a new year means new goals.

I'm going to do what no other blogger has ever done before.  I'm going to recap last year and talk about goals for the new year!  I'm sure you haven't seen that done yet!  ; ) The only difference is that mine won't be nearly as pretty as all the rest, because I don't have cute month-to-month photo collages, etc.  I'm just going to ramble a bit.

2012 was quite the year!  It was a leap year, and on February 29th, my divorce was officially final.  I'm a very lucky one and can say that it was all very amicable, and James and I are friends to this day.  We wish each other much happiness.

I slacked through the first part of the year running-wise, but I picked it up the second half, completing 7 5ks.  I am proud of all of them, and I'm so thankful that I have a supportive boyfriend by my side to cheer me on through them all!

I didn't do any real traveling other than to visit family, and there were no big revelations.  The biggest things to happen were that I learned a lot about myself post-divorce, and I have found someone that makes me happy in a different way than anyone else ever has.  I've tried to be a better teacher and a better friend, and I've definitely made progress as far as my finances are concerned.

My goals for the new year are quite random, but I know they are achievable.

1.  Run 500 miles - I have never had a yearly mileage goal, and this is a pretty conservative one.  I want to start out with a number I know I can attain, and I'll adjust as necessary.  I feel so much better when I'm doing good things for my body, and I need to get off the damn roller coaster and stick with it!  I'm excited to see my mileage on dailymile go up and up!  I would also like to do another Warrior Dash and Challenge Nation.

2.  Race - I already have 2 half marathons planned for  the beginning of 2013, and I need more!  This year I will PR in the 5k, the 10k, and the half marathon.  Yep, I said it.  All three.  The 5k will be the hardest to break, but I know I can do it.  I know of at least 20 different local races held throughout the year, so I will have plenty of chances.

3.  Time Management - It is no secret that the blog, twitter, instagram, etc. take a back seat to my daily life.  I have no idea how people find the time to do it all, because I struggle with.  I want to be more present in social media, but I don't know how to be while successfully navigating my way through daily life and responsibilities. It's a work in progress.  I hate not further developing my friendships via social media, because there are so many wonderful people!  I just struggle to get it all in.

4.  Be a Good Student & Teacher - I want to give my kids the best of me, and I want to push myself to do the best I can.  I did only what I had to do to get my bachelor's degree, but this time, for my master's degree, I don't want to just graduate, I want to do it well.  I haven't been a student in 8 years, so we'll see how it goes!

5.  Read - I want to read things other than school stuff.  I love to read, but it often takes a back seat.  A while back I had an "everything shuts off at 9 pm" rule so I could lay in bed and read before falling asleep.  The quiet time was good for me.  I enjoyed it, and it helped me get to sleep.  It fell off the wayside after a while, and I was back to tv and technology after 9 pm before long.  I need to put that rule back in place.

6.  Be a Better Person - That's very vague, but it sums it up.  I want to show people more grace.  I want to realize others probably have a lot on their plate and are doing the best they can.  I want to do more random acts of kindness.  I want to show the people in my life just how special they are to me.  I don't just want to tell people that I love them, I want to make them feel loved.  I want my family, friends and boyfriend to know just how much I care - not because of the words I say, but because of the actions I do and the way I make them feel.

That about sums it up!  I'm excited to see what the new year has in store!