Happy Belated New Year everyone, and while it did seem like another day to wake up from, I guess, the end of one year somehow gives us the chance to start anew with new goals for the new year. It’s like a second chance in life I suppose. I don’t believe in resolutions, because I know I’ll just break them, it’s like making empty promises. Instead, I thought I’d set goals for myself – achievable and realistic goals.

Looking back on 2011, I’ve realised I’ve achieved a few things – little though they may seem, they were achievements nonetheless:

• Letting go of the fact that my youngest was now a big boy all ready for school.
• Finding a job that although I thought I hated, was in fact something I didn’t. Earning my own money has never tasted so good, especially when you haven’t done it for nearly 10 years.
• Meeting a lot of other bloggers, and ,knowing I wasn’t alone in so many things.
• Learning even more about the world of blogging.

Those were just some of my small achievements. 2011 has also taught me so much more about life; the fact that I can’t control what happens around me – like death, the fact that relationships don’t necessarily last forever in this day and age, and when it does, it really is a miracle and lastly I have a great life that I should be thankful for and I am.

So with those in mind, I’ve set my personal goals for 2012.

I’ve read somewhere previously that there has been an increase of women who were reaching their 40′s or thereabouts
running marathons, or participate in some sort of fund run – setting their own physical personal goal. Some even say that it’s like a woman’s mid-life crisis – instead of buying a car or going out to find a younger man (ok maybe some do), they run.
I’m not one to follow a cliché, but I can see why these women would want to do that. It is as though they are testing their own physical strength, especially since there is that perception that when you reach the ripe age of 40, your body is no longer what it used to be.
Last year, I wanted to run the November Fund Run; a 5km one but decided I was just too disorganised and wouldn’t have enough time to train for the event. That was in August. Something in me somehow wouldn’t let me dispel that goal. So I thought, why not do it in 2012? Begin my training from the start of the year, which would give me more than enough time to be ready. Sounds logical and practical enough right? That’s my first goal – to run a 5km Fund Run in November. If I was ready by May, then I would also do the Mother’s Day Susan’s Classic.

My next goal was to make use of what knowledge and ability I had to put it to good use – to volunteer my time to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. The first information night for this year would be on the 15th February 2012, I’m hoping I can help in some small way.

So far, I’ve only got 2 goals. Attainable goals and will probably add more as I go along…that’s the beauty of goals, there is no need to set everything in concrete, you can build it as you go along. I’m starting with small baby steps.

How about you? Do you believe in New Year’s Resolutions or prefer setting simple goals? Or do you think they are both one and the same?