Happy 2014, everyone!  I love to start the new year with a fresh batch of goals and look ahead to the achievements I want to accomplish – but before I do, it’s time to look back over my previous year’s goals.  Here they are, along with my “grades” and thoughts:

BLOG

1. Keep up a M, W, F posting schedule consistently all year – no blog breaks.
2. Stay informed about current events in the literary world, and post about them.
3. Shoot a new header that reflects the spirit of the blog.

Grade: A-.  Once again, I let an entire year go by without shooting a new header.  One of these days, one of these days.  But the other two goals, I am really pleased about.  I posted many times about current events in the book world (see my six-month goal roundup for just a few examples), and I only missed a couple of days of posting, mainly because I was swamped and didn’t realize that I’d forgotten to schedule posts to go up.  I was consistent in my posting and I’m proud of the things I’ve written this year.

HOME

1. Get the rest of the house painted (even if I have to hire professionals to do it).
2. Hang curtains!
3. Plant an herb garden, and don’t kill it this time.

Grade: Incomplete.  I had good intentions to really personalize our living space this year, but we ended up making the surprising decision to move to Buffalo, which brought those efforts to a halt.  Hopefully, by this time next year, we’ll be homeowners again, and I’ll have some house-related goals then.

FITNESS

1. Get back into road racing.
2. Get into a regular yoga practice.
3. Join Stroller Strides and attend regularly.

Grade: A-.  I rediscovered my love for running this year, after looking for it for awhile.  I ran three road races: the Healthy Strides Community 5K in April, the Buffalo-Niagara YMCA Turkey Trot in November, and the Freezer 5K in December, and made major strides (see what I did there?) with each race.  I have some big running goals for 2014, so stay tuned.  I didn’t make time for a regular yoga practice, which is something I always wish I could commit to, but I did attend Stroller Strides regularly this fall and loved every minute.  The other moms were so friendly and welcoming, and the workouts were TOUGH!  We’re on hiatus right now, until the instructor returns from maternity leave, but I can’t wait to get back to class next year.

READING

1. Really, really read more books I already own.  I mean it this time.
2. Read at least one classic every month.
3. Explore more non-fiction.

Grade: A.  I definitely read many more books off my own shelves this year (helped, in part, by moving and being sans library card for a little while).  I read at least one classic every month (usually more than one) and I dove into some great non-fiction.  All in all, a great reading year.

LIFE/FAMILY

1. Seek out ways to be a better wife and mother, and practice them.
2. Practice gratitude even when life gets challenging.
3. Love my little Peanut wildly.

I’m not going to assign a grade for this one, because being a good wife and mother is something I strive for daily and not something that I think is “grade-able.”  I did work hard at this one this year, though.  (Except for goal #3 – to love Peanut wildly – I did that every day, of course, but loving her never feels like work.)  Moving our family 300 miles away, and leaving behind a successful career, beautiful home, and dozens of friends, was a hard thing to do, but it was something I did because my family needed it.  During this adjustment period (which is still going on) I have found things for which to be grateful: sunny runs through the park in the middle of the day; the opportunity to see my in-laws regularly and to visit my parents for a few days in the middle of the week; time to read and relax; a better job for hubby; and most of all, bonus time to bond and snuggle and watch Peanut grow into the precious little person she is becoming every day.  What a gift!

Next up: my goals for 2014!