In With the New

The last day of the year seems like a good time to reflect on my some goals for the new year, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to jot down some thoughts. My post today is also partially motivated by my desire to get this blog back up and running. (Ha, appropriate choice of words!) See, I've signed up to train for another half-marathon at the end of March. More on that to come, but I plan to once again chronicle my journey to 13.1 to, as they say, keep myself honest. :)

2009 was a big year: I found a lot of confidence and enjoyment at my job; I ran my first half-marathon ever; I actually stayed put in one place for more than a year; my family expanded with the addition of my first nephew, Jack (one of the greatest joys in my life); and much, much more.

There were some weaker points, too. Once the half-marathon was over, I struggled to maintain a good running routine, and by the time the holidays rolled around, my fitness routine was non-existent. I'm still struggling to find my work/life balance, mostly because I'm still working on the "life" part of it--developing hobbies, fighting my introvert tendencies, branching out to meet new people. Although I love my job and recognize that it's an incredible opportunity for me to grow and develop, I'm easily distracted trying to imagine what my "career path" is--where will I be in five years? Ten? I can't quite visualize.

And, lately, I've been feeling restless. Am I living the life I want to be living? Is this the place I want to make my home? Am I cut out for a desk job, or could I be happy with something less knowledge-driven and more hands-on? (I have visions of moving to British Columbia and working at a wilderness camp or something like that.) Of course, I know that these are all things in my control. So, 2010 will be a year of living in the now and taking full advantage of what surrounds me, while also doing a little bit of soul-searching to see whether it might be time for me to move on.

I've started reading "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," and I have confidence that it will help guide me through some of this process. At any rate, I'm sure my blog will weave in threads of that conversation while it chronicles my running life once again.

So, I'm setting three areas for improvement for 2010:

1. Fitness: Train for and complete a half-marathon at a pace equal to or faster than my last, and keep up a running routine throughout the year. Round out fitness with yoga and or strength training. Most importantly, have fun.
   
2. Finances: Saving money is a major priority for me this year. With several trips I'd like to take, a digital SLR camera I'd like to buy, and an impending car purchase, I'm going to need to have as much money set aside as possible.
3. "Life": By this, I mean the "life" part of the work/life balance. Meeting new people, exploring new hobbies, maybe adding another volunteer gig. Just making sure that I can reflect with satisfaction on the way I'm spending my time outside of work.

To wrap up my very introspective posting now and end on a dreamy, optimistic note, I'll end with a quote from one of my favorite books, Anne of the Island:

"Oh, there's another bend in the road...," answered Anne lightly. "I've no idea what may be around it--I don't want to have. It's nicer not to know."