Saturday, January 1, 2011

Ready for 2011

I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I want my life to be in 2011 and how I am going to make it happen. I know that I want to be less anxious, healthier, and be living a more fulfilling life.

I do not think that I have actually kept a new year's resolution before and I think a large part of that is because they are so imprecise. Saying that you are going to lose weight in the new year is not a plan; it is not going to help you accomplish what you want. So instead of coming up with resolutions, I wrote out a list of goals for the new year; something that can actually be defined and measured.
  1. I will continue to work on my anxiety through hypnosis and new experiences. I will do one thing each month that I would not normally do or that I have not done in a very long time because of anxiety. For example, last month I went to a concert that was attended by about 6,000 people. I have not been to a concert in about six years and I never imagined that I would ever go to one again because crowds make me anxious. But I did it! I am hoping that by the end of the year I will be confident enough that we will be able to fly home to see my family for the holidays.
  2. The first week of every month I will go through our house and purge items that I do not wear, do not need, or that do not enhance our life in some way. I will donate the items or give them to someone I know will appreciate them.
  3. I will work on my blogging, which I know is a vague goal but I will come up with something more. I know that I want to be more consistent and have more content, probably on autoimmune diseases, but I am not sure exactly how yet.
  4. I will lose weight. And yes, part of this goal is about how a look, etc, but a larger part of it is about my health. Being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2010 was a big wake up call. Not only does it cause joint pain and fatigue, but the inflammation can cause a large number of complications involving your lungs, heart, etc. Obviously this goal will have to be made up of many aspects and I came up with a plan for the first four months.
1. January
  • At least 16 ounces of green shakes a day (more on this in another post)
  • Only drink tea/water/freshly juiced vegetables and fruits
  • Eat out no more than two times a week
  • Walk the dogs at least three times a week
  • Practice yoga at least one time a week
2. February
  • At least 24 ounces of green shakes a day
  • One tea (no more than one time a day)/water/freshly juiced vegetables and fruits
  • Eat out no more than once a week
  • Walk the dogs at least five times a week
  • Practice yoga at least two times a week
3. March
  • At least 32 ounces of green shakes a day
  • Only water/fresh juiced vegetables and fruits
  • Only eat out at special occasions
  • No dairy or sweets (still need to clarify)
  • Walk dogs at least five times a week
  • Practice yoga at least three days a week
4. April
  • At least 32 ounces of green shakes a day
  • Only water/fresh juiced vegetables and fruits
  • Only eat out at special occasions
  • Go gluten free
  • Walk dogs at least fives days a week
  • Practice yoga at least three days a week
I am going to give myself permission to adjust my goals as the year progresses and needs change. I have also thought of a reward system but I will talk about that at another time.

On lighter note, Rommel and I spent the first morning of the new year at the Los Angeles Zoo. It was an absolutely beautiful day, cold but still very sunny, and it did not really get busy until we were walking out the exit. We headed straight for the new elephant exhibit and it is nice to see that the male elephant finally has some company. If they cannot be in the wild or at a conservation site, at least they are at a really nice facility. (When they were building the exhibit I actually signed a petition against it.)

I guess I could technically cross my new experience for January off the list after visiting the zoo. Last time we were there I became extremely anxious because of the heat, the people, and being really far away from the exit and we ended up having to leave. But this time I enjoyed everything and we got a great walk in. I do not think I will cross my experience off though because the month just began and there is so much more to do.


Hopefully I can take the same picture next year but I will be lighter!


I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve!

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