and plays around with their apps. It made me start thinking about what waiting rooms were like before smart phones; there is still a magazine rack in most of the waiting rooms I've been in and it makes me wonder if people ever read them anymore. Anyway, I brought this up and we actually had a good conversation for a few minutes. It felt much less awkward than sitting in a waiting room with one other person and having it be dead silent.

Overall, I consider this goal a success. I can continuously work on this, but I've gotten much better at it.

Well, that actually wasn't so bad! Other than my running goal, the goals weren't measurable; so my results were more on a spectrum than a concrete succeed/fail. I'm pretty happy with how I did.

Next year, looking back at my goals for this year will be interesting. Since I used the SMART method for setting my goals, it will be a succeed/fail result. This is not to say that I can't improve something, because I certainly can. But because the goals are measurable, I will either have done it or will have not. I guess we'll find out in 12 months! :)