With the end of 2013 you have no choice but to look back and reflect, what happened this past year? I can barely remember what happened yesterday, I have a goldfish memory here. This past year I shed 15 lbs since the summer, and it took a lot of hard work and experimenting with my eating habits. I have actually learned a lot about healthy eating, although I’m still a fiend for chocolate and sweets, I’m learning to control it. I will be posting before and after pictures when I reach a point that I’m happy with, I am doing this for me, not for anyone else.
I’ve lost friends this year, but also gained new ones! When I think about it, I gained way more than I lost, just being honest. I rid of someone who sucked the positivity from me every time she opened her mouth to complain about pretty much everything, who offered up nothing but back handed compliments, and found ways to insult me while trying to pretend like she didn’t know it would be insulting. I gained so much more, I brought people in that are full of positivity, really happy-go-lucky, people that are supportive and believe in me and what I do. So all in all, it has been a good year.
I did have some hardships though, no year is just smooth sailing. We had a lot of financial troubles for half the year, with school debt, credit card debt, and a hard time finding jobs. But you know what, even that has turned around. It has taught me how to budget, how I don’t need to buy everything, even though I want to buy everything!
My baby girl has gotten so big throughout this last year, it’s amazing. She has become such a little person. She has full conversations with me, she’s so active it’s crazy and she started preschool in September. Next September she’ll be starting school! Scary! I have to sign her up this January. Freaking out a little on the inside!
But I have goals for 2014, I want to make this year fantastic! I want to start it out on a positive note! So here are my goals for 2014:
1. Surround myself with positive people
Like I said above, I have dealt with a person recently that made me realize that I deserve better. Although she was good a lot of the time it was those moments with the backhanded compliments or just general backhanded comments that made me realize that I don’t have to put up with it! So this year those I bring into my life need to be positive because I need people that mirror my positive attitude and don’t try to bring me down because of it.
2.Keep learning how to budget
Only recently have I been really taking an interest in budgeting to be perfectly honest. Only took me until 26! When I realized how much I liked to shop, and how much it was driving my credit cards up, I realized I needed a change. My father gave me a budgeting spread sheet and since then I’ve taken an interest in it. I can visually see how my spending effects me so it has been quite useful for someone who learns visually like I do. It’s also great for someone who is awful at math like I am because it does it all for you. If anyone is interested in it I welcome you to head on to my about page and send me an e-mail requesting it! I’ll send you it with a description of how to use it. I would love to help any one who wants the help.
3.Shed the last bit of weight I need off and tone up
Right now I’m sitting at 135, I’m not afraid of saying it, it’s not what my goal weight is but I’m down from 150 so it’s a big thing for me. But this year I want to shed those last few pounds to get into the range I’d be happy with, because I’m doing this for me and not anyone else. My personal goal is to be under 130 which is acceptable for my height, I weighed 125 in highschool so I feel like I should be able to get to at least 127-128 if I continue with my healthy eating and exercise.
Photo from sincerelyjenni.com
4.Get my front splits and work hard on my center splits
This is something I’ve always wanted to do, but never set it as a goal. I’m pretty headstrong when it comes to completing goals, I guess it’s part of my competitive nature. I’m still pretty far from it, but I feel that with a whole year to work at it that I should be able to get it. I do stretch after every work out!
5.Work hard on my art and sell at least 1 piece
This is Jesse, she’s my sexy character that was heavily inspired by one of my favorite artists Dean Yeagle. I love drawing funny comics with her. I’d really love to sell some art this year, I have never been confident enough to do so but honestly with this blog I’ve gained a little confidence and hope I can do it. I’ve had a etsy shop set up for a while but have been too scared to put anything in it, I want to have something in it by the end of this month.
6.Healthy eating, keep on it!
I have a bad habit of being a chocoholic! I also love fast food, so I’m really in danger of falling off the wagon. But I’ve been good as of late, I have a meal plan and have been sticking to it. Although I have sushi cravings regularly! I love trying new foods so meal plans are great to me. This month I’m doing the Fitness Blender Meal plan and so far I love it!
Quinoa Edamame Salad
7.Reach advanced level of pole
I’m in level 6 right now, well 5/6 and that took me 9 months to do. In my studio there’s 10 levels and then advance, so I’m thinking if I keep practicing outside of class I’ll be able to reach the advanced level by the end of the year. I’ve already been very impressed with how much my strength has grown, and now that I’m cross training again I feel like it’ll be even better.
8.This is either a 2014 or 2015 goal, but I want to perform at Sexapalooza with my studio
Sexapalooza is a convention that goes on in Canada, my studio preforms at it twice a year, and while there’s no way I’ll be preforming at it come February, I may have a chance in October. But that’s why this is a 2014/2015 goal, because if not this year, it’ll be a goal of mine definitely for 2015 when I’m definitely going to be at an advance level.
Jenny Goodwin & Polina Vinogradova of 3sixty dance and fitness at Sexapalooza
9.Work really hard when I start back at school
This is a must, this one pretty much goes without saying. The course I’m taking is running from September straight through to August, and I need to be on my game the entire time in order to succeed not just for me but for my family as well. I need to get a career so I can contribute. Although right now my contribution is taking care of the 3 year old tornado of a daughter we have. She’s a handful, that’s for sure, but she’ll be in school come September so I’ll be able to concentrate more on school than I was able to last time.
10.Practice, practice, practice on my art prior to going back to school
I need to get back on the horse. I had a bad experience this summer with people who I thought were family that kind of destroyed my artistic confidence. I was pretty much used by them and then not paid when I was said to have a contract. But I learned my lesson, get the contract in advance to make sure you get paid. Don’t trust peoples word, and even if they’re family (not my immediate family though, I trust them with my life) they will still screw you over if they’re A-holes. Lesson learned, won’t happen again. But I’ve found it’s been hard to get back into drawing, I’ve seriously been doubting myself and I shouldn’t be. I need to force myself back into art because if I don’t my school will suffer.
There you have it, those are my 10 goals for 2014, and I’ll be able to come back to this blog at the end of the year next year to see if I’ve completed most of them or even all of them.
What are your 2014 goals? Tell me in the comments below!
Endeavors of a Pole Mom! 