2013 - A Year of Goals in Review

I have always been one for setting goals and dreams and targets but it has only been over the last few years that I have solidified these and made a more permanent reminder of the things I want to achieve by setting actual written goals. It's been great having a friend share the passion for achieving things with me and keep me on track. While she doesn't necessarily help me achieve every goal, her unswerving support has certainly kept me on track and most importantly made me accountable for every one I put on paper. 

2013 was a big year for me. Lots of ups and downs. I set me goals back in February and felt like I only really looked at them again in July. So it was a great surprise to me that when I looked at them again in December that I realised I had nearly ticked them all off. I believe this is the power of the subconscious and that I had set such important goals that I was working towards them every day without even really thinking about them. Write it down, make it happen.

I break my goals into groups and this year I chose to work on Career, Relationships  Life, Finance, Health and Family & Friends. At the end of the year each category then gets a star rating for completion - Gold Star - over 90%, Silver Star - 75%, Red Star - over 50% (or thereabouts).

So how did I go?

Career - Red Star

1. Complete 18 months in my current role - 18 months and still going strong
2. Push myself to make an impact - I have been working on leaving a legacy of great events
3. Locate and enrol in an Interior Styling Course - Have read up on the ICSD distance course but have not yet enrolled

Relationship - Red Star

1. Organise Date Night once a month - We probably did this officially 2 or 3 times but did make sure we had regular time together
2. Organise to do things together - Again did a couple of new things together but not enough
3. Plan for our future - Lots of great conversations and plans in place for our future together

Life - Silver Star

1. Plan more for birthday's, special occasions, anniversaries etc - This year I vowed to be more organised about celebrating important dates for myself and my family and friends. While I didn't miss any this year, I still feel I want to get better at celebrating and making things extra special.

Finance - Silver Star

1. Book a week long trip to a tropical island - The original plan was to take the holiday over the New Year period. While this didn't happen, I did take that trip to Fiji in September.
2. Secure a 'nest egg' for the future - I wanted to start saving for a house or just future planning. This is underway currently but didn't come into play during the year as I had hoped.

Health - Gold Star

1. Work on maintaining my energy - I have always been a very energetic person but o ver the last few years have suffered from low energy levels due to work, diet and general life stress. This year I made a decision to cut back on the extra work hours, sleeping better, eating better and relaxing more. It is not a natural state for me to just relax. This year I have managed to maintain more of the energy and to listen to my body more. 
2. Work on a whole body approach of exercise, food and vitamins - I have been jogging 4kms regularly with a friend in the mornings. I have taken more of an interest in what I am eating. While I still love food and often make bad choices I have been more aware of what I am doing. I have also begun to listen to my mum and actually take my multi vitamins
3. Plan for my future health wise - I have managed regular visits to the Dr, am working on a plan with my dentist and about to embark on work with a Naturopath
4. Being happy and proud of my body shape - While I am not my ideal weight (but who is??) I am more confident about my curves and feel that with some more self control I can gain more confidence as my shape changes and develops as my habits get better. I am proud of my current body shape.

Family & Friends - Gold Star

1. Make more time for friends; visits, dinners and nights out - My move back to South Yarra had a lot to do with my ability to keep this goal on track. I have spent time at least once a week with friends and have managed to maintain a fairly consistent catch up timetable with friends throughout the year.
2. Talk more often - AS a member of the current world I too easily resort to text, email or even this blog to communicate with family and friends. This year I vowed to talk more and write less to those I care about. An effort but one that I feel has certainly he;per me keep the above goal as most calls led to a catch up.
3. Continue to build good relationships with family - I find that those closest to you are naturally the ones that you forget to keep in touch with. So while making time for friends I also made sure that I was talking to my family more. Like some people I know, my family is spread geographically around the country making personal time harder to come by. A great year for family relationships.

So all in all, a good year of goals met, relationships built and strengthened and plans for the future underway. My 33rd year was certainly a year of growth in many aspects. Bring on 2014, I am ready!!

xxx