Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The Well-Read Redhead's 2015 Resolutions

Sorry about the long hiatus here, reader friends!  The holidays were fun but busy, and honestly, I've been ruminating over this resolutions post for a long time, so it's taken a while for it to come to fruition.
Without further ado...

The Well-Read Redhead's 2014 Resolutions: Pass or Fail?

1. Read at least 40 books: PASS!
I made it to 46 this year.  Woohoo!

2. Complete the TBR challenge: FAIL!
I failed at this last year too.  However, I did do a LITTLE better this year, as I read 8 books off my at-home TBR (vs the 3 that I read in 2013).  I did enjoy the TBR book baggie idea though.  So instead of doing the TBR challenge again next year, I think I will just keep picking books out of the baggie whenever the mood strikes.  And I will have to learn to accept that my shelves will forever be full of unread books...

3. Run at least one 5K by year's end: PASS!
I blew this one right out of the water, as I ended up running not only a 5K (during which I earned my personal best 5K time), but I also ran my first half marathon.  WOOT!  I am looking forward to more running goals in 2015.


4. Be a patient momma: HALF PASS!
This is probably the resolution I focused on the most (like, every single day) this past year.  I am not a patient person in general, and age 3 is a particularly trying age for a mom who lacks patience.  I did well for the most part, but I could do better.  I'll admit that.  I will keep working on it, as moms do!


And now...

The Well-Read Redhead's 2015 Resolutions
both book-related and not

1. Read for tours and read for fun.  That's it.
For the first time in MANY years, I am not giving myself a numeric book-reading goal for the year.  I'm also not signing up for any challenges (which is SO HARD for me, because there are so many fun challenges out there!!).  Nope.  This year, I am signing up for a few ARC tours here and there, and in between, I am "free-range reading"--just picking up whatever book strikes me.  Maybe from my at-home shelves.  Maybe from the library.  Maybe from my endless Kindle TBR.  WHATEVER I WANT.  Because as I learned last year, if I want to do blog tour books, I don't have enough time to do those AND a bunch of challenges on the side.  I need to make my non-tour reading time more fluid.


Also, I am not going to choose my "free range" books based on length.  So often, I have skipped chunky novels since I started this blog, because they require more reading time and thus lead to fewer blog posts.  I really don't want to do that anymore, because I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of great stuff!  I'm actually reading Moby Dick right now, and it's taking forever, but I am enjoying it and happy for the time I'm taking to dive in (no pun intended).  :)


2. Write more non-review blog posts.
Longer books + low-pressure reading time = probably fewer books read by me in 2015.  However, that doesn't mean I want the blog to dry up.  I'm hoping to make time for more non-review posts (even if it's just a weekly Sunday Salon or something similar) to keep my bookish musings active.

3. Run at least one race above 10K distance.
More specifically, I am looking to do at least one half marathon or 15K in 2015.  The half marathon last year was a pretty major time commitment for training, so a 15K would be slightly more manageable.  However, I am really dying to try to beat my half marathon time from 2014 soooo...we will see.  One of the two.


Part of me really wanted my running goal for 2015 to be to do a duathlon (run/bike/run...basically a triathlon without the swimming), but I don't have the cashola for a road bike this year.  Maybe 2016??


4. Cut down on phone time.
No, I am not talking about phone time like I'm a 14 year old chatting with her BFFs all day long.  I mean smartphone time...Facebook, Instagram, Words with Friends, etc.  I've found that when I get stressed, I tend to pick up my phone and idly flip through it for stress relief.  However, I hate that because 1) it's so mind-numbingly pointless, and 2) yes, I sometimes do it in front of my kids, and I don't like being on my phone a lot when I'm with them.  I need to find other ways to zone out and de-stress.  You know, like reading?


5. Clean up my diet/cook healthier.
I am at a healthy weight, and I work out a lot.  But my diet is ATROCIOUS.  Honestly, if I didn't run so much, I would be a Biggest Loser candidate of the highest order.  I ate so healthy during my pregnancy last year, but then Tater Tot was born...first, I used new motherhood as an excuse for all the junk food.  Then I started training for the half marathon and told myself that I needed extra calories.  (True, just not from ice cream.)  Now, it's the holidays and COOKIES ALL DAY.  I need to rein it in, especially with the sugar.  And I should drink a lot more water, too.  )Though I make no guarantees about lowering my wine consumption.)
Related to this, I want to get back on the healthy cooking bandwagon with my family...there have been far too many fish sticks and chicken nuggets around here lately.  Time to get reunited with Weelicious and other such meal ideas.

6. Be more present.
I have struggled mightily with anxiety issues in the last few years.  Without going into all the specifics, I'll sum it up by saying that my constant state of worry leaves very little time for me to just BE in the moment.  I am always planning ten steps ahead and stressing out about every disastrous "what if" scenario.  Meanwhile, my kiddos are growing and changing at an alarmingly fast rate, and I worry (see? see how I'm worrying?) that I am missing out.  This resolution is going to be my hardest to keep, because "anxious" is pretty much my natural state of being, but it is the one that feels most important for me to achieve.

Okay, that's it!  You heard 'em here first.   Now, what are YOUR resolutions for 2015??

12 comments:

  1. Great job on your resolutions for this year!

    Cutting down on phone time is something I should try to do this year, too. Sometimes I'll catch myself checking a notification while talking to the boyfriend, which is awful. I need to leave my phone in a different room more often.

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    1. Yes, I hate how it becomes almost acceptable to interrupt people to check your phone every time it beeps. I don't want to be that person! I'm trying to leave it on the kitchen counter and only look at it if I get a call/important text.

  2. Great resolutions! My resolution is always the same every year -- to get more organized. Too general to ever be effective!

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    1. Haha yes, I've had that resolution before, and it never quite works out...

  3. Ooooh, we'd like to see you over at The Sunday Salon. Hope you can stop by in the New Year.

    As for my goals, I'm trying to keep it simple all around. Lose some weight, read what I want (just like last year) and go to church weekly.

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    1. Good goals! I hope they work out for you. I've already slipped on a few of mine (9 days in, haha) but I'm trying to stay on the wagon. :)

  4. Good luck with your goals this year! ANd you are my rockstar with working out :-) I just can't get to being consistent with it - but I'm not going to stop trying.

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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    1. Good luck to you with your workouts this year!! I find that signing up for races is the only thing that keeps me consistent. It's an expensive habit, but if I know I have a race on the calendar, I know I will push myself out the door to run.

  5. Congrats on meeting most of your resolutions! I made half of mine. I had a lot though so I'm letting that go! I used to go challenge crazy, too, then last year I just let go and only signed up for 3, all 3 of which take place over years, and let me tell you it was so FREEING. You will love it. You will read what you want and challenge yourself when you're in the mood and not have to feel obligated.

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    1. I already love it!! I went to the library today and perused whatever I wanted. It was glorious.

  6. I'd really like to write more non-review posts too! Right now I'm finishing a paper for the end of January, but after that I'm hoping to put a bit of extra time into getting creative with my blog :)

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    1. Can't wait to read your posts! I find I have to make more time to write non-review posts (because of the increased creativity required), but I have more fun with them.

 
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