I made and kept New Year’s resolutions for the first time in 2012. Actually they weren’t resolutions so much as things I wanted to do more of. Early in the year I realized a lot of my old interests and hobbies were fading and being replaced with work. One night I was updating an online profile and decided I wanted to add something to my life. So I wrote that I wanted to focus on traveling more and running more this year. Just writing them down helped keep these goals in my mind and as opportunities came up to work on them.
In March, I went to San Francisco on business and extended my trip through the weekend so I could see more of the surrounding area. I took a long weekend in May to visit my friend Chris in Washington, DC and watch two Phillies-Nats games. I joined my family in Ocean City, NJ for a Memorial Day vacation before my brother Mike reported to the Coast Guard Academy. I tagged along with my brother Pat when he was in Southern California and we visited the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland. I topped off my travels with a trip to Ireland to visit Rob and see my ancestor’s homeland. Along the way I had some great day trips to Boston, New Haven, New York, New London, Baltimore, State College and East Rutherford. I picked up a magnet as a souvenir at most of my stops along the way, providing me with this nice reminder of where I’ve been on my fridge.
I wanted to get back into running for a couple of years, but continued to fail to start-up again. I failed in my first attempt in January, walking home cold, numb and barely able to breathe after a mile. I started up again in May to prepare for a 5K Race at work, using the Nike+ Running app to track my progress. The app helped me pace myself better and motivated me to keep running. After a month I ran 40 miles and ran a 30:23 in the race, 5 minutes faster than the last race I ran in 2009. My progress faltered a bit in the summer, but I kept starting up again and ran 3 more races this winter. Every time I open the app, I am happy with this reminder of how far I’ve come.
Those were just two milestones this year. My family celebrated a high school graduation, college graduation and a new house. My friends are starting families. We launched a lot of great products at work. Yet I think I will remember 2012 the most for realizing I am capable of setting goals and making changes in my life. I look forward to trying different approaches and making new changes in 2013. Happy New Year!