New Goals and Evaluating Older Ones

Sorry for the short disappearance, I decided that I needed a slight break from any of life's obligations (even the ones I enjoy like blogging) for a short while to enjoy the Christmas holiday season!  Although I am blogging today and on Thursday this week, you won't see me back to my complete regular schedule until next week.

So I am one of the rare people who absolutely do not believe in making New Years Resolutions.  I have this thought in my mind that if only 8% of resolutions actually get made good on, why put myself into a goal situation that is already statistically going to be a failure???

Not that I think any less of anyone who does set them, because if a resolution is what it takes to get a person on the path to success or even if it temporarily gets one's life going into the right direction, I am all for it!!!

However, just because I don't believe in setting New Years Resolutions, doesn't mean I am not a goal oriented person.  In fact, every year and all throughout each year I am constantly making goals, working on them and completing them.
Since the New Year is when everyone talks about their goals and different things they are working on, I thought it would be fun to let you in on a few goals that are currently in progress, a few that I have recently started, and a few more that I plan to implement soon.

Goals I have been working on and will continue in 2014:

My 50 states & D.C. goal, hopefully by summer I will be back on track and knocking more off my list, I'd really like to be 40 states or more complete by the end of 2014. (Goal started fall of 2011)  Realistically, even if I get back into running in the coming months, it's just not possible to finish the last 19 all this year.

Blogging, I have a goal to find 1 new blog each week that I will want to follow.  I also have a goal to comment on all of my favorite blogs at least once if not more than that each week, however even though I don't always leave a comment I do also have a goal to visit all my favorite blogs and keep up with them 2-3 times a week.  (Goal started October 2013)

I'd like to do a back to back marathon.  First I tried doing them 2 weeks a part for a year, once I got the body used to that, I went for 1 week apart (last year), and those went okay enough and I learned even more about my body.  So then I tried 3 marathons in 15 days (last year), and it went pretty good until I got the flu for the 3rd one, which made the last of the three a bit more torturous.  But aside from illness, it went well and I have learned how to train my body for repetitive beatings, even in illness and stay injury free. LOL
So I do have a goal for either fall of 2014 (if my body is ready) or spring of 2015 to run 2 marathon's in 2 days (Sat & Sun).  I have only a couple of different state options to do this in, as I need the states to be close enough to travel to by car.  So with the ones I have chosen it will either be in October 2014 or April 2015, but it will take me quite a while to get my body back in shape, and then conditioned to do this and avoid injuries at the same time and if I need a little longer to do this, I might wait until fall of 2015.

Goals I plan on starting in 2014:

Getting back into running and moving past this work injury.  Although I am limited right now until the Dr's figure out everything that is wrong and corrections and recovery are made, I do have plans as soon as I get the okay to begin the gradual process of getting back into marathon shape again.

I have a weight loss goal. I know your thinking so does everyone else, but yes I do have this goal.  I am embarrassed to admit how much weight I have gained since I have had this work injury and have been unable to get any cardio in.  But let's just say the weight has added up!  Even before the weight gain, I still wanted to loose 25 pounds, and now I have a whole lot more.  I plan on taking my readers with me on this journey this year.  I have been gearing up for starting this new plan, way of eating, fitness goals on Jan 5th.  I'll share more on this in future posts, so I won't go into it too much right now.

I have a business goal, a few actually.  But my main one is for my wedding company.  I have a goal to get website updates made, and make SEO a regular weekly routine to keep up with things and keep my company at the top of the search engine keyword searches.  I also have a goal to get the business pushed out a bit more and opening myself up for even more weddings.  I've already started recruiting new help, for what I hope will be a lot busier year!

A personal goal, I have slacked off on journal writing this year, I've done very little of it.  I've got a new goal to get this going again and making sure I am putting at least one entry in a week.  Hopefully eventually I'll get back into doing it daily again:)

When I can get back into running again, I have a goal to train completely differently and much more smartly.  I plan on pushing higher weekly mileage, and I'd like to start bringing my marathon times back down again and I'd like to get a PR before the end of the year!  This goal, will likely not get started until Summer, as it will take me a while to work back up to it.  (Eventually, I'd like to qualify for Boston, but that is a goal that will have to be worked on after I finish the 50 states goal, as it is almost impossible to get amazing times whe you run so many marathons frequently!)

I currently do my dream job, owing a wedding company.  However, because the economy has been slowing the amount of money spent on weddings has dropped drastically, as so has my income.  Which means, I need another job that will provide me with the income needed to help me out.  As much as I love working at the library, let's just say it's not exactly going to make me rich:)  Besides that, it is the reason I am injured and unable to run right now.
So I have already picked the job and company I want to work for, that will be like a 2nd dream job.  I am not going to mention the name, because pretty much all of my running friends will know exactly what I am talking about.  But I can't get the job until I can run again, and once that is back into effect I will apply for this job, and I will get it!  Because I am a positive thinker, and frankly I can't think of anyone better for the job:)  When I apply, I'll have to have them read this post, LOL

Last, I had a goal this last year to read 1 book a week and I surpassed this goal.  So for 2014 I have a goal to read at least 60 books.  (Kids books won't count.)

Additionally, to go along the lines of books, I will get my first novel out to a few more publishers to see what can happen there, and I have a goal to write my first YA Dystopian this year.  But I do need to buy a new laptop first, I should get on that soon!

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So those are just a few!  If you saw my list of ongoing goals in my journals, you'd think I am crazy.  I like to have dozens of things going on at the same time. Especially since I have lots of mini, and long term goals.  Some goals can be achieved in a short time, others take months to years.  But I have this thing, when I come up with a goal and I am determined to accomplish it, I write it in my journal.  That goal is pretty much set in stone at that point, and once I have completed that goal, I go back to the original entry and put a finish date on it:)

So that is a good synopsis of my goals in progress and those I am starting up.  Since it's Monday, and I now do All About Me Monday's, I will give you a few updates on my life.
(I know I keep telling everyone I am going to have a link-up, and I will.  I guarantee it will officially start January 5th.  I just have to get through the holiday's before I have enough time to get back into things.)

WORK INJURY UPDATE

Last Monday, I visited the Specialist and Surgeon, and although it seems like my original injury is healing nicely.  I have apparently the worst luck possible, and sometime in the past few months all the swelling from wearing the boot, cause me some additional problems.  The Dr's weren't exactly sure what is wrong, and there was no other way to tell exactly, but to send me to get an MRI.

Which brings me to today, I had my MRI this morning.  I won't get my results for a few more days, when I go back to the Dr and we go over the results in the MRI.  Since the year of the 13, has not been good to me, I think it best I have my Dr. appt in 2014.  Because then all my bad luck will be gone, right:)  Sounds good to me!
In short we have a couple of scenario's it could be:
Worst case, the Peroneal Tendon has torn and needs to be surgically repaired.
Medium, something a ligament or other is pulled/torn but not badly and may heal using other methods.
Best, a stress fracture of some kinds...  Personally since this has gone on so long, this is not a likely possibility, but they aren't ruling it out.

If your wondering why the options are so spread, well that is because this new problem even has the specialists stumped.  Which is why we need the MRI to let us know exactly.
The pain is right on the Tendon, but certain motions that should hurt (which would prove it was torn) I am able to do without any pain or difficulty, which makes them wonder if it really is torn.
The same goes for the other options, I have a few symptoms of all, but some things I can do make them wonder...  Anyhow, my Dr's are great and they are used to working with athletes of all status, so I couldn't be in better hands.

On a side note, I stopped doing my physical therapy about 5 days ago.  I know probably not the wisest!  But, oddly although it's not making me progress in the original recovery issue.  I have noticed my newer issue hasn't been bothering me quite as much since I stopped and the swelling has gone down considerably.
I stopped on my own, this was not Dr. recommended, but technically since I never asked them either way, who knows..  Sometimes I think you have to try new things on your own with your body, so you can go back to the Dr and Therapists and give them more details on what to work with.  After all, they may be Dr's, but our bodies are ours, and we know them best.

Okay, that is probably enough for today.  If I let myself I could go on and on and bore you all considerably:)  If you're not already:)
I hope you all had an amazing Christmas (I did!) and I wish you all a Very Happy New Years!!!!
May all your goals, plans and even resolutions bring you lots of joy and happiness!!!!